Misfit, the wearable maker previously focused on fitness tracker and hybrid smartwatches, unveiled its first touchscreen smartwatch at CES 2017.
Named the Misfit Vapor, the announced device, along with all the other smartwatches at the annual event, shows that reports on the negative outlook for the wearable device industry may soon be reversed.
Meet The Misfit Vapor
The Misfit Vapor, which will be released into the market for $199 by the end of the year, offers powerful specifications and several unique features.
The Misfit Vapor has a round 1.39-inch, 326 ppi AMOLED touchscreen with a feature known as the touch bezel. The touch bezel is a thin trip of display that is placed around the face of the smartwatch that will serve as another means for the user to interact with the Misfit Vapor, similar to the functionality offered by the Apple Watch and the rotating bezel of the Samsung Gear S2.
The smartwatch is powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon Wear 2100 processor, which was unveiled last year, and offers 4 GB of onboard storage. It also features a built-in GPS, an altimeter, an accelerometer, optical heart sensors, and water resistance of up to 50 meters deep.
The battery life of the Misfit Vapor is also above average, with Misfit promising that the smartwatch can last two days before requiring to be charged again using its magnetic charging case.
The Misfit Vapor's Operating System
The Misfit Vapor is compatible with both iOS and Android smartphones, but the smartwatch is powered by its own operating system.
The interface of the Misfit Vapor's operating system looks similar to Android Wear 2.0, and shares the same feature with Google's wearable operating system of allowing its apps to function even while not connected with a smartphone. With the device's built-in GPS, it will be able to track the wearer's runs on its own, and with the 4 GB of onboard storage, users can fill it with tracks to listen to their music through Bluetooth headphones.
Continuing Misfit's history of being a fitness tracker company, the Misfit Vapor also functions as such a device, with the display showing animations whenever wearers reach their daily fitness goal.
Misfit created several other apps for the smartwatch in addition to a music player and fitness trackers, but due to the device running on a proprietary operating system, the installation of third-party apps will likely not be possible.
Misfit Acquired By Fossil Group In 2015
Fossil Group, the luxury watch brand, acquired Misfit in November 2015 for $260 million, in what was seen as a deal that would combine the wearable device technology of today with traditional watches.
Fossil Group, which said that it will be adding Misfit's technology and connectivity to its watches and accessories, might have made the deal in response to the threat of the Apple Watch in the high-end watch space.
The Misfit Vapor is the first product of the Fossil Group and Misfit that will be directly challenging the Apple Watch and other smartwatches. First impressions of the device, including its relatively low price, show that it might have what it takes to make a serious run in the industry.
