Nike recently introduced a wearable device called the Nike+ FuelBand which can track your fitness data throughout the day. It’s basically a tiny computer in a wristband with a handful of sensors and a very limited set of functions.
One question that Nike didn’t really address when introducing the FuelBand last month was how it managed to cram the electronics into a bracelet-style device.
Fortunately, the FCC has some answers. The Nike+ FuelBand passed through the FCC website this week, complete with a set of teardown photos.
It looks like Nike will offer three different sizes, but the only real difference appears to be the length of the flexible material between different parts of the system board which stretches across the entire device.
The folks at Wireless Goodness noticed that the Fuelband has a low power ARM Cortex-M3 processor and 20 LED lights that function as a display. Nike says you should be able to get about 4 days of battery life thanks to the low power components.
The Nike+ FuelBand goes on sale later this month for $149.
The Jawbone UP is a similar device with fewer exercise features, but also other things of interest and it cost less. It actually monitors your sleep cycles and graphs them in an iphone app, showing you not only duration of your sleep but the quality as well. Â It encourages you to make an iPhone snapshot of your meals and shows them to you at the end of the day to force you to be aware of what you’re doing to yourself.
Jawbone had technical difficulties with the first batch marketed, and they’re presently off the market, but they’ve promised to bring them back later. Â My wife has one that works fine and she’s crazy about it.