The pieces were already in place -- a Wi-Fi scale, a GPS watch, heart-rate monitors, headlamps, shoe clips and over 20 fitness apps -- and now Runtastic has rounded out its collection of fitness apps and accessories with the Runtastic Orbit, an all-in-one fitness tracker that will go up against the likes of Fitbit and Jawbone's UP.
Runtastic's Orbit tracks steps, active time, time of day, sleep cycles and resting hours. The smart wristband, which can also be worn as a clip, can be submersed as far down as 300 feet underwater and includes a vibrating alarm to stir wearers from sleep or sedentary states.
But if all of the aforementioned features sound familiar and don't seem to stand out too much from other popular fitness trackers, the Orbit has an element that's generally excluded from smart wristbands. While it only displays one line of text, the Orbit's display helps wearers stay on top of their stats without having to consult with their smartphones or traditional sports watches.
"We want to help you get more familiar with your daily activities, optimize your life and live just a little bit better," stated Orbit. "How can Orbit make it happen? You could start by increasing your daily steps, locking down a more consistent sleep schedule or simply identifying the moments in your day where you can sneak in a bit of extra movement."
Each fitness metric the Orbit collects is available locally, though the wristband's Bluetooth radio relays data to the Runtastic Me app and other software from the fitness tech company. Goals can be set and reviewed from the Runtastic Me app and the Orbit will notify wearers when they've reached milestones in working toward their objectives.
Runtastic developed the Orbit to suit the needs of as diverse an audience as possible, said Florian Gschwandtner, CEO and co-founder of Runtastic. Consumers have a lot of choices in terms of wearables, which led the developers of the Orbit to include the "best of the best" features, said Gschwandtner.
"We see a market with pent-up demand and a desire for an easy-to-use, reliable tracking product," said Gschwandtner. "So whether people simply want to become more familiar with their daily habits, track their sleep patterns and cycles, or achieve specific goals, such as burning more calories or completing a certain number of steps each day, Orbit is the perfect tool to help users improve their lives."
The Runtastic Orbit is available in two colors: Runtastic Blue and Basic Black. But with consumers of fitness trackers requesting more fashionable wearables, Runtastic may want to take a page from Fitbit's playbook.
Here's a video describing the Orbit.
