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Nike FuelBand 2 Incoming at October 15 Event

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Nike has scheduled an event for October 15 to presumably talk about its NikeFuel series, saying that it’ll be discussing “the future of the digital world and physical activity.” This most likely means that the company will announce the FuelBand 2.

Rumors of a second-generation FuelBand have been around since earlier this year, where it’s rumored that a refreshed fitness wristband from Nike will include new features like a heart rate monitor and Android support this time around. Nike has a good partnership with Apple and its iOS platform, where iPhone users can easily pair a Nike+ device into iOS for seamless integration.

This Nike event was actually planned for November, according to what past rumors have suggested, but it’s possible that the sudden leaks of the Fitbit Force ruffled Nike into moving up the announcement in order to fend off any competition from taking over the spotlight. Of course, they most likely won’t be able to do that fully, but an earlier announcement could mean the difference between getting buried under the competition and fighting right alongside with it.

NikeFuel_Forum

The FuelBand has been on of the more popular fitness wearables amongst athletes and other users who want digitize their workout regime. The FuelBand was first announce back in January 2012, and seeing how it’s quickly approaching its two-year birthday, a refresh is certainly welcomed at this point. Since it’s initial launch, the only upgrade it has received has been new color choices, which probably didn’t excite a lot of users.

The Nike FuelBand 2 is rumored to include a heart rate monitor, which is something that it has severely lacked, given that other devices on the market are offering this. Furthermore, it’s also said that the overall speed of the device will be increased, making it a lot quicker to navigate through options on the wristband.

Nike is also reportedly including Bluetooth 4.0 LE support, which is known for its low-energy use and will allow for better battery life, which is always a plus feature on any new device. As for Android support, that’s supposedly in the works, with an Android app on the way, but we’d be surprised if it supported all Android devices. It’ll most likely only work with a select number of Android phones at the start, with further support down the road.

2 Comments

2 Comments

  1. Ryan

    10/04/2013 at 8:30 am

    I have the Fuelband now and love it. Its a little gimicy but with the added functionality of a hrm and android capability(hallelujah) I’m all in for the next gen!

  2. Tim Tripp

    10/10/2013 at 9:27 am

    I love my FuelBand but have to say when I read about the FitBit Force today my first thought was to sell my FuelBand and get the Force. I’ll hold off to see what Nike releases/announces on the 15th but here are my main wants:

    * When I’m running and my phone rings, I want it to show me who’s calling. This would also be really nice for text messages but since they by nature can wait, it’s really about phone calls for me.
    * It’s water resistant, which is great, but I want full waterproof so I can wear it while swimming (not diving; I get the pressure issues… Just surface swimming maybe 3m waterproof like so many watches have). This could be accomplished by having a small cradle with copper charge points or even better…
    * Capacitive charging. It’s great that I can charge with any USB port, but I think that form factor is why it’s not fully water proof. I’d rather have full waterproofing and be able to set the device on any Qi compatible charge surface (I’m convinced my car dashboard will have one in a few years)
    * I don’t know if it needs more sensors but somehow they need to make this thing better at picking up bicycle activity. On my wrist I get that it’s having a hard time determining movement, but even when I attach it to the strap on my shoe it can’t detect the circular motion of cycling very well at all. Surely there’s a solution.

    Like I said, I love my FuelBand. If they just add a heart rate monitor I’ll consider upgrading, but I’ll shell out another $150 without hesitation (well, less whatever I can sell my v1 for…) if they add even one of these features.

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