Companies keep trying to edge each other out where fitness band devices are concerned. It’s not hard to find a fitness tracker in today’s world, but the ultimate fitness tracker has yet to be created. Or has it? Jawbone has finally come out with the Up3.
After a few months of nothing from the company, the fitness tracker that Jawbone promised a while ago is finally here. Jawbone claims that it’s the “world’s most advanced fitness tracker,” but any company looking to snag the lion’s share of the fitness tracking market would say the same thing, right? The question is how does it stack up to competitors, and is it worth your money? Here’s a closer look at the Jawbone Up3 fitness tracker.
Out With the Old
If you put the new Up3 next to Jawbone’s earlier models (the Up2 or Up24), the Up3 is, in fact, better. The reason for this, Jawbone explains, is that the Up3 has more sensors. More sensors, so the story goes, the more capable the fitness tracker will be. To make space for those sensors, the Up3 is a bit bulkier than its predecessor, the Up2, but not enough to make it uncomfortable or awkward to wear.
The one disappointment with the Up3 is that it’s not waterproof. Even though Jawbone had promised that its next fitness tracker would be waterproof, the company later realized that they could not make good on this promise. So, while you can wear the Up3 in the shower or get it wet with sweat, you can’t swim with it - this is not the fitness tracker to choose if you’re training for a triathlon. Are other fitness trackers fully waterproof? No.
Added Tracking Capabilities
With the new sensors that Jawbone has added come a few new things that the Up3 can do. This version of the tracker can measure heart rate, skin response, body temperature, and respiration rate. All of these things mean that the Up3 can better track your sleep patterns in a way that the Up2 couldn’t formerly do. These are the things that you’ll get with the Up3, but is it a better fitness tracking band than any other on the market? Is it the most advanced fitness tracker in the world? No and no.
Is it better than what Jawbone has put out in the past? Yes. Will it blow your mind? Maybe not. With added sensors and a new design, the Up3 is certainly different, and it’s finally here after months of Jawbone promises.
That said, there are a few design flaws with the actual bracelet. If you remember the complaints that surrounded the Up2, most of those were centered around the fact that the bracelet didn’t close properly. Unfortunately, Jawbone hasn’t fixed this issue, so you’ll still have the same bracelet issues.
Where to Get It
The Up3 comes in either black or silver, and it can be purchased for $179 through the Jawbone website, or where Jawbone fitness trackers are sold.