Jawbone UP24 Baby Steps Toward the Next Generation of Wearables

Jawbone has introduced the newest model of its wearable health monitor – Jawbone UP24 - and it may signal a trend toward wearables providing more meaningful outcomes for patients. The new hardware and Apple IOS-based software offers real time, continuous tracking and monitoring via Bluetooth Smart along with continuous feedback, notifications, and challenges toward new fitness and diet goals. The company envisions the new Jawbone as a push into the Internet of Things, integrating the health monitor into your daily activity and with other devices around your home and office.

The previous Jawbone was derided by critics as being too inconvenient at times. The wristband needed to be taken off and manually plugged into a computer to sync data. It also required button presses to move into different tracking modes. UP24 removes that need with wireless connectivity that will constantly sync and send updates to an IOS device via the new accompanying app (UP 3.0). The Jawbone UP24's sensors are driven by patented Motion X technology, which promises not only more accurate health tracking, but also algorithms that allow for predictive-based motion tracking. Rather than requiring a button press, the UP24 is capable of figuring out when you're sleeping and putting itself into Sleep Mode to collect data.

The company is most excited about the Jawbone UP24's ability to piggyback with other mobile apps on your IOS device for more personalized functionality. Using GPS, UP24 will be able to track your location communicate with other apps to suggest menu items when you visit a restaurant for example. The app can also be synced with other household apps to control other devices around your house. Lights can be turned on or off when you sleep and waking up could automatically start your coffee maker for example.

Though the mHealth trend shows no signs of slowing, the first generation of wearable trackers were pretty widely criticized for their lack of functionality, differentiation, and inability to interconnect with other products. Samsung's Galaxy Gear smartwatch, for example, only works with Samsung smartphones and other products like the MisFit Shine, Nike + Fuelband, and Basis use proprietary or Web-based apps that don't communicate with other apps on your device.

With the upcoming generation of wearables, manufacturers seem to be looking more toward turning the mHealth tracker into a platform, much like the smartphone itself, that can be personalized and integrated with third-party apps. The Pebble Smartwatch, one of the earliest and most popular smartwatches, has been praised, in much part, because the company allows third-party developers to create apps for the device. Last month, FitBit released the next generation of its device, the FitBit Force, which features enhanced functionality along the lines of sleep tracking, smartwatch features like call notifications, and communication with other mobile apps such as MapMyRun, MyFitnessPal, and Lose It.

Are we already seeing the beginnings of a Wearables 2.0 era? Patient-consumers, particularly those with chronic conditions, are still waiting for a one-size-fits-all solution that may never come. Could devices like the UP24 signal the beginning of more integration to improve patient outcomes? How long before we see a tracker capable of providing medication reminders, or tracking symptoms, or even connected to glucose monitors, in addition to all of its other functions? Healthcare experts would agree there are bigger issues to tackle than sleeplessness and heart rate monitoring and it may be time for mHealth to make that leap into larger patient outcomes. If manufacturers and designers are finally seeing more and more the importance of integrating mHealth trackers with not only other apps but other devices it bodes well for things to come.

-Chris Wiltz, Associate Editor, MD+DI
[email protected]