Lenovo Unveils New ‘Smartband,’ Joins Wearable Tech Race

Lenovo is the latest tech company to jump into the already saturated wearables market. The manufacturer has quietly added a new fitness wristband tracker, called the Lenovo Smartband, to its website.

While it’s unclear whether the device’s appearance on Lenovo’s site is an accidental leak ahead of a larger launch, the product page for the “Lenovo Smartband SW-B100” said it is intended for “young people who take care of their personal health, and are interested in new tech trend products.”

The Smartband — which comes in blue or orange, and is compatible with iOS, Android and Windows Phone devices — enables users to track daily steps, calories burned, as well as sleep and heart rates, according to the page. It also comes with several smartwatch capabilities, including call and text message alerts. What’s more, the device can auto-lock or unlock a PC without forcing users to manually enter a password.

Its arrival on Lenovo’s website was first spotted by tech blog Windows Central.

The Smartband’s design and specs aren’t all that different from wristband wearables already available for purchase, but it shows how Lenovo — like many others — is putting its resources into the fitness-tracker trend.

In addition, the new product doesn’t come as a complete surprise: Documents revealing the Smartband surfaced earlier this month in a Federal Communications Commission (FCC) filing, along with a user manual. It was rumored to launch back in September at the 2014 IFA consumer electronics conference in Berlin, but never made its debut, Android Policereported.

Although there are no details on pricing or availability yet, it’s likely that Lenovo will want to start shipping before the holiday shopping season. The company did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Author: Samantha Murphy Kelly

Source: Mashable