CYBER SHAFT

As you buy more devices and wearables, the idea of having one phone number to connect them all is an increasingly attractive one.

AT&T is readying a service that will allow users to connect all their devices, from smartphones to wearables, with a single phone number.

The company promises that the service, called NumberSync, will allow users to send and receive texts and calls from any device using one number. A person familiar with the matter confirmed to Mashable that the service will be made possible due to changes on AT&T's existing telecom network. And unlike some similar Bluetooth-based solutions, NumberSync connectivity will function even if the user's primary mobile device with the originating number is physically nowhere near the other NumberSync-connected devices.

"Since NumberSync operates in our wireless network, it is not dependent on a Bluetooth connection to your smartphone," AT&T spokesperson David Christopher posted on the company's website on Wednesday. "Your devices don’t need to be near each other and NumberSync will work even if your primary phone is turned off or disconnected from the network.

Christopher also mentions that the service will be able to connect wearables like fitness bands and hints at possible in-car functionality. Yet no specific NumberSync devices are mentioned, and it's not clear whether the service will work across a wide array of mobile platforms such as iOS, Android and Windows Phone.

Apple offers a similar concept in the form of its Continuity feature, which allows you to make and receive calls through your Mac and iPad via your iPhone. But depending on how AT&T's service is delivered, NumberSync has the potential be much more powerful than Apple's solution.

AT&T says the first NumberSync-ready device (likely a wearable) will launch sometime this month, with at least two additional devices to come during the holiday season.