LG races into wearable tech market with Lifeband Touch and Heart Rate Earphones

13 May 2014

LG's Lifeband Touch wearable fitness tracker

LG Electronics will introduce its first fitness wearables to consumers as soon as this month in the form of the Lifeband Touch, an activity-tracking wristband, and the self-explanatory Heart Rate Earphones.

The South Korean electronics-maker will officially throw its hat into the wearable tech ring this week with the release of the Lifeband Touch.

First unveiled at CES in January, the Lifeband Touch is a wrist-worn fitness tracker with a 0.9-inch OLED screen and two sensors – a triple-axis accelerometer and altimeter – which work in tandem to provide users with data on their workouts.

A motion-sensing algorithm built into the device automatically turns on the display when the user rotates his or her wrist to look at it and, as well as tracking activity, the Lifeband Touch can be used to check incoming calls and messages, and control music playlists on connected smartphones.

Compatibility is key here and LG has opened up the Lifeband Touch to work with both Android and iOS devices. While LG has created its own LG Fitness app to complement the device, it can also be used with popular apps, such as MyFitnessPal, Runkeeper and MapMyFitness.

The 90mAh battery is said to provide five days of use between charges and, instead of a one-size-fits-all approach, LG provides the Lifeband Touch in three sizes: medium, large and extra-large.

LG Heart Rate Earphones

LG’s Heart Rate Earphones

The Lifeband Touch will launch in the US on 18 May, rolling out to other markets in Asia in Europe in the weeks that follow.

Also due to arrive on the wearable tech scene this month are LG’s Heart Rate Earphones. These earbuds are equipped with PerformTek sensor technology to measure blood flow signals in the ear and track the wearer’s heart rate and oxygen consumption.

The Heart Rate Earphones come with a clip-on Bluetooth-enabled medallion to connect to a compatible smartphone or to the Lifeband Touch. It’s also compatible with the LG Fitness App and can send audio updates to users.

The earphones are also built to sound good, of course, and can be used for hands-free calls or voice guides.

Elaine Burke is the host of For Tech’s Sake, a co-production from Silicon Republic and The HeadStuff Podcast Network. She was previously the editor of Silicon Republic.

editorial@siliconrepublic.com