Adidas has added a new device to the ever-growing wearable tech space, the FIT SMART tracker, meant to be worn only during workouts.
Adidas, the renowned sportswear brand, is taking a unique approach toward fitness tracking with its all-new FIT SMART tracker. The sportswear giant is taking off the extra tidbits from the fitness tracker. Adidas announced the new wearable on Wednesday and said it was meant to be worn only during workouts.
The Adidas FIT SMART monitors heart rate, calories, pace, distance and stride rate, all during running, training and workouts. The tracker is to help wearers achieve best results with guides and training programs. The tracker's LED dial shows time along with other data and uses a separate LED array on the left side that changes colors between blue, green, yellow or red to show the intensity of the wearer's workout.
"Designed for running, training and fitness, FITSMART is unlike many of the activity trackers on the market today as it measures heart rate response to physical activity and then guides the user train at the right intensity for the best results," the company said in the press release.
The FIT SMART features a comfortable design with a soft touch silicon strap to fight the sweat as it is designed to track workout activities. It simply acts as a personal trainer and gives feedback and suggestions based on the results achieved. It collaborates with Adidas' miCoach Train and Run app for free training plans and weekly goals. Users can customize their tracker' settings.
With options available from Nike, Samsung and other companies, Adidas will face a challenge pushing its units off the shelves. Devices like Fitbit Flex offer several additional features like step tracking, sleep monitoring and app-based calorie counter. But FitBit must be worn at all times to track the data, whereas Adidas' tracker needs to be worn when the wearers need to track their activity the most, in gyms.
Even if Adidas attracts fitness watchers to buy its FIT SMART, price will be another factor. According to CNET, the FIT SMART will retail at $199 when it launches in August, which is $50 more than Jawbone UP and Nike Fuelband+ and $100 more than Fitbit Flex.
