Jawbone brings Android support to Up24 fitness band with UP 3.0 app

While a wealth of fitness band options are coming this year, Jawbone was one of the early movers in the space, and their second generation band, the Up24, launched late last year to solid reviews. We didn’t take a look at it at the time, as one feature it was lacking was Android support.

But here we are about three months later and Jawbone has updated their Android app (which previously supported only the original UP) and now Android and the Up24 can live in harmony.

If you aren’t familiar with the Up24, it’s probably the most simplistic fitness band around. That design is part of what has elicited so much praise. It has just a single button, two LEDs and a 2.5mm plug for charging, which is covered by a removable plate. Other than that, it’s just a flexible band of medical-grade rubber, which you wrap around your wrist and go about your day.

Syncing happens over Bluetooth 4.0, which is one of the big upgrades from the previous generation UP that had to be plugged in to transfer your data. They are really shooting for minimal interference in your routine with the Up24. The device is able to go 7 days on a single charge, just shy of the 10 offered by the previous model, but the trade off for wireless syncing feels like it is probably worth it. Plus, a full recharge takes just about 90 minutes.

For most of your interactions with the Up24, you are reliant on the UP app to control and view the data from your band. While, again, the band is quite simple, the app is robust and  takes the Up24 well beyond the simple pedometer that many take these fitness bands for. Through the app you are able to track your sleep and the nutritional info for your food and drink. You can set Smart Alarms to wake you up silently by vibrating the band, Idle Alerts to make you aware that you’ve been still too long and a Power Nap feature to wake you at the right time if you need a quick rest. The app also has social and gamification components that will try to drive you to stick with whatever goals you are setting for yourself.

Again there is going to be a lot of competition in this space this year. We are seeing a blending of the smartwatch and fitness band (as with the Gear Fit) that may perhaps offer the best of both worlds. That said, I can still see the market for this simple band that is focused entirely on health. The pricing is a potential sticking point. The Up24 retails for $149 (usually $129-135 on Amazon) and many of the more fully-featured wearables are coming in at not much more than that.

Did any of you own the previous version of the Jawbone Up? Are you finding yourself interested in the new version now that they have Android support?

Show Press Release

JAWBONE® INTRODUCES UP24™ FOR ANDROID USERS

UP® 3.0 for Android Now Available on Google Play

SAN FRANCISCO – March 11, 2014 – Jawbone® today announced that its popular lifestyle tracker,  UP24TM and accompanying UP® App, are now available for AndroidTM users. UP24 is a wristband, app and data system that helps you understand how you sleep, move and eat so you can make choices to live better.

“We believe that helping people understand the context and meaning of their data is key in helping to make sustained behavior changes. Through our investment in data science we have been able to provide personalized insights to help nudge people to meet their sleep or activity goals. Now with the launch of UP24 on Android, our entire community can enjoy the benefits of these insights in real-time, with continuous feedback and in-the-moment notifications to help them achieve their goals,” said Travis Bogard, vice president of product management and strategy for Jawbone. “Android users have been incredibly active in the UP community, and we’re thrilled to bring UP24 to the Android platform.”

UP and UP24 fit effortlessly into the way you live to help you understand how you sleep, move, eat and feel, and how those activities affect one another. As the newest member of the UP family, UP24 lets you wirelessly sync data collected from your band to the UP 3.0 App for Android via Bluetooth® Smart.

The UP app for Android delivers insights, which encourage and motivate you to take small steps that can turn into long-term progress. And now with Bluetooth 4.0 syncing, you can also receive continuous feedback and in-the-moment notifications to help you achieve your goals.

UP24 features the sophisticated form factor and technology that UP users love for 24/7 wear – a smooth, hypoallergenic, medical-grade rubber exterior that features a new, stylish textural design that’s comfortable enough to wear throughout each day and night. The battery lasts 7 days, and the band can be charged with a USB power adapter via the included 2.5mm USB cable.

The UP by Jawbone 3.0 App for Android is available today in 12 languages as a free download on Google Play.TM

About Jawbone®

For more than a decade, Jawbone® has developed human-centered wearable technology and audio devices that solve everyday problems and help us live better. A 2010 IDSA Design of the Decade winner, the company is the creator of the best-selling JAMBOX® family of wireless speakers, the award-winning Jawbone ERA® and ICON™ Bluetooth® headsets, and NoiseAssassin® technology. Jawbone’s approach to lifestyle tracking is unique, with over 430 patents filed related to Jawbone’s lifestyle tracking ecosystem and its wearable technology manufacturing processes. Jawbone is privately held and headquartered in San Francisco.

Jawbone®, UP®, UP24™, JAMBOX®, BIG JAMBOX®, MINI JAMBOX™, Jawbone ERA®, ICON™ and NoiseAssassin® are trademarks owned by AliphCom dba Jawbone. Other company and product names may be trademarks of their respective owners.

source: androidandme