Jawbone launches two new $49 and $179 fitness trackers UP Move and UP3

Fitness trackers are a huge hit in markets at the moment. The latest to enter the wearable fitness trackers is the tech startup Jawbone with its two new devices, the $49 priced UP Move and a much higher priced $179 UP3. Both the products will be released this fall. The health monitoring wrist bands proposed by the company will enable fitness enthusiasts and health maniacs to strap the device to their wrist or an item of their clothing and get continuous updates from these.

Though Jawbone is not a new entrant to the wristband market, the new devices proposed by it are a huge improvement over what is was earlier selling. The UP3, for instance, will allow users to track heart rate, respiration, body temperature and room temperature. The new product also comes with biometric sensors.

The sensors used in these devices will come from BodyMedia, another startup acquired by Jawbone last year. BodyMedia produces health monitoring equipment and its products have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

“Next year, Jawbone plans to use over-the-air updates to give Up3 the ability to gather data on respiration and hydration. The eventual goal is to track more nebulous signals like stress and fatigue,” reported TheWired.com.

With Yves Behar, the megastar designer, being the creative director of the new range of wearables, it goes without saying that the devices will have a huge aesthetic appeal, and could help Jawbone get a cutting edge over its rivals. Behar, along with his team is said to have tested lots of potential layouts of sensors and internal components before designing what we now see. He wanted the device to have an arrangement and proportions that would look good on slimmer wrists also and fit most people ergonomically.

Jawbone plans to roll out over the next few months bands in various colors, finishes, and textures, including a pattern resembling that of a quilted Chanel handbag. “A lot of other brands base their design language on one or two materials and colors,” Béhar says. “We’re basing ours on variety and tactility.”

The Move will be available in the markets on November 5. The USP of this device will be the fact that it is priced a good $11 lower than its rival in the same segment by Fitbit which is priced at $50. The UP3 priced at $179 will hit the markets later this year.