Samsung releases SIMBAND fitness wearable for developers
Remember that SIMBAND wearable platform Samsung unveiled six months ago? Well, the Korean company has just announced at the Samsung Developer's Conference that the open reference version of it will be available to be ordered by developers today. We don't know too much about it just yet, but the wrist-worn device looks a lot like the Gear S, except with all of those additional sensors worked into the band. Those sensors, as was announced back in May, are modular, and can be reconfigured as the developer sees fit. Samsung says that the SIMBAND is "capable of integrating the most advanced sensing technologies in the world," which should work well with the new bio processor that the company announced today as well. The processor will apparently help developers incorporate more advanced health monitoring in their wearables.
Seeing as this is a developer's conference, it's only fitting that Samsung also announced a new developer platform and SDK, simply dubbed the Samsung Digital Health platform, that will supposedly work in concert with Samsung's cloud server and accounts to track your personal health info. "You can develop your own algorithms, your own sensor, completely from scratch," says Ram Fish, Samsung's VP of digital health. Samsung even demonstrated a version of the Babolat tennis racket, which apparently has those sensors built right in to help players improve their game. Instead of having the technology proprietary to their own products, Samsung's open platform is indicative of its attempt to open that tech up to others to see what they make of it, which could point to even more fitness wearables in the future. Samsung also hopes to build relationships with healthcare providers so that those wearing those fitness devices can better communicate their data to their doctors.
