#zefit

MWC - Post 3 - 24th Feb 

HTC Enters into a New Era of Innovation

There has been a lot of talk about Virtual Reality, and so today I visited the HTC stand to look at the Vive and to get some insight beyond the buzz. 

My main reason for going to the stand was to find out why it is retailing at $799 - noticeably more than its competitor Oculus Rift, on sale for $200 less. The fresh-faced representative I spoke to said it’s because “You are getting more than just the device itself, you are getting controllers and two software games, delivering the ultimate gaming experience.”

This is a shrewd, strategic move from the handset provider. Certainly no stranger to digital innovation, it makes sense that HTC are at the forefront of diversifying their product range. As handset sales may not be as strong for the brand in 2015, their partnership with Valve, a digital and game software developer,   ensures a mutual benefit. HTC can share the load in terms of the price of development, and Valve can bring their groundbreaking platform to a wider audience. Consumers may not warm to the higher price-tag, however after speaking to their Head of Product they may have a difference audience in mind..

So who will be buying Vive? Interestingly, the first target market identified was schools. It is appealing to imagine students learning about crucial moments in history and then being transported there within minutes. Another potentially crucial audience is healthcare professionals. They could use Vive to practice surgical procedures long before they performed on a real human, and experience potential situations that are otherwise hard to envision within a lecture hall. 

This foray into the health-sector seems to be something HTC may be exploring for a while. This year they have entered into a partnership with Under Armour, the result of which is the rather trendy sounding “Healthbox”. This not only contains a fitness band but also a monitoring belt and scale. All of these devices transmit vitals and tracking information to UA Record, the free app available for iOS and Android. Aiming to be an all-encompassing fitness system, it will be interesting to to see how HTC continues to make its mark in the health and well-being sector.

The World of Wearables

It’s hard to walk around Mobile World Congress without running into a variety of wearables. One that has caught our eye in particular is the Zefit by MyKronoz. At a very reasonable $39.90, this may be the most accessible of all smart-watches, and it doesn’t hurt that they can be bought quickly and easily online. 

But does this low price reflect the quality of the watch? The incredibly helpful spokesperson I spoke to said that the makers of Zefit have concentrated on including only the most useful day-to-day functions for the average consumer. Time is the obvious one, but they also focus heavily on the Bluetooth capabilities, a step and calorie tracker, a sleep monitor, and reminder system. 

Discount 45.2% (EXPORT) MyKronoz ZeFit (Turquoise)

Discount 45.2% (EXPORT) MyKronoz ZeFit (Red)

Discount 45.2% (EXPORT) MyKronoz ZeFit (Blue)

Discount 45.2% (EXPORT) MyKronoz ZeFit (Black)