You can now buy a Bluetooth pregnancy test
Is it worth paying three times more than a standard test?
While I might not be in the target market for First Response's new Bluetooth-enabled Pregnancy Pro test, it's obvious that this new test ties right into the bigger connected health trend that we're seeing all over CES this year. The device, which will cost between $15 and $20 depending on where you buy it, looks like a traditional pregnancy test, but you won't see a plus or minus symbol on it.
Instead, there's a tiny screen, like the one you might find on a thermometer, that shows a symbol once you've opened it up that indicates it's ready to be paired with your iOS or Android smartphone. But first, you'll want to download the First Response Pregnancy Pro app to your phone -- this is where everything related to the pregnancy test will happen.
The app first asks you a couple easy questions: are you actively trying to get pregnant or not, and the first day of your last menstrual cycle. It uses the answer of the first question to change the experience you'll have as you go through the app -- for example, if you are trying to get pregnant and aren't when you take the test, it'll guide you to resources on improving your chances in the future.
Once you've taken the test, there's still a three-minute wait, just as with any normal pregnancy tests, but First Response has tried to take some of the stress out of that situation. Representatives from the company told me that for most women, those three minutes are uniquely stressful, so it specifically partnered with some content providers to keep you distracted or relaxed while you wait.
It's not a one-size-fits-all approach, either: you can select "educate me," "calm me," "or entertain me" and you'll get served video or written info to help with each of those goals. The Calm Me option will show you meditation or breathing exercises, for example, while the Entertain Me button brings up some funny videos from Buzzfeed.
Once the test is complete, the app asks you to put in a security code found on the testing stick itself (a way to keep your test results completely private; the app also doesn't store or send any data to any clouds) and then it delivers the news. From there, if you're pregnant, the app will give you estimated delivery dates and then will provide you with useful info throughout the pregnancy term. You'll get different milestones, suggested questions for asking your doctor, reminders for appointments, and various other things you can track along the way. Of course, there are plenty of other pregnancy-tracking apps out there already.
So, the Pregnancy Pro test is more than just a Bluetooth notification when the test is complete. But if you're trying to get pregnant and are unsuccessful, you'll need to keep buying more of these $15 tests -- it's one-use only. And if you're not trying, many of the features of the Pregnancy Pro app just won't apply to you. In a vacuum, it's not a very expensive product, but it costs more than a standard three-pack of tests on Amazon, so you'll definitely pay for its extra features. On the other hand, you probably don't want to skimp out on a pregnancy test -- it's a thing where you'll want to have confidence in its results.
