Redwood City, California-based Misfit Wearables, which offers the activity tracking device Shine, announced today the availability of a new stainless steel pendant necklace, called Bloom, that Shine owners can use to wear their devices in a new way. Recently Misfit announced that it was selling socks and t-shirts for Shine users that included a tiny pocket where the Shine device could snugly fit into.
"The Bloom Necklace, a stunning example of the convergence of technology and fashion, is a celebration of floral patterns found in nature," Misfit explained in a statement. "The hand-finished stainless steel pendant features a spiraling geometric design on an 18” stainless chain. Magnetic, Bloom clips to your Shine effortlessly. Bloom captures a refined, understated elegance that seamlessly integrates into any wardrobe and is versatile for any occasion."
The necklace is hand-polished steel and the pendant measures 1.25 inches by 2.15 inches and comes with an 18 inch stainless steel chain. The necklace will retail for $79.99 over at Misfit's site and later this spring at Best Buy's site.
As of March Misfit said it has sold about 200,000 Shines to people around the world since it went on sale in Q4 2013. The Shine is a quarter-sized device made from aircraft grade aluminum. Tiny laser cut holes that form a circle on one side of the device indicate activity level, goal completion, and the time to users. It has no other built-in display. When it was first sold, the company offered an accessory wristband (sports or leather), and a magnetic clasp that enabled it to be worn clipped to a pocket or on a shirt front like a brooch. The Shine has a battery life of about six months thanks to its replaceable Lithium battery.
Misfit increasing portfolio of accessories sets it apart from other dedicated wearable device makers. While some upstarts are working to embed sensors into clothing -- like t-shirts and socks -- Misfit makes its easier with special pockets. While some fitness device companies sell versions of their trackers that are wristworn and others that clip-on to a wearer's clothing, Misfit's Shine -- when paired with the right accessories -- can be worn in just about any way the competition has dreamed up.
Misfit Wearables was founded by AgaMatrix co-founders Sonny Vu and Sridhar Iyengar along with former Apple and Pepso CEO John Sculley. The company has raised almost $20 million from investors including Vinod Khosla. It has teams in the San Francisco area, Wales, and Vietnam.
Earlier this year Vu explained to MobiHealthNews last month why it was selling clothes that made it easier to embed Shines rather than clothes that integrated activity tracking sensors into the fabric itself:
“We never really planned on making anything similar to what OMSignal’s doing,” Vu told MobiHealthNews in March. “For that class of technology, it’s still relatively early. I’m not sure it’s mature enough to go really mainstream. … Those are cool products. I just think they need to be at a really affordable price to be mass adopted.”
