Plano, Texas — Huawei is bringing a fitness band to the U.S. for the first time with Nov. 14 retail availability of the $129-suggested TalkBand B1, a wrist-worn activity tracker whose display detaches to become a hands-free Bluetooth earpiece.
The device, which also notifies users of incoming smartphone calls, will be available Nov. 14 through GetHuawei.com, Newegg.com, Amazon.com and Fry’s Electronics.
The wristband connects via Bluetooth 4.1 to Android 4.0+ and iOS 5.0+ smartphones to display incoming caller ID info, communicate with Huawei’s fitness app, and operate as a hands-free earpiece. It pairs via NFC.
The TalkBand B1 tracks activity time and progress, including steps taken, miles covered and calories burned. It also records the duration and quality of sleep.
The band features 1.5-inch OLED display and hypo-allergenic, sweat-resistant, anti-UV silicone strap with a bendable curved design to fit comfortably around a wrist. The band is IP57 water-proof to withstand immersion in 1 meter of water for up to 30 minutes. A 90 mAh battery lasts for six days. Charging time is two hours.
To prevent smartphone loss, the band vibrates if it roams 33 feet from paired phones.
