HTC has finally entered the wearables race, but there’s not a sniff of an Android Wear smartwatch about the fitness-themed HTC Grip.
Designed in partnership with sportswear giant Under Armour, the HTC Grip features a large Plastic AMOLED display that curves with the upper half of your wrist for a more natural, ergonomic fit.
More than a simple Fitbit Flex or Misfit Shine rival, HTC is pitching the Grip at serious athletes, one’s looking to push their personal bests rather than simply prompt themselves to become more active.
“At HTC we always make sure we’ve got a product that gives people what they want to do. That’s what’s we’ve managed to do with the HTC Grip,” Graham Wheeler, HTC's Director of Commercialisation Product Management said.
He added: “It’s predominantly focussed at that athlete trying to get to that next level. So that person that goes to the gym three times a week and wants to understand what effect something has had on their performance.”
HTC Grip Features
Visually, the HTC Grip is, well, gripping. The device’s curved plastic AMOLED panel hugs the shape of your wrist for a comfortable fit and offers colour feedback of your progress goals and performances.
Discussing the company’s use of such a display, Wheeler stated: “P AMOLED is almost a cross between e-ink and AMOLED that’s really power efficient. It’s unicolour and you can have multicolour but we’ve gone for brightness so you can see it from any angle and that’s the difference between it and an LCD screen.”
As well as all the usual acceleronmeters and gyroscopes to accurately keep tabs on your steps taken, distances covered and calories burned, the Grip plays host to inbuilt GPS.
This welcome addition is sure to bump up the device’s price, but means you can map out your runs without the need to take your bulky 5-inch phone while pounding out the miles.
Related: Apple Watch release date
Fielding questions on why it has taken HTC till now to enter the wearables race, Wheeler stated: “For us it’s a long term strategic partnership with Under Armour. We see it as a longer vision, it has a specific market, Under Armour is very much that sports fitness oriented.”
HTC Grip Release Date and Price
While we know what the HTC Grip will look like and what it can do, there are still question marks surrounding when you will be able to get your hands on it.
Finalising pricing and release plans for the Grip are still to be confirmed. Stay tuned to TrustedReviews for all the latest.
