Spire is a new device in the area of wearable fitness trackers. What sets it apart from the competition is that in addition to physical activity, it tracks the user's breathing.
Spire clips onto a belt or bra, anywhere it will move during regular breathing. Whenever the user takes a breath, Spire sends that information over low-energy bluetooth to a connected smartphone app. The app represents each breath visually with a clouding effect, like fogging up a mirror. It also tracks breathing over time, recording how deeply the user breathes and the ratio of inhalation to exhalation.
Using this data, Spire can determine if the user is feeling stressed or anxious and sends a notification to the phone. The notification may ask if the user wants to perform a breathing exercise to help relax. When the app is open, the background color will indicate how the user breathes. Purple indicates slow, focused breaths, while blue means the user is relaxed and red shows stress.
"Breathing patterns are incredibly sensitive to state of mind. Spire measures over 10 characteristics of each breath cycle to assess levels of stress, focus, and more," says co-founder Neema Moraveji in a statement. "Spire is like a weather app for your day - giving you insight into your different states of mind along with fitness data."
Spire can sense whether the user is sitting, standing, or lying down and also tracks steps over the course of the day. If the user has been sitting down for an extended period of time, Spire will send a smartphone notification suggesting the user stand up or take a brief walk. Its battery can last up to seven days on a single charge. Spire comes with a wireless charging pad that uses the Qi standard. The pad also includes a USB port for charging smartphones or other devices simultaneously.
The Spire app is currently compatible only with iOS. The company has not yet stated whether an Android version of the app will be developed. It is available now for pre-order at a price of $119, and will ship in September at its retail price of $149.
