To many consumers, smartwatches are a novelty at best. To the tech world, on the other hand, they represent another tech innovation that’s on the cusp of being just as big as the original iPhone. After all, even Apple’s entering the smartwatch world with the Apple Watch.
But, this quick look isn’t about the 2015-bound Apple Watch. Instead, it’s about another device that’s a little more a fitness tracker than a smartwatch. Though, lots of people who have tried it thinks it makes a pretty good smartwatch either way.
Smartwatches extend the functionality of a regular digital watch beyond timekeeping. Today’s smartwatches are essentially compact computers, possessing many capabilities similar to today’s mobile devices. That would be a more apt comparison, especially since the Basis Peak posses capability similar to today’s popular fitness tracking apps.
Basis Peak fitness tracker – almost quite a smartwatch?
The Basis Peak fitness tracker’s got the looks of a sleek smartwatch, but under those good looks lies a pretty powerful fitness tracker. Now owned by Intel, Basis Peak’s focused on making the current new generation Basis Peak fitness tracker the best that’s been released.
It’s priced in the $200 price range, so it’s not the cheapest, nor the most expensive. At least, you know you’ll be getting a quality fitness tracker at that price point, right?
So, on to the tracker itself—it features a large 1.25 inch touch screen display, set atop a 23mm wristband. Not only that, much of the new improvements make this device a welcome change over the previous in usability. The overall design of the device is pretty sleek, though some people might find it gaudy, so your mileage will vary in that regard.
The tech hardware is actually an improvement over the last model. Much of the previous tech got a needed bump up on quality. The newly implemented optical heart rate sensor is great at accurately tracking the wearer’s heart rate in real time. This fitness tracker is especially noted for tracking fitness parameters and even sleep patterns. Some of its commonly tracked parameters include the aforementioned real time heart rate tracking, calorie tracking and sleep quality tracking.
It’s also waterproof up to 50 meters of water pressure—perfect for wearing in the rain or even the shower. Topping off some of the updated features its its Bluetooth LE radio, a welcome feature found in other similar fitness tracker and, yes, smartwatches. Though, unlike most smartwatches, it boasts a battery life spanning four days. Not bad, huh?
The Basis Peak is compatible with iOS devices running iOS 7 and several Android phones, such as the Galaxy S4/S5, Nexus 5, Note III and the HTC One.
