Intel-owned Basis has announced that its watch-style activity tracker, the Basis Peak, is now fully available in the U.S. from Amazon.com, Best Buy, and REI.
Until now, the fitness device was only available to pre-order. Customers in Canada and the U.K. can expect the device to start appearing in Best Buy stores, Future Shop, and Amazon.co.uk in mid-December.
Basis also announced details of a forthcoming update, namely that its smartwatch capabilities (push notification for iOS and Android) will be enabled through a firmware update coming in December. Additionally, beginning today, the Peak supports the Bluetooth GATT protocol for streaming heart rate data to other fitness apps.
The smartwatch notification capabilities coming in mid-December will allow Peak wearers to see notifications of incoming text messages, phone calls, and calendar events. As to the heart rate streaming update, Peak users connect their watch to other fitness-tracking apps, such as Strava, RunKeeper, and Endomondo, as a heart rate monitor. Instead of wearing a chest strap or standalone, wristworn heart-rate monitor, they'll be able to port the data from the Peak to the app.
The Basis Peak, which was recently named PCMag's Editors' Choice among current-generation activity trackers for fitness automatically knows when you're walking, running, bicycling, and sleeping, and quantifies those activities for you. It uses motion sensors, an optical heart rate monitor, skin temperature sensors, and other technology to better estimate calorie burn, REM sleep cycles, and other information related to health and wellness.
Designed to look like a watch, the Basis Peak also features a sporty yet modern look with a forged aluminum body, Gorilla Glass touch screen, and a battery life of up to four days. It has a water-resistant rating of 5 ATM, which makes it safe to wear while swimming.
For more, see how to choose a fitness tracker that's right for you, as well as 9 waterproof activity trackers that are safe for swimming.