[CES 2016] There are many fitness bands and smartwatches in the market today that track a person’s activity. In fact even without a wearable, your smartphone is perfectly capable of tracking your runs via a variety of fitness apps. However it seems that Intel and New Balance think that there’s a gap that needs to be filled.Announced during CES 2016, both Intel and New Balance have revealed that they will be working together to create a smartwatch that is aimed at runners with the launch of their DIgital Sport division. According to Rob DeMartini, President and CEO of New Balance, “Digital technology has truly revolutionized, very quickly, this industry and New Balance wants to continue to be a brand on the forefront, arming our athletes with the cutting-edge products that will help them reach peak performance.”
The first product that both companies are expected to put out will be a smartwatch that aims to allow athletes to workout untethered from their smartphones. The watch can track the runners’ route via GPS and enable music playback via the watch itself, all without the need for a smartphone. It will also be powered by Android Wear.
To be honest we’re not sure how different this device is from a typical smartwatch, or like we said a smartphone that can accomplish the same task. There are already devices that can be used without a smartphone, or at least can sync with a smartphone after you’re done, but hopefully both Intel and New Balance will be able to come up with something a little different. The device is expected to be launched in the holiday season of 2016.
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