So what does a sneaker company have in common with a
company known for making computer chips? Last year, New Balance
joined with Intel in announcing the coming creation of the New Balance RunIQ,
an Android Wear powered smartwatch for runners. Now, at CES 2017, we have a
good idea of what this smartwatch can bring to the table.
Powered by Intel's Z34XX processor, the New Balance
RunIQ carries a 1.39-inch AMOLED display. 512MB of RAM is inside with 4GB of
native storage on board. The back of the casing features an optical heart-rate
monitor, along with GPS capabilities. The timepiece includes a lap button and
interval capability. The battery will run 24-hours on a single charge (for
those long marathon races), and five hours if you are running the heart rate
monitor and GPS.
Using Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, users can receive
notifications from their paired smartphone, and listen to Google Play Music
from an Android handset. New Balance runners can communicate with each other
thanks to the New Balance Global Run Club powered by Strava. This is a platform
for New Balance wearers to share their favorite routes and exchange
accomplishments. Inside New Balance stores, you can learn more about this along
with news about local events.
Intel previously teamed up with watch maker TagHeuer
for the US$ 1,500 Connected. The RunIQ is a more affordable US$ 299.99 in black or
gray face. Pre-orders start tomorrow, January 5th, and the watch goes on sale
February 1st at New Balance stores, and online. Accessories like chargers and
watch bands will be available.
New Balance also has another product that was the
result of a collaboration. Jabra and New Balance are offering the PaceIQ, which
is a pair of Bluetooth headphones that supports audio coaching in real time.
Priced at US$ 109.99, the PaceIQ will also launch on February 1st and comes with 3
sets of EarGels, 1 FitClip and a USB cable.
