If I had a dollar for every step I’d taken testing fitness trackers – well, let’s be honest, I probably wouldn’t still be writing here right now – I’d be relaxing in the Maldives or something. But, as far as emerging markets go – fitness trackers is one of the biggest – anything wearable is hot right now in tech.
Jawbone Up, Fitbit, Sony, Garmin – there are a lot. We’ve been wrist on with a new player in Australia – the Orb by FitBug.
The Orb is a tiny little disc about the size of a 20c piece and with a battery life between three and six months – and that’s its biggest selling point.
Many fitness trackers need multiple charges per week and some have such cumbersome charging rigs it’s a risk you might just lose that vital component.
The Orb uses a standard coin sized battery to make replacement easy.
Wireless syncing with your smartphone puts it on par with the best in the business, with both steps and sleep tracking right there in your app.
In a design master-stroke, the orb itself can be in your pocket for tracking, on your belt with a simple clip, or on your wrist. That’s versatility that many fitness tracker wearers will like.
Oh, and the biggest deal – it’s just $99.99. That’s blowing the competition out of the water.
My only complaint is the layout of the data in the app, but frankly, any person new to fitness trackers won’t have an issue – if you’re coming from Jawbone or another you might need some time to adjust, oh, and getting the battery in the Orb for the first time – not so easy, relax – it will work – just don’t get frustrated like I did:)
As a possible gift for Fathers day – brilliant.
Available now at Selected Myer stores, Selected Telstra stores, http://www.gadgetsboutique.
[schema type=”review” rev_name=”FitBug Orb – Fitness Tracker” rev_body=”A simple, small fitness tracker with multiple forms of use not just a wristband” author=”Trevor Long” pubdate=”2014-07-06″ user_review=”3.9″ min_review=”0″ max_review=”5″ ]
