But the $20 Wyze Scale is even better value...
The Wyze Band is official and the $24 fitness tracking band with Alexa built in has already gone on sale in the US.
It’s got a 0.95-inch AMOLED touch screen has a 120 x 240 resolution with a 282ppi pixel density, so it should look pretty punchy. It can also be customised to have shortcuts, widgets and watch faces.
It’s 5ATM water resistant (50m) although there’s no word on whether swim tracking will be a part of the mix.
There’s also a heart rate monitor too – but again, we’re not sure what metrics are tracked, and how they’re presented.
The Wyze Band also has a run tracking mode – although there’s no GPS and it’s not clear how exactly this would be recorded. We assume from a paired smartphone, but it could be an estimation of distance from the accelerometer.
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One of the features Wyze is shouting about is the ability to control Wyze devices from the wrist. That means if you have a bulb or camera you can turn them on and off straight from the wrist – using shortcuts on the homescreen. Niche we feel – but sure it will appeal to some.
For the uninitiated, Wyze has been churning out budget smart home devices since 2017, and has launched cameras, bulbs and door locks from as little as $37. The company was founded by former Amazon product people.
As you’d expect from a company so close to Amazon, there’s Alexa built in. However, we still don’t really have details on what level of integration there is. It’s push to wake by holding the home button, and you can ask things like the weather, or set alarms and reminders. However, there doesn’t look to be a speaker inside, so Alexa can’t answer questions or reply to you with information. This is very much along the lines of the Fitbit Versa 2.
Battery life looks great, with 10-14 days promised. And that price is even better – $24 is a steal.
The company also launched a smart scale – the Wyze Scale is a body composition scale that will track weight, body fat, heart rate and other metrics. It works with Apple Health, Google Fit and even Fitbit, so you can use your weight data with other (better) services. And it’s just $19.99.
We’re waiting for review units before making any calls – but it’s hard to argue with the price here. The value of the scale and how it connects to other services seems like a no-brainer – but the fitness tracker is more complex.
It’s not just got to prove comfortable and trustworthy in terms of accuracy – but also in how personal data is stored and presented. Between 2012 and 2018 scores of fitness trackers came and went – why should someone say $25 for a Wyze with no proven ecosystem when the Samsung Galaxy Fit e is just $10 more? Watch this space.
