As it stands, the Apple Watch is one of the few, if not the only, fitness tracker/smartwatch that allows users to make mobile payments via the device. However according to a report from The Wall Street Journal, it seems that Jawbone and AmEx want in on the action as well, and are said to be planning on making an announcement for a new wearable.
Jawbone, for those unfamiliar, is the company behind fitness wearables like the Jawbone Up3, but safe to say that based on the features of the device, the Up3 will not be the device in question that will support these mobile-based payments. It will be interesting to see what Jawbone will come up with.
The company is known more for their fitness bands so by integrating mobile payments into the fitness band, it will give customers more reason to purchase their products. Not to mention it will come in handy for fitness enthusiasts who might not want to carry their purse or wallet out with them, so by having mobile payments enabled in their fitness bands, they will still be able to make purchases.
Also given the reported collaboration with AmEx, it seems that users with Visa or MasterCard credit/debit cards might have to sit this out. In any case the announcement is said to be planned for this week so check back with us later for the details.
Filed in . Read more about Fitness, Jawbone and Wearable Tech.