Under Armour is focusing on digital and wearables, Nike and Adidas have been there for a while, and now New Balance enters the wearable market with RunIQ.
From the press release:
Available for pre-order at newbalance.com starting January 4, RunIQ will launch at retail with an MSRP of $299.99 on February 1st. RunIQ will be available at launch in black and gray face, accessories including watch bands and chargers also available. PaceIQ will be available at retail February 1st with an MSRP of $109.99 and include 3 sets of EarGels™, 1 FitClip™ and a USB cable.RunIQ was developed through New Balance Digital Sport, a division formed in 2015 to connect consumers with technologies to improve their athletic performance. Android Wear and Google Play are trademarks of Google Inc.
If you’ve read my opinion on Under Armour’s entrance and my thoughts on why Nike was smart to partner with Apple in regard to the wearable tech movement, then you know how I feel about this. I truly understand the idea of connectivity and data. I get that companies are all in on finding out how and what a person does so that they can sell them better products. I get that Amazon has infiltrated with Echo and the US market is just fine with being probed, but if I’m in a boardroom and someone mentions wearables, my first statement will be “Has anyone seen the Pebble watch, or FitBit stock since Apple launched their watch?”
Use the Source Link to read more. I do commend New Balance for staying relevant in digital and doing so with the Android platform. That might be the best play of anyone not named Nike. I also like the fact that they are utilizing their endorsed athletes in Boris Berian, Brenda Martinez and Trayvon Brommel.
