Razer's new fitness tracker cuts the screen, price
Last year at CES, Razer revealed the Nabu smart band aimed at gamers to track their fitness (or lack thereof) and send notifications via an OLED display. The model still isn't on sale in stores, but that hasn't stopped Razer from launching another model: the Nabu X. It said the goal with the new model was to "eliminate ... price and complexity," so it killed the display of the original model in favor of three simple LED indicators. That means no more message previews, but the new model does everything else: vibration and LED notifications, fitness tracking via a built-in accelerometer and social sharing using a Bluetooth-connected smartphone. It'll run 5-7 days on a charge, with 30 days of standby time.
In exchange for the reduced functionality, you'll get a lower price. The original model (heavily delayed to avoid Fitbit-like skin irritation) retails for $100 and early birds were able to pre-order it for $80. But Razer is offering the Nabu X for a mere $20 to its "insiders" (in black, white and green) starting on January 13th, and eventually at retail stores in the spring for $50. That's still a bit steep compared to similar models on the market, like the $20 Xiaomi Mi Band, and you'll need to look elsewhere for a heart rate monitor. But if you like Razer's gamer-esque styling, feel confident that it can meet its deadlines and want the lower price, you can sign up here and wait for pre-orders to go live.
