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20th December 2016
12:18am GMT
Jawbone have been steady leaders in activity trackers and wearable tech. They launched the original UP in 2011 which captured the imagination of techies. It was then pulled from the market because it actually didn't work at all. UP24 was a considerable improvement- it worked and was the first activity monitor to get the wireless data transfer seamless. The iPhone app and user experience of the UP24 was the best in my opinion, it was simple with clear metrics and graphs. And now they've released Jawbone UP3.
The UP3 does have the key features you'd want in an activity tracker. It is more than just a pedometer. It features a sleep tracker, a heart rate monitor, its waterproof and also comes with a built in motivational coach to ensure you hit your goals. It learns from you. It will tell you when to move and when to wake up. Even the integration of food and calorie tracking in the app and setting daily goals is a nice touch.
Heart rate monitors have been around commercially since the 1970's when Polar were the leaders in the market. When activity monitors first appeared I was always surprised they didn't have a heart rate monitor. Now all the recent launches have incorporated them. An additional feature promised by the Up3 is body and air temperature. Why you ask? Well as air temperatures drop the likelihood of heart attacks actually increase and the Up3's technology may help to be an early warning signal for heart failure.
The one key difference to the Jawbone UP3 is that there is no display. The design is strong and streamlined which provides a very gender neutral appeal. The battery promises a week of wearing without charging which is super handy if you're out and about or travelling. It costs $179 and is available in time for Christmas.
Now the question is do you just wait for an Apple Watch or will this be a cheaper display free alternative? The other question is do you ditch your Crossfit coach and just go digital? Not sure if the a bracelet is going to make me get better abs to be honest but they are a less in your face!
