Jawbone UP: Review

I finally got my hands on the Jawbone UP band (2012 edition). The device did feel a lot impressive but it fell short in a lot of places. Check the review out if the device is for you.

Build:

It is build out of a rubbery material which feels really comfortable on your wrist. It is waterproof which gives you a sense of relief while wearing it during all times of the day. Also, it is extremely strong. So it will not get damaged due to everyday use for even the hardcore users. It is extremely light. once you wear it, you’ll forget having something on your wrist. Only problem is that it takes time for you to use your laptop while typing because it hits the palm rest area.

Basics:

Jawbone up features a 3.5mm pin in one end and a button on the other. The 3.5mm pin is concealed by a tight cap which won’t fall off. This 3.5mm pin is used for syncing and charging. A special USB adapter is provided to charge it. The button is used for switching modes.

Battery:

The band really stands out here. It is extremely small and has a small battery. Since it has a manual syncing and not via bluetooth it gives you a 10 day battery life. Also, the battery can be recharged in just 90 minutes.

Tracking:

The band tracks two main types of data: Day and the Night. These modes can be switched by pressing and holding the only available button on the band. If switched, the band vibrates and also has a visual indicator. The day mode is used to track your activity during the day and the night mode is used to monitor your sleep patterns.

Syncing:

First, make sure to download the Up app from the App Store/ Android Market. The band can be synced by connecting the 3.5mm pin in the band to the headphone jack on your phone which includes iPhones and selected Android phones. The app automatically detects the band and syncs it which is pretty fast.

App:

I tested out the iPhone app and it is definitely good. It displays UP’s data in all sorts of beautiful ways. There are three main parts the the app: Day, Night and Calories.

Day is where you see all the data collected by UP during the day. It tells you the number of steps you’ve taken throughout the day, your most active periods, calories burnt, etc.

Night is where you see UP’s data of the times you were in Deep sleep and light sleep. This is definitely useful to understand your sleep patterns.

Calories is where you have to manually add the food you’ve consumed. You can add it by scanning the bar code of the food or taking a photograph of the food (which is not accurate) or by typing it out.

The primary settings of the app has many features which you’ll use often. You can set your everyday goal for the number of steps you’ll take and the hours you’ll sleep. Also, you can manually re-sync. There is smart alarms, Idle alert, Stop Watch and Power Nap functions.

Smart Sleep Alarms: This is another awesome feature of the band. You set a time period when you want to wake up. Since the band is already tracking your sleep pattern, it wakes you up when you’re in light sleep during that time period. The band vibrates. The theory is that, when you wake up during light sleep, you feel a lot better.

Idle alert: We’ve all read it’s wrong to sit in the same place for a long time. But we take no notice of it and end up messing our health and also productivity. If up notices you’ve not moved for some time, it alerts you to do so and take a break.

Stop Watch: This function is used to detect every single move. This is useful during work outs or any other physical activity in which you’d want to track your every move.

Power Naps: Power naps are refreshing and good if you’re a person who works for long hours. This band wakes you up in one sleep cycle which serves the purpose of Power Naps.

Other functions:

The app also connects to various social networking sites so that you can see what your friends are up to and you can also brag about your accomplishments on these sites. Also, the application API is available for the developers. Many apps make use of it like IFTTT.

Pros:

• Extremely Small.
• Great battery life.
• Impressive accuracy in tracking.
• A great app which comes along with it.
• Water proof and extremely strong.

Cons:

• Most of the people who buy it report the band not to be working in a short period of time (Jawbone is ready to replace them without much questions. Still, this is something to worry about).
• Can sync only with phones.

Should you buy it?

Well, I’m not sure this is going to appeal to everyone. The iPhone 5s has a M7 Motion Coprocessor which could pretty soon power apps with similar functions to this band. This should definitely be useful for the fitness minded people who want to track their every move.

It retails for $129.99 in the US and is available in eight different colours to suit your style.