Razer has really stepped into the wearables game with the Nabu X. Not only is it much more affordable than its predecessor, the Razer Nabu, it’s essentially the exact same smartband, specs-wise.
The X will deliver the same notifications from smartphones, track sleep, steps, calories, distance and has social band-to-band capabilities. It will also continue to recognize gestures (wrist-turn, etc.) and you can still high-five to exchange data.
The Nabu X is also compatible with the iPhone 5, 5S, 5C, 6 and Android 4.3-and-up devices. It runs on a lithium-polymer battery with five to seven days of battery life, with 30 days on standby. Like most other wearables out there, it is also IP67 water resistant, up to 30 minutes in depths of one meter.
The Nabu X’s sensor module is interchangeable between the three strap colors (black, green and white) allowing for a slightly wider choice if you’re not happy with a certain color. The material remains the same soft-rubber finish as the Nabu.
According to Razer, the only difference between the entry level band and the pricier band is that the latter lacks an OLED screen. Instead of a simple text message you read on your wrist, the Nabu X houses three customizable LEDs to inform you of various alerts which you can check on your phone. The light colors can be switched out to represent what type of notification is being received. Vibrations complement the X’s notification system.
The original Nabu went through several changes before settling on a Fitbit Charge-esque design. The new Nabu X also looks like your average, unassuming fitness tracker. In fact, it seems to have taken the best parts of the Jawbone UP24 – simple form factor – and Fitbit – clasp – to create the Nabu X.
I’m not particularly fond of the UP24’s rigid bracelet form and I absolutely hate the Fitbit clasp. The Nabu X seems to circumvented these irksome design qualities and instead opted for something in the middle – something much more comfortable and simple to use.
The one-size-fits all strap also was able to fit comfortably around my small wrist without making it feel like it was being restricted into a wrist-sized straight jacket. Granted, I only wore it for a short time but judging wrist comfort is immediate if you have to tighten the wearable to ridiculous lengths. The material also helped the Nabu X remain comfy since it was soft and flexible compared to other harder, plasticky straps.
Early Verdict
It seems like Razer is catering to the crowd who’s been hankering for a less pricey Fitbit Flex or Jawbone UP24 but want the premium tracking abilities – plus brand name doesn’t hurt.
The indicator lights were also simple yet effective. I like how you can customize the lights to show what type of notification you’re receiving but I have yet to actually try it out to see just how many options I get to choose from. The apps also seem to be lacking simply because the original Nabu hasn’t been out for very long. But because of the low price point, I can see the Nabu X reaching Pebble lengths of popularity for fitness tracking since software development is open on both iOS and Android platforms.
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