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Nike launches more durable, Bluetooth 4.0 ‘FuelBand SE’, available alongside new apps on Nov. 6

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In line with my report from earlier this month, Nike has taken the wraps off of its brand-new Fuel Band. The FuelBand is Nike’s fitness tracking device that is worn around the wrist, and it has been popular (including within Apple’s upper ranks). The new version, officially called Nike FuelBand SE, makes improvements to the design that focus on color, durability, and connectivity. As I reported, the new FuelBand is more durable, more water-resistant, and connects to devices via Bluetooth 4.0 Low Energy (LE) technology:

Bluetooth 4.0 technology connects the Nike+ FuelBand SE automatically and seamlessly with the Nike+ FuelBand App.  Improved water resistance and the iconic, easy-to-wear design allow the Nike+ FuelBand SE to go almost everywhere.  A redesigned circuit board provides greater flexibility and an internally-enhanced, simple one-button design drives the super bright LED.

In addition to the classic black color, the new wrist-worn device will come in Volt, Pink Foil or Total Crimson. While new external hardware is present, much of the upgrade this year revolves around accuracy and software. The company has analyzed data in order to make tracking more efficient and more accurate:

NikeFuel remains at the heart of the experience, and is a single, universal way to measure all kinds of activities—from a morning workout to a big night out. Nike analyzed over a year’s worth of NikeFuel data to fine-tune the NikeFuel algorithm to deliver an even more accurate measurement of your all-day movement.Uniquely designed to measure whole-body movement no matter age, weight or gender, NikeFuel tracks a user’s active life.

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The new device launches with a new app and several new pieces of functionality:

Sessions

“3.2.1. GO! Sessions” are a way to track specific activities throughout the day.  Going out for a run?  That’s a session.  Hitting the gym?  That’s a session.  This new feature lets users start and mark sessions right on the Nike+ FuelBand or from the app, allowing a user to track exactly how much NikeFuel they earned in that specific session of activity.

Win the Hour

“Win the Hour” is your motivation partner.  It uses the Nike+ FuelBand SE to track how much movement is accumulated at each hour throughout the day and encourages people to move more often by prompting users to move if they’re missing their goal.  It also recognizes when goals are hit and lets users know they’ve ‘won the hour.’  Move reminders are set in-app and on-band and motivate the user to move more and move often throughout the day.

Fuel Rate

“Fuel Rate” is a new feature that tracks the rate at which NikeFuel is being earned. The Fuel Rate is measured as NikeFuel earned per minute and is a great way to see the intensity of your movement to get the right information needed to move better toward your goals. The Fuel Rate is viewed as a numerical readout in real time on the Nike+ FuelBand App and uses colors from red to green to simply indicate how you’re doing. Knowing how intensely you move is also valuable information to help optimize activities throughout the day.

Groups

People like to work out and share accomplishments and competition with friends.  To help this process, Groups functionality and improved social sharing tools have been added to Nike+ FuelBand SE and new App.  With Groups, Nike+ FuelBand SE users can join their friends in a group and share their latest achievements, cheer each other on and even work together towards one common group goal.

In addition to the new software features, accessing the time is easier: just double click the button on the band. A new milestones feature is also present:

For more fun, new Milestones have been added – like one million or two million NikeFuel banners – and a host of new milestone achievements to win. Now users earn Achievements not just for their NikeFuel total, but also for Sessions, Fuel Rate, streaks, and hours won.  Achievements are tracked in the new Games section and also unlock new Achievements at each Milestone reached.

Nike has also announced a pair of new iPhone apps: a more social version of its Nike+ Running app and the Nike Move app for the iPhone 5s (which Apple debuted at its September 10 event).

All of the new apps and the new FuelBand SE will be available on November 6th. The new hardware will cost $149, and it is going to be available in the U.S., U.K, Canada, France, Germany, and Japan for the first time. Pre-orders start today in the US, UK, France and Germany.

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Comments

  1. Moa'bite - 10 years ago

    I think it is a great gadget! Thanks.

  2. iPadCary - 10 years ago

    So, just where, exactly, can you preorder a FuelBandSE from???

  3. Oscar Terence - 10 years ago

    It is really really nice, but I can’t help but think it’s nice to have one which is open to different Apps;
    http://versus.com/en/nike-fuelband-se-vs-fitbit-force
    The Fitbit Force is good if you’re as whimsical as I am : )

  4. Kyle Scott - 10 years ago

    I am looking forward to seeing more specific specifications for the SE so I can do a better comparison with the Fitbit Force. Altimeter and sleep tracking look good for the Force, but the social motivators from Nike look tough to beat. Need an exhaustive list.

  5. Vincent Talbot - 10 years ago

    Won’t buy until it’s waterproof, I swim more than I run.

  6. codeboye (@codeboye) - 10 years ago

    Anyone know if this thing vibrates to wake you up in the morning? Their web site doesn’t say.

  7. Terry Dunham - 10 years ago

    I don’t know if there are any similar clock-bands: has anyone worn a device that displays the time perpendicular to the axis of your arm? It seems like reading it would be very awkward: Almost all watchfaces are oriented parallel to the arm(reads left to right, elbow to hand, if you’re wearing it on your left wrist, or left to right, hand-to-elbow, if on your right wrist)

    • godlessblogger - 10 years ago

      It really isn’t that bothersome. One just looks directly at their wrist while it is in front of them.