Misfit's first smartwatch could give Android Wear a run for its money
LAS VEGAS — Wearable maker Misfit is finally jumping into the smartwatch game.
The company, which was acquired by watchmaker Fossil in 2015, introduced its new Vapor smartwatch, which will be the company's first wearable to have a touchscreen.
The company, which up until now has been more focused on fashion-forward fitness trackers and "hybrid" watches, plans to release the $199 watch later this year.
Misift didn't skimp on specs for the Vapor. It has has a round 1.39-inch AMOLED touchscreen display, which is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 2100 processor, and has two-day battery life. It's also equipped with a heart rate sensor, accelerometer, gyroscope and altimeter.
Compatible with both iPhones and Android handsets, Misfit says the device is running its own operating system, though it looks very similar to Android Wear 2.0. Like watches equipped Android Wear 2.0, the Vapor's apps can function independently of a smartphone. It has GPS built-in so you can track runs and 4 GB of onboard storage so you can listen to music on the go (when the watch is paired with bluetooth headphones).
Its navigation is also similar to Android Wear 2.0, with its apps displayed around the bezel, rather than a vertical list.
True to the wearable company's roots, it has its own fitness tracking abilities, and the watchface will display animations when you reach your daily fitness goal.
Misfit hasn't said exactly when the watch will go on sale but it will likely come after Google's delayed Android Wear 2.0 update, which is now expected in the spring when Google plans to launch two smartwatches of its own. But with solid specs and a reasonable price, the Vapor could help breathe some much-needed life into the non-Apple wearables space.
Topics CES Smartwatches Gadgets
Karissa was Mashable's Senior Tech Reporter, and is based in San Francisco. She covers social media platforms, Silicon Valley, and the many ways technology is changing our lives. Her work has also appeared in Wired, Macworld, Popular Mechanics, and The Wirecutter. In her free time, she enjoys snowboarding and watching too many cat videos on Instagram. Follow her on Twitter @karissabe.
