For the past month I’ve been introducing one device to everyone I know (and a few I don’t). And now I want to share it with you. Of all the upcoming devices this fall, this is by far the one I’m the most excited about. It’s called the Razer Nabu, and to say it’s a smartwatch would only give you part of the picture of why this device could be a bombshell in the current tech wars for our wrists.  The Nabu has three areas of focus: notifications, fitness tracking, and a social element.  While each of these areas has clear competitors, it’s when you put it all together that the smartband becomes something truly revolutionary.  And the rumor that the device will sell for less than $100 is nothing but astounding.

It’s a Smartwatch

First and foremost the purpose of a smartwatch, in the current market, is to be an accessory for your smartphone. It’s a way to review incoming calls, read text messages, and perhaps even email. The Nabu does all of that. And their website hints at integration with even more tools like facebook, twitter, google maps, and skype. What make the Nabu different is how it notifies and how it is interacted with. Notifications come through via a small vibration. The screen is positioned on the inside of the wrist (they call it a privacy screen). You flip your wrist over to see the screen and that activates it (battery savings here!). Once you read the notification, you can press the button to dismiss, or simply shake your wrist and the screen goes blank. That’s pretty cool! You could almost say it’s a no-handed approach to notifications.

It’s a Fitness Tracker

Simply put, everything a top of the line fitness tracker can do, the Nabu can too. It tracks steps, miles, floors, and calories burned. It’s a step above the Fitbit Flex wristband, being that it has an altimeter to measure flights of stairs. The expected price point for the Nabu puts in on the same level as the FitBit Flex, and cheaper than fitness trackers from Nike, Jawbone, and Garmin (among many many others). The fact that you are getting all the smartwatch features on top of your fully functional fitness tracker is like icing on the cake.

It’s a Social Connection Tool

Here is where the Razer Nabu gets completely ridiculous, and where my skepticism is introduced. I have no doubt that they can release a wristband with a unique notification system and a fully featured fitness tracker. What they plan to do with the social element of the Nabu is where they could truly be moving into uncharted territory. Since the device isn’t out, I can’t verify anything, but here, essentially, is what they plan to do.
Say you’re out at the bar and you meet someone and you want to exchange information to get in touch in the future. Old school days, you’d be writing a phone number on a napkin or your hand. Recent years, you’d be calling each other’s cell phones to add it to your phone book. In the world of the Nabu, if you both are wearing the wristband, all you have to do is shake hands or high five and the information is exchanged. If it works in the bar, imagine how it could work in the business world. Say goodbye to business cards, it’s all in your wrist! That could be revolutionary, if it works. And it could lead to storing more information in your wristband, like your credit card for purchasing with a swipe of the wrist. Who knows where this could go!

Razer Nabu Smartband – Coming Soon!

So that’s what I’m super excited about these days. The device was supposed to roll out months ago, but it was held back to deal with questions about hypo-allergenic issues, which recently caused the recall of FitBit’s top wristband. So this company is taking it’s time to give us something awesome. Razer is well respected for it’s gaming peripherals (read keyboards and headsets) so they aren’t some Kickstarter with a dream (though sometime those work too).

The device is supposed to launch in October 2014 and will be compatible with Apple and Android from the very beginning!  So check out their official website, and watch the cool video showing this thing in action. And if you’re still on the fence, you can wait for my review once I finally have this amazing little device on my wrist!

Below you’ll find some reviews from people who’ve actually used the Nabu Smartband.

CNET Review

Tech Radar Review

The Verge Review