Jawbone Up! Hmm Perhaps Jawbone Down?

The Jawbone UP bracelet had a lot of potential. Containing an accelerometer the bracelet will track your movement and sleep patterns. In conjunction with an iPhone, and soon an Android, app you can then download and track your data. Arguably this should show you how inactive you are and allow you to adjust your lifestyle to actually try to be healthy!

It has various other features as well, such as a vibration alert if you have been stationary too long. This should tell you to get off your backside and do some exercise.

Sounds ideal. In fact so ideal I have been reliably informed that I should be getting one for Christmas. Yay!

Only one small problem. They don't seem to work :-(. In an email from the CEO of Jawbone, Hosain Rahman explains that a production defect, in some instances, means that the bracelet cannot hold a charge. Some units also are unable to download any data therefore removing any usefulness in the product!

Jawbone are offering a full refund to anyone who has brought the UP bracelet, even if you are not experiencing any problems. To me this suggests there is not a lot of confidence in the production process of any of the initial build of the bracelets! I don't think any of this initial build will be lasting too long :-( I hope the one I get does work, but I am not entirely confident! If you have purchased a Jawbone UP and want your no questions asked refund click here.

Such a shame as I think it is a great idea! I hope they sort their production issues and I hope they release a version that actually works. There are some limitations to the product e.g. how they integrate details about food you have eaten. I think this is flaky and offers nothing more than a diary feature. It would be nice to add a bit more food science to the service as opposed to simply letting you upload images of unhealthy snacks you have eaten!

I think Jawbone have done the only thing they can do in the circumstance. They are stressing that quality of their product and service is of utmost importance. The hit they must be taking, in what I am sure would have been a Christmas surge of sales, must be huge. I hope that they pull through and are able to get a quality product out the door. Hey I still want to try it!

Cheers

m