Misfit Ray
Wearable gadgets arrived in all shapes and sizes throughout 2015 and that surge shows no signs of abating into the new year. Here at CES, the world's largest technology showcase, we've already seen a wide range of wearable hardware, with plenty more set to come over the next few days.
First up is the Misfit Ray. With its slick, minimalist capsule design, Misfit is clearly hoping the Ray will appeal to the more fashion-focused among you, while the health-conscious will appreciate its step-counting, sleep-tracking abilities.
The Ray can be preordered now for $100 with a thin sport band, or $120 for a leather-banded version and will be available worldwide this spring. International pricing isn't currently available, but $100 roughly converts to £70 or AU$140. $120 converts to about £80 or AU$170.
Editors' note: This article will be continuously updated as more wearable devices are unveiled at CES.
It looks like a bracelet, or some space-age tube. But the Misfit Ray's a fitness tracker. One of a vast number of track-your-steps, pair-with-an-app gadgets that keep popping up. Fitness trackers -- the standalone ones that aren't smartwatches -- have started shrinking down to aspire to be jewelry, sort of. That's been Misfit's formula for years. But now, that formula feels a little commonplace.
The original Shine, a metal disc that automatically tracks steps and sleep and has good battery life, was innocuous. But also, easily lost. It could pop into accessories and be worn lots of places. I liked the Shine a lot when it first debuted in 2013, because it was unique and small. But there are more fitness trackers now, and most of them are unnecessary. The Shine 2 only made a few advances over the Shine. Its main appeal -- being simple and automatic -- has been adopted by many other competitors, including the king of the hill, Fitbit.
THE GOOD Slim design, water-resistant, long battery life thanks to replaceable batteries. Tracks activity automatically. Vibration alerts.
THE BAD Uncomfortable fit won't feel great on all wrists. Minimal look means no buttons or display, except for one glowing light. Misfit app not as good as competing fitness apps.
THE BOTTOM LINE Misfit's tube-shaped Ray fitness tracker looks stylish and gets the job done, but it does too little for what it costs.
No comments:
Post a Comment
welcome to the new world