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Ben Fox Rubin/CNET
If you were planning on getting an HTC Grip , a fitness band made by HTC and Under Armour, get ready to wait a little longer.
The Grip is being delayed until later this year, to coincide with the launch of a larger portfolio of health and fitness products, according to HTC in an email sent out Thursday. The Grip, a fitness band announced earlier this year in Barcelona, is part of a partnership with Under Armour. HTC has been expanding beyond phones and towards connected lifestyle products: virtual reality , home, fitness and more.
The HTC Grip in the form I last saw it had a feel and design similar to the Nike Fuelband, targeted towards active athletes. The $199 band wasn’t going to have onboard heart rate sensors, but it did promise built-in GPS.
What the “entire product portfolio” will end up being later this year remains a mystery, but heart rate tracking would make sense. So would wearable sports equipment that isn’t necessarily wrist-based. A number of existing fitness bands pair via Bluetooth with chest-worn heart rate monitors, which are universally regarded as more accurate. The Grip could end up following a similar strategy.
Under Armour already has a UA Record app on smartphones that tracks fitness and data, and HTC’s future wearable fitness products will tap into it.
The official statement from HTC is below.
“Through our partnership with Under Armour, we have continued to refine our vision and approach to the health and fitness category. Our goal is to offer best-in-class products for our customers and partners. 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. 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.”
