The latest on gadgets: Fitbit unveils new mid-range model

HTC and Under Armour debuted at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas on Tuesday to unveil a box full of fitness gadgets.

Other devices within the range include UA HealthBox, which Under Armour claims is the world’s first Connected Fitness system, a sport band, a heart rate monitor, a Bluetooth and wi-fi enabled scale, and two models of wireless headphones. Powered by Under Armour’s UA Record, this UA HealthBox features a heart rate monitor, fitness band, and smart scale that are all integrated with the app. UA Record displays a person’s activities via a dashboard.

The three devices in the Healthbox line-up will be tethered together by the UA Record app, which will store data from all three devices.

The UA Band tracks daily activity, workouts, and sleep.

The UA Record app focuses on four areas of the user’s life: activity, nutrition, sleep and fitness.

The UA Heart Rate strap sits on your chest using a micro snap closure that is supposed to make it not noticaeble at all. The UA Heart Rate should also help provide a more accurate picture of how many calories you burn when exercising. You can also purchase the UA Band or UA Scale individually for $180 each, or the heart-rate monitor for $80. It can support up to eight users and synch with the app so you can view trends in weight changes.

HTC isn’t the only company partnering with Under Armour at CES 2016: JBL has jumped on the UA bandwagon too. They have their own step and stride-tracking chip and battery embedded in the shoe, which wakes up and goes to sleep automatically. If you’re interested picking up the Healthbox to get all of the goodies mentioned above, it’ll set you back $400. Designed as a simple circle, with a glass top panel and invisible LED display when not in use, Under Armour were clearly going for the mainstream market here.

HTC and UA’s HealthBox looks like an interesting option for folks that really want to dive deep into their fitness to help them learn and improve.

I’ll admit I haven’t used the Heart Rate sensor band much yet.

The HealthBox will be available at Under Armour stores starting January 22, and will then role out to other U.S. locations in the first quarter.

To Under Armour, obtaining data on consumers via apps and devices is critical in the business of trying to sell more sneakers and compression t-shirts.

If $400 seems expensive for just three products, you’re correct.

The UA Heart Rate is a small heart rate monitor created to be undetectable during workouts. The SpeedForm Gemini 2 Record Equipped shoes are available February 29 for $150 (international prices are unavailable, but that’s about £100 or AU$210). The Grip never hit the market, but the UA Record app did, and it even has an Android wear extension for those looking to make the most of their smartwatches.