Wyze has made its name by offering smart home gadgets at startlingly low prices compared to the big-name competitors. The company is now looking to branch out into smart wearables with the Wyze Band. It looks like a fairly standard fitness tracker, but it sports Amazon Alexa integration and (we assume) a low price tag.
Wyze sells products that hover around the $20 level. It has a 1080p security camera
that rivals devices that cost five or ten times more. It also offers an $8 smart bulb that can do most of the same things as a $30 Philips Hue bulb. Likewise, Wyze’s $20 smart home sensor kit undercuts the competition and adds functionality to the company’s other devices. The smart home market is booming, and there’s no clear leader. Wyze’s attempt to break into wearables will be hampered by an entrenched oligarchy.
The company mentioned this new fitness wearable in a blog post about its upcoming products. However, it didn’t include any details beyond the name. However, Zatznotfunny managed to unearth some additional details from the beta Wyze app. The device looks a lot like the Fitbit Charge with its tall, narrow screen built into the band. The touchscreen will be color, supporting custom backgrounds and various clock designs. The display will probably be LCD, considering Wyze’s commitment to low prices.
The device will, of course, track fitness stats like heart rate and steps. Wyze will attempt to set its wearable apart from other budget offerings with Alexa integration. You’ll be able to control Wyze devices from the Wyze Band but also all the other internet-connected gadgets that work with Alexa. There’s a microphone, but it’s unclear if you’ll have a speaker for verbal replies. Fitbit also added support for Alexa to the Versa 2, which didn’t have a speaker. However, the future of that venture is unclear now that Google is acquiring the company. Presumably, future Fitbit devices will have Google Assistant instead.
Wyze says it has completed preliminary user testing of the Band and will work to incorporate feedback into the device. It hopes to begin a beta test in the coming weeks, after which it will prepare for a final launch. That’s probably at least a few months out. Wyze may find it tough to grab a piece of the wearable market even at lower prices. Apple holds the lion’s share of sales, and Google’s control of Fitbit gives it another big chunk. Meanwhile, Wyze is coming off of an embarrassing data breach that could scare some buyers away.
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from ExtremeTechExtremeTech https://www.extremetech.com/electronics/306536-wyze-teases-fitness-tracker-band-with-alexa
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