Jawbone unveils UP and release date is announced

A much awaited announcement has finally been delivered from innovative gadget manufacturer Jawbone; the release date and price of its eagerly anticipated UP healthy living wristband.

Jawbone officially unveiled UP this week along with details of how the wristband will work with Apple’s iPod and iPhone to help users live a healthier lifestyle.

The unveiling also came with an announcement of release dates and pricing for UP – 6 November 2011 in the US priced at $99 and on 17 November in the UK, priced at £79.99.

Jawbone also has plans to release UP globally by the end of 2011.

To read the latest edition of Healthcare Global, click here

• Colgate’s Periogard mouthwash recalled in 11 countries
• Hand transplant operation soon to take place in the UK
• Multi-cancer drug treatment trials begin in patients

To blend in with users’ day-to-day life and integrating a social element to healthy living, the UP wristband will come with a free app –available from Apple’s App Store –which will display their eating, exercise and sleeping data.

UP will therefore inspire and encourage users to make healthier lifestyle options by offering suggestions and recommendations regarding activity levels and diet choices.

Wearers will even be asked to take photos of their meals using their iPods and iPhones and upload them to the app for review.

At the moment, UP is only compatible with Apple devices but Jawbone is reportedly in the process of developing an app suitable for Android operating systems.  

Jawbone has designed UP to look like a piece of jewellery and to be worn all day and is waterproof with a rechargeable battery that can last for up to 10 days.

The drive behind the creation of the wristband was the growing problem of poor health across the world, as lifestyle induced illnesses such as cancer, diabetes and heart disease are ever increasing.

They have become one of the leading causes of death in many parts of the world and according to estimations from the World Economic Forum, within the next 20 years the cost of non-communicable disease will reach £30 trillion.  

This, coupled with the fact that eating healthier, being more active and have better quality sleep cycles can cut the risk of developing these ailments, was the inspiration behind UP by Jawbone.

Hosain Rahman, the Founder and Chief Executive of Jawbone, said: “UP is Jawbone's first step in giving people tools to become engaged as consumers of their own health.”

“As the global health crisis mounted, we felt a strong sense of responsibility to see if we could leverage our resources and talents to make a difference," he added.

"UP is Jawbone's first step in giving people tools to become engaged as consumers of their own health. It's a complete system designed to integrate seamlessly into one's total lifestyle, 24 hours a day, not just the few times a week people may work out.”

Rahman explained: “We integrated MotionX® with our expertise in building sophisticated technology into small packages, which enabled us to craft a wearable and power-efficient band that beautifully disappears onto your body.

“And thanks to the success and adoption of the iPhone, millions of users already have beautiful displays and robust computing platforms in their pocket.

He added: “We harness that amazing display with a fun, engaging iPhone app to bring the band to life. The result is a product experience that you will actually wear and love to keep using.”

Commenting of the involvement of MotionX, Philippe Kahn, the founder and CEO of the developer of the technology, Fullpower, said: “The MotionX® engine inside the UP band is the result of years of technology development and innovation. MotionX is both extremely accurate and power-efficient, which is critical in delivering a 24/7 product experience small enough to wear.”

The UP wristband is available in three sizes – small, medium or large – and seven colour options – Dark Black, Dark Brown, Dark Red, Bright White, Bright Silver, Bright Red and Bright Blue.

Jawbone’s UP will be available from Apple retailers in the US and UK, through www.jawbone.com, through UK mobile phone operator O2, both online and in stores and through Best Buy stores in America.

Our magazine is now available on the iPad. Click here to download it.