GOQii Fitness Band: Hands On

1. What is it?

GOQii, finally, a fitness band which strives to make a difference. GOQii is a band with a difference as it introduces a human element into the mix, with a very unique service.

MWC 2014 kicked off with a healthy slew of wearable technology that is geared towards, well, your health. We have seen fitness bands from the likes of Samsung, Fitbit, Razer, Jawbone and more, all packed with an assortment of sensors, accelerometers and gyroscopes, all of which are tracking your heart rate, distance travelled, steps taken and other stats. All of this data gets transmitted to your smartphone for you to track your progress or share with your buds on social networks. However, in most cases this data is either misinterpreted or misread. Not only does it look like you¡¯re bragging, but honestly, you friends and followers might be completely bored of seeing you every day, with either a fruit-plate advertising your latest diet or bulging muscle poses. In comes GOQii. Fnally, a fitness band which strives to make a difference. GOQii is a band with a difference as it introduces a human element into the mix, with a very unique service.

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2. What does it do?

GOQii (Go-Key) is more than just another stat tracking piece of wearable tech. It¡¯s an experience, a service and a full-fledged ecosystem. The Band lets you track your health not just when you¡¯re active and kicking but keeps check of your health even when you¡¯re resting. GOQii monitors your sleep and your activity with an array of sensors, which you can track on the GOQii app. This data is sent to your coach as well as a team of nutritionists and doctors who analyse your data and guide you towards your goals. Some of them being Dr. Shriram Nene, Cardiovascular and Thoracic surgeon, Luke Coutinho, a nutritionist, published author and health coach, Kendra Markle, an expert affiliated with the Stanford Research Prevention Centre. GOQii is co-founded by Vishal Gondal, an entrepreneur and fitness buff himself. A complete homegrown effort.

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3. The feel

We got our hands on the near final prototype of the GOQii band, in bright sporty orange and black as well as a full black one. The build quality is excellent, very sturdy, with the band entirely made of a hard resin rubber. Can definitely withstand a few hard falls. The water resistant, sweat proof sensor display unit fits neatly into the centre of the band. While it is water resistant, the company advises against using it for swimming. Currently, the design of the band is simple and it has been designed to fit a wrist of any size. The bands are changeable and let you alter between colours to make it less mundane. The band isn¡¯t very professional looking but it isn¡¯t exactly immature either. The design is classy and can easily blend in with any lifestyle.

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4. Display

Double tap the face/screen and the OLED display comes to life. The GOQii in active mode measures your steps, distance travelled, activity time and calculates calories burnt based on your height, weight, gender and age. All of this is transmitted to your phone through Bluetooth 4.0 LE. All of this data is also transmitted to your coach. Your GOQii can run for about 4-5 days in normal conditions. While the display is clear and legible in the dark and shadowy areas, we had serious issues viewing the screen in bright sunlight. Also, the tapping took awhile and we had to tap really hard at times for the screen to respond. GOQii presently does not come with a brightness adjustor, so that might be a major setback for users. However, the testing device we had was only a prototype and we hope the final version will resolve these issues.

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5. Coach

You have a special coach along with app who monitors your health and every progress. (s)He¡¯s accessible to you 24x7 through the app or other means of communication and you can discuss your issues as and when required. Your coach monitors your stats and has a call with you periodically based on the package you selected. He also guides you via the app as well as send remote hi-fives to encourage you through your GOQii display. We spoke to Luke Coutinho, and he had a lot to say about the service. While most bands just give you raw data, it¡¯s upto you on how you interpret it. Most people are not trained professionals and sometimes may misinterpret readings that could prove fata. Luke¡¯s team of experts monitor your data and actively guide you towards your goals. He cited an example of how coaches will help you remember to drink a glass of water or have your meal by just sending you a simple buzz on your GOQii. The humane give and take relationship sure adds a touch of uniqueness to GOQii!

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6. Karma

In addition to the human element the GOQii service also has a spiritual one, and by fulfilling goals or generally living a healthy lifestyle, you net Karma points on your GOQii band. Karma points are redeemed for social purposes. GOQii has tied up with multiple NGOs and charitable organisations through the app. Each time you reach a goal and collect adequate GOQii points, you can then redeem them. By redeeming these points, GOQii will donate these points to any charity you choose out of their partner charities. It¡¯s not only your health but also the health and smiles of millions!

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7. Verdict

GOQii has immense potential. It¡¯s great to see India on the global map with a great wearable tech product. While this is just a preview, we hope to get you a review band when the final product is out post April. We also most definitely will try out the service and post impressions in the near future. For now, it¡¯s definitely a cool concept and a brilliant concept!