Gone are the days when watches only told time. The market of tech wearables is becoming increasingly popular and growing on a daily basis, with each gadget more advanced than previous devices. CCS Insight, an analysis and intelligence expert on mobile communication has updated their outlook on the future of wearable tech, indicating that 411 million smart wearable devices, worth a staggering
$34 billion, will be sold in 2020.
The analyst claims the industry will hit $14 billion this year with wrist-based devices, such as smart watches and fitness trackers. Its forecast states half of all wearable tech sales over the next 12 months will be from these genre, with smartwatches making up 50 per cent of the estimated 60 million shipments. Some activity trackers have heart-rate sensors, some offer extra-long battery life, while others can make mobile payments.
But what if there was a device that tracked your fitness, heart rate, sent and received messages, let you answer phone calls, plus so much more?
Meet the Huawei TalkBand B2, a unique device that is part activity tracker and part Bluetooth headset. But that’s not even what makes the tracker stand out. The TalkBand B2 is also the first third-party tracker that can sync with Jawbone’s powerful up software, which opens the door to smart coaching features and daily health insights.
The wrist-worn device is capable of measuring the steps you take each day, your calories burned and your sleep at night. It can be used to wake you up in the morning, with a favourite feature being the reminder that tells you to get up and move. The device also times and tracks individual workouts, and there is also a special stopwatch mode.
What helps the band stand out is the detachable Bluetooth headset that can be used to answer phone calls. The screen on the TalkBand will turn on when you twist your wrist. This is similar to the gesture used on the Apple Watch; alternatively you can press the single button on the device to wake it up.
The first thing you will see when the device is turned on is a screen with the Bluetooth status, a battery icon, and the time and date. A swipe down reveals the amount of steps you have taken, another swipe shows the calories you’ve burned from activities, followed by the amount of sleep you achieved last night, and finally, the option to enable the stopwatch.
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