Kate Spade has injected some personality into female-focused wearables with a new collection of two fitness trackers and two hybrid smartwatches. And now one of the trackers is on sale online and in stores in the UK, with the rest of the wearables to follow in November.
Here’s what you need to know about the designer’s first wearable tech collection (if we forgot her gadget-charging Everpurse for the moment). We’re checking when the collection will land in the US and internationally.
Scallop & Bangle Trackers
The new wearable tech collection includes a $125 silicone fitness tracker band – the Scallop Tracker – which comes in a range of styles, one using the Kate Spade cat motif. You can also choose solid black, monochrome striped, gold/cream or monochrome dots and pink glitter options. So very girly – this is the one that’s on sale now and it should win over a portion of stylish wearable tech haters.
The second tracker is a dainty, fitness tracking bangle – named the Bangle Tracker – which features pale hues, mother of pearl and a ‘seize the day’ inscription on the inside of the jewellery.
It’s the same price as the Scallop and is set to land in November. They are both iPhone and Android compatible and as well as activity and sleep tracking, extras include controls for your phone, its camera and music player by tapping on the cutesy wearables.
Metro Grand hybrid smartwatch
Rounding out the collection is the Metro Grand hybrid smartwatch. The smart analogue watch is $250 (no UK price yet) and comes in three styles, black and rose gold, grey and silver tone and vachetta (tan) and gold tone. The very Kate Spade detailing of champagne bubbles and ‘cheers!’ on the analogue watch face looks to be on all the Metro Grand watches.
Read this: The best smart jewellery
We’re pretty short on features right now apart from the fact that it will handle smartphone notifications and do automatic timezone updates. The Metro Grand devices will probably be very similar in features to the Fossil Q smart analogue hybrids which also go on sale this week. It’s also pretty likely there will be a Kate Spade branded app based on the Fossil Q app.
Fossil’s big plans
Kate Spade has a licensing deal with the Fossil Group so these three new wearables form part of Fossil’s bold strategy around launching 100 connected fashion accessories by the end of 2016. Brand and launches involved include the upcoming Michael Kors Access watches as well as Diesel, Skagen and Emporio Armani. We’re expecting more launches – possibly from new brands – in October.
As ever, the Fossil Group hasn’t released many of the actual specs of the devices yet. Fossil wasn’t showing off the Kate Spade devices at IFA so we’ll be bringing you hands on impressions and reviews as soon as we can.
SOURCE:http://www.wareable.com/fashion/kate-spade-wearable-tech-price-specs-release-date-665
