Jawbone announces Up4 fitness band with NFC payments, releases Up2 mid-tier offering
In what appears to be Jawbone's attempt to keep up in an escalating wearables arms race, the company on Thursday unveiled the Up4 fitness tracker with built-in NFC payments provided in partnership with American Express.
While Jawbone's Up3 has yet to see release despite being announced in November, the fitness tracking firm announced a follow-up called Up4 that is expected to hit store shelves this summer.
Up4 features the same fitness tracking, heart rate monitoring and sleep tracking capabilities as Up3, but comes with a built-in NFC chip for mobile payments. Since the device has not been tested, battery life remains a mystery.
Jawbone's payment method is similar to Apple Pay and Apple Watch, but is strictly limited to American Express customers at this time. Users can connect an AmEx card through Jawbone's app, which activates Up4 for tap-to-pay transactions at supporting retailers. Little is known about the system's backend, though it likely takes after other NFC-based solutions that rely on tokenized payments schemes.
Unlike Apple Watch, however, Up4 lacks a display to keep track of purchases, nor does Jawbone's app log recent transactions. Records of payment activities are accessible via the AmEx app.
Up4 is priced just above Up3 at $199.
Available for immediate purchase is Jawbone's Up2, a mid-tier offering featuring activity and sleep tracking, food logging and compatibility with Jawbone's Smart Coach service. Priced at $99, Up2 falls between the entry-level Up Move at $50 and current top-end Up3.
Like its Up24 predecessor, Up2 packs in Bluetooth syncing, week-long battery life and other features, but sports a band-and-clasp design and is lighter and cheaper. for those interested, Up2 is available now through Jawbone's website, while Amazon and Best Buy will be taking orders later today.
While Jawbone's Up3 has yet to see release despite being announced in November, the fitness tracking firm announced a follow-up called Up4 that is expected to hit store shelves this summer.
Up4 features the same fitness tracking, heart rate monitoring and sleep tracking capabilities as Up3, but comes with a built-in NFC chip for mobile payments. Since the device has not been tested, battery life remains a mystery.
Jawbone's payment method is similar to Apple Pay and Apple Watch, but is strictly limited to American Express customers at this time. Users can connect an AmEx card through Jawbone's app, which activates Up4 for tap-to-pay transactions at supporting retailers. Little is known about the system's backend, though it likely takes after other NFC-based solutions that rely on tokenized payments schemes.
Unlike Apple Watch, however, Up4 lacks a display to keep track of purchases, nor does Jawbone's app log recent transactions. Records of payment activities are accessible via the AmEx app.
Up4 is priced just above Up3 at $199.
Available for immediate purchase is Jawbone's Up2, a mid-tier offering featuring activity and sleep tracking, food logging and compatibility with Jawbone's Smart Coach service. Priced at $99, Up2 falls between the entry-level Up Move at $50 and current top-end Up3.
Like its Up24 predecessor, Up2 packs in Bluetooth syncing, week-long battery life and other features, but sports a band-and-clasp design and is lighter and cheaper. for those interested, Up2 is available now through Jawbone's website, while Amazon and Best Buy will be taking orders later today.
Comments
I was planning on buying the Up3 when it was announced in November 2014, but Jawbone had a perpetual 10-11 week delay on getting the device out. I heard that they had manufacturing issues and it was also speculated that they might get bought out by another company. So along the way I purchased a Fitbit and now I have an order for the Apple Watch, so I can best sum it up for Jawbone like this... You shuffle your feet, you lose your seat. Goodbye now.
So for those people that like traditional watches, and do not want to wear a mini iPhone in their wrist, Swatch can take this technology, put it inside a watch (Swatch or Omega) and that's a pretty compelling product.
If you say so.
If it only works with AMEX it's DOA.
I for one thought I preferred regular watches, but after trying on the Apple Watch, I changed my mind. But I still don't know if I'd wear the Apple Watch to work or to social events, certainly not to the beach. So there may or may not be a market for "pimped up" regular watches. Who knows? But I am glad that these companies try it out, gives me more choice.
None of these fitnes bands will succeed in the long term vs proper smart watches like the Apple watch. But it shows that if there is a market for it, fitness tracking, single-card payments, Bluetooth, and a buzzer for notification, can be put inside a "regular" watch. Some people that like regular watches may go for it.
I for one thought I preferred regular watches, but after trying on the Apple Watch, I changed my mind. But I still don't know if I'd wear the Apple Watch to work or to social events, certainly not to the beach. So there may or may not be a market for "pimped up" regular watches. Who knows? But I am glad that these companies try it out, gives me more choice.
For now, I'll wear my cheap, old, and trusty stainless steel Fossil to "the beach" (and other deserts), and my Apple Watch in "environmentally safe" circumstances, but I'd definitely be interested in improvements on watches like the WiThings Activité...
I don't know why these things are still on the market at the prices they are asking. Limited durability, limited battery lifetime, and all of the aesthetics of a flea collar.
No, I'm wrong, these flea collars are far more attractive:
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Adams-Flea-Tick-Collar-for-Small-Dogs-Dogs/14053413
Don't treat your wrist like a chihuahua, get a device designed for humans.
But there are watches that will do every thing else these things do. Wearing something such as the ? Watch during normal daily activities would serve more uses than wearing one of these bands.
Is it just me or do those things look like neo-medieval torture devices?
A couple of bent over bits of metal to guide the strap and secure it to the wearer's wrist? Really? This thing looks like what someone might conceive in a junior high school shop class.
After all of that, we get the Move, which is every bit as stupid looking as I feared, so I called them today to see if they'd get me an Up 2. Nope. "One you accept the Move, there is no changing your mind." Poor customer service, bait and switch tactics and crappy products. Never again. Soooo happy that my SS Apple Watch is scheduled to arrive on launch day! Even when using it as a fitness tracker without the iPhone it doesn't more than these.
im guessing you haven't actually tried on an AW. its not bulky, nor heavy. at all.
You guessed wrong.
Of course it's not heavy or bulky but it would be compared to a fitness band when you're sleeping.