It’s pretty simple, really: people want wearable tech to be something they want to be seen wearing. And yet if you look a lot of what’s on offer in this burgeoning category right now, you’d think a lot of people skipped that class.
Misfit was one of the companies that ‘got it’ with the Shine. It may not be perfect, but it’s simple, sleek, and above all, disguisable as a simple fashion accessory; you wouldn’t know the tech was inside unless someone told you.
From its humble Indiegogo beginnings, the Misfit Shine has been one of the less boisterous contenders, but it hasn’t gone unnoticed.
So along comes the Flash, which is less of a sequel and more of a slight revisioning of the Shine. In fact, it crams in all the exact same features – activity and sleep tracking, waterproof design, dotted LED display – but into a slightly different-shaped package.
But here’s the kicker: it costs just $50/£50 (around AU$55).
The reason for that lies in the materials. While the Shine rocks a nice anodised aluminium finish, the Flash is made from rubbery plastic. It feels perfectly nice (it’s actually made of the same plastic as the Misfit Shine wristband) but it’s shaped less like a tiny macaroon and opts for flat sides instead.
It’s not ugly, but its less fashionable form should prevent cannibalization for Misfit. Or at least that’s what the company is banking on.
There’s also a big difference in the input. The front of the Flash is one big pressable button; no longer do you need to tap on the device for the LEDs to show. While the Shine’s tap interface is a nice idea, it’s not as sensitive as we’d like. It often needs a couple of attempts to get those lights to twinkle.
But there’s another practical benefit in the new design. One complaint of the Shine was that it would often break free of the wristband. The Flash can only be inserted from underneath, meaning it’ll stay constrained and snug inside the accessory as long as you’re wearing it.
Like with the Shine, you’ll get a wristband and clothes clip inside the box, but ones that have been designed specifically for the Flash’s new form.
Changing the battery is also a little easier thanks to the new design, but as Shine owners will know, this is hardly the biggest concern when you’ve got a six-month battery life to enjoy – and nothing has changed with the Flash in that department.
The Shine launches in the UK and US in November. It’ll work with the existing Misfit app, though an update (which has already been rolled out to Android) will be required.
Early verdict
Think the wearable tech market is crowded already? With Apple now involved it’s only going to get worse – which is why price is going to become such a key factor for all of these devices. It’s impressive to see all of the Shine’s features crammed into this budget package, which doesn’t sacrifice too much of its sibling’s great design. It’s about as simple as an activity tracker can look, but as the players in this market are finally starting to realise, that’s a pretty good thing.
Simple, affordable, and packing a long battery life – the Misfit Flash ticks a lot of the wearable tech boxes. Unlike the Shine, it might not be the true fashionista’s choice, but it may be the best activity tracker at this price.
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