HTC first announced its plans to launch Grip in Barcelona earlier this year after confirming its partnership with Under Armour. While the timeframe of the launch was initially intended at Spring, the company decided to delay the launch until the latter part of the year.
HTC Grip is a step-tracker that features a 32 by 160 pixels touch sensitive PMOLED display of black and white hues on top. It tracks distance, pace, and calories burned and synchronizes fitness data with a smartphone through an exclusive Under Armour app. While there's no sign that the band will have heart rate sensors onboard, it hints that a built-in GPS could just be under way. The wearable will reportedly have a $199 price point when it lands on store shelves.
Spring passed but the HTC Grip is still hanging in the air. Then an announcement from HTC came in which confirmed that the wearable will be delayed.
"After extensive wear testing and user feedback, we have decided to align GRIP with the entire product portfolio for health and fitness launching later this year," said HTC on its official statement. "This will be a state-of-the art comprehensive portfolio of products for this category powered by UA Record. We are excited to launch this new comprehensive product suite and will share further details as we get closer to launch."
In other words, the HTC Grip will never hit the market although the company promises to keep everyone posted with the launching of a new and perhaps even better product later this year.
Apart from the HTC Grip, the company has also announced some of its upcoming products that include the Re Camera and the Re Vive, the latter being a virtual reality headset that was made through a collaborative effort with Valve. So far, it was only the Re Camera that has become available in the market.
Diversity is what motivated HTC to venture into markets other than the smartphone, an area where it used to display a strong competitive presence. The company just ended the first half of the year with disappointing sales as it struggles to compete with bigger players such as Apple and Samsung. As it attempts to explore greener pastures, it seems like the company just couldn't afford to see another one of its products to have a lukewarm reception.
