Misfit's Flash fitness band entices newcomers to the field of wearable tech with a $50 price tag, long battery life and all the biometric tracking features one would expect from a device that costs twice as much.
The Misfit Flash tracks calories burned, steps taken, distance traveled, hours slept and analyses the quality of sleep. The Flash was crafted to endure stress from just about any sport and it comes in seven colors to suit a variety of tastes.
"Crafted out of a special soft-touch plastic and the same polycarbonate used in space suits, Flash is comfortable, extremely durable, and waterproof to 30 meters, making it fit for even the toughest uses," says Misfit. "It comes in seven fun colors including a lemon-lime Zest, funky Fuchsia, and minimalist Frost. Press Flash to see a halo of lights that shows your progress toward your daily activity goal and tells you the time."
Unlike many of its rivals, the Flash uses a CR2032 coin battery. The battery is projected to last up to six months, so wearers can spend time tracking their activity against hours squandered charging the device.
The Flash can be worn around a wrist, clipped to a sleeve, tagged to a waist, strapped to a shoe, wrapped around a sock, snapped onto a key chain or placed in a pocket. Misfit hasn't yet come up with a solution for ears.
The Flash is compatible with both Android and iOS devices and it syncs to its companion app on smartphones via Bluetooth. The fitness band weighs just 6 ounces and displays information on an LED screen, which uses an array of 12 lights to show data.
The Flash looks a lot like its heavier sibling, the $99 Misfit shine fitness and sleep monitor. The Shine weighs in at 9.5 ounces and can be submerged in water down to 50 meters in depth.
The Shine's sensors are wrapped in an aluminum build, while the Flash uses polycarbonate. Like the Flash, the Shine uses a coin cell battery to offer up to six months of life.
Support is growing for both fitness bands -- Misfit recently welcomed 30 partners to its newly opened developer's toolkit, which includes Cloud, SDK and Scientifc Library functions.
"Misfit is now compatible with a wide range of digital health and fitness tracking apps, including leading food-tracking and weight-loss application Lose It!; exercise mapping apps RunKeeper and MapMyFitness; and automation service IFTTT (If This Then That)," said Misfit back on Sept. 4. "These integrations combine Misfit's activity and sleep tracking experience with the very best in food and fitness tracking, planning, and analysis."
