Misfit announces Flash, an affordable $49 wearable fitness and sleep tracker
Fitness tracking hardware and software firm Misfit on Tuesday announced Flash, a reworking of the company's Shine activity monitor designed for durability and a more attractive price of entry.
According to Misfit, Flash is a complete reimagining of its original Shine activity monitor, which launched in 2013 as the company's first product. The new fitness monitor offers the same fitness and tracking capabilities as Shine, but at half the price.
The most apparent design departure is the switch from an aluminum chassis to a structure made from polycarbonate and wrapped in "soft touch" thermoplastic polyurethane. While the circular shape remains unchanged, Flash is thicker to accommodate a new push button physical user interface. The device can be placed anywhere on the body using clasps and wrist straps, while the new chassis material brings new bright neon color options.
Unlike Shine, which uses an accelerometer to detect and translate taps into controls, the entire front face of Flash is a large input button. Accumulated motion and time is displayed by 12 red LEDs that shine through the polyurethane covering.
Internally, components are largely the same, with motion tracking sensors, a button cell battery and waterproof seals good down to 30 meters. Like the Shine, Flash also tracks sleep quality and connects to the Misfit iOS app via Bluetooth 4.0.
Today's announcement comes one week after Misfit debuted a developer toolkit in hopes of bringing connected fitness trackers and wellness apps together with a single unified platform.
Flash is scheduled to launch in October at Best Buy, Target, Amazon, Walmart and other partner retailers for $50, while preorders go live today through Misfit's website.
According to Misfit, Flash is a complete reimagining of its original Shine activity monitor, which launched in 2013 as the company's first product. The new fitness monitor offers the same fitness and tracking capabilities as Shine, but at half the price.
The most apparent design departure is the switch from an aluminum chassis to a structure made from polycarbonate and wrapped in "soft touch" thermoplastic polyurethane. While the circular shape remains unchanged, Flash is thicker to accommodate a new push button physical user interface. The device can be placed anywhere on the body using clasps and wrist straps, while the new chassis material brings new bright neon color options.
Unlike Shine, which uses an accelerometer to detect and translate taps into controls, the entire front face of Flash is a large input button. Accumulated motion and time is displayed by 12 red LEDs that shine through the polyurethane covering.
Internally, components are largely the same, with motion tracking sensors, a button cell battery and waterproof seals good down to 30 meters. Like the Shine, Flash also tracks sleep quality and connects to the Misfit iOS app via Bluetooth 4.0.
Today's announcement comes one week after Misfit debuted a developer toolkit in hopes of bringing connected fitness trackers and wellness apps together with a single unified platform.
Flash is scheduled to launch in October at Best Buy, Target, Amazon, Walmart and other partner retailers for $50, while preorders go live today through Misfit's website.
Comments
These are the kind of devices that ultimately will cease to exist thanks to Apple Watch. Yes, I'm aware Apple Watch will not track your sleep (but neither will this gadget when u take it off to charge it)....my point is, single function $49 wearables have no future whatsoever.
Maybe it's just because of last week's keynote, with all the references to "most personal" products... but on the face of it, "Misfit" seems a horribly miscalculated brand name for a wearable.
(Yes, I know the intended reference well, no need to remind me of "Santa Claus is Coming To Town"...)
Of all the product names, they have decided on a name that Apple choose to not support on the iPhone.
I'm going my new Android tablet... wait for it... "Camry"
It does look modern and not sure if you're being sarcastic but Forstall didn't make the digital crown.
But I agree, like required iPhone tethering, that crown thing needs to be REMOVED by next gen.
These are the kind of devices that ultimately will cease to exist thanks to Apple Watch. Yes, I'm aware Apple Watch will not track your sleep (but neither will this gadget when u take it off to charge it)....my point is, single function $49 wearables have no future whatsoever.
Depends on the use case. Personally I never understood the 'step' tracking phenomenon.
But for my use case, I would like to try something like this (ugly as it is)-
https://buy.garmin.com/en-US/US/into-sports/health-fitness/vivosmart-/prod154886.html
These are the kind of devices that ultimately will cease to exist thanks to Apple Watch. Yes, I'm aware Apple Watch will not track your sleep (but neither will this gadget when u take it off to charge it)....my point is, single function $49 wearables have no future whatsoever.
You don't charge this. Contains a replaceable watch battery.
That's your classic "disposable electronics" right there.
Of all the product names, they have decided on a name that Apple choose to not support on the iPhone.
I'm going my new Android tablet... wait for it... "Camry"
I'm going to name my new mid-sized car "Quicktime."
Seeing as the Apple Watch's entire UI is geared around that digital crown, I wouldn't hold my breath.
At least that's modern- no Scott Forstall "digital crown" aka scroll wheel.
what on earth are you talking about? Forstall, the ex-apple software designer, has nothing to do w/ Ive's hardware designs.
But I agree, like required iPhone tethering, that crown thing needs to be REMOVED by next gen.
not happening. it's part of the design language of the physical watch world they are brokering. and it prevents your fingers from obscuring the screen needlessly.
i find it so odd that as someone who has never been in the room as the AW, let alone used one, that you feel qualified to know better than the designers do, or to declare it a failure. you havent even used the damn thing! get real.
Personally I never understood the 'step' tracking phenomenon.
its pretty easy to understand -- most americans are too sedentary and fat. studies have shown that, not surprisingly, walking several miles a day helps you be less fat.
we love tracking our steps. having a visualizer for our progress encourages us to "beat" the goal, ala game theory. its worked for myself and my SO, we're thrilled to have the motion co-processor in our iphone 5s
...wrapped in "soft touch" thermoplastic polyurethane...
Are the straps replaceable? (I do NOT want to see what such a wrist strap would look like after months of sweat, etc.)
If you are in the market for a Watch, then you are are not looking to buy one of these.
The price is right. A lot of people can't afford/won't spend $350 on a watch.
It's waterproof (we know the Watch won't be waterproof or they would have already been pushing it)
This is meant to be worn all day/all night.
The bright colors will be very popular with younger adults/teenagers.
Given the price, this seems like the best of what's out there now - Fitbit, Withings, Jawbone, etc. The wearables market is small and seems to be dwindling. The fad may be over. But this is a strong option for those still interested.
This is even uglier then the apple watch lol
At least that's modern- no Scott Forstall "digital crown" aka scroll wheel.
Yeah, I'll trust Ive's design sense more than that of a troll like you - since he's actually proven himself, you know, a million times over.
I'm always in awe of people like you, who posess so little humility, and have no hesitation in bash something created by people who are known to be the best in their fields, in such a kneejerk fashion. You think during the 3 years of development, Ive and team didn't try 10,000 different prototypes? You think you have more insight into what works and looks better than they do, based on the millions of hrs of testing they've done? The design is not your cup of tea, fine. But I think the abject mockery, coming from people like you and others, is pretty damn sickening- and reveals more about your character than the watch itself. Especially since you don't have one second of hands-on time with the digital crown, nor the watch itself. What fucking qualifies you to dish out such mockery? Your implication is that everyone who designed the watch is a moron. Again, that says alot about you.