Taiwanese electronics manufacturer HTC finally unveils its highly anticipated smart wearable device at the MWC 2015. Instead of making an Android Wear smartwatch which was expected by many tech analysts, the company surprised the tech community by unveiling a fitness tracker device equipped with GPS. HTC's newest gadget is dubbed Grip.
The device was developed along with Under Armour, a company based in the United States known for manufacturing sports apparel and accessories along with clothing lines provided to the US armed forces. The Grip will utilize the UA Record system in order to keep track of the user's workout activities.
The Grip will be released with a matte black exterior with bright neon interior band and will have a curved display. Online news portal The Verge reported that the Grip looks like a mash-up of Nike's FuelBand 2 and Microsoft Band.
The Grip has five sensors that will help the user keep track of its workouts. Other features include an integrated GPS which will be a great help for runners. The embedded GPS will help keep track of the user's route, distance as well as pace and calories burned and will display the results on the 1.8-inch PMOLED display, according to PCWorld. Estimated battery life of the Grip is within five hours with the GPS feature enabled.
HTC ditched the heart rate monitor feature which is common in many wearable devices nowadays. Instead, the Grip will offer complete compatibility to a wide range of external monitors through Bluetooth connectivity.
The Grip will be available for both iOS and Android smartphones. It will be released in spring and has a price tag of $199. It will be available in two colors, deep teal and lime, and interested buyers can choose from three different sizes.