With pretty much everything getting “smarter” these days, we suppose it was only a matter of time when our clothes got smarter as well. We’ve seen quite a few examples launched in the past, but Nike is hoping to take it mainstream by launching basketball jerseys that feature NFC connectivity.
This was launched in partnership with the NBA in which the jerseys come with NFC built-in into them which will allow users to pair it with Nike’s NikeConnect app. However from what we can tell, it doesn’t seem to be particularly useful and feels more novel than anything. This is because when customers purchase a jersey of their favorite NBA player, they will be able to unlock “premium content” by pairing the app and jersey together.
Such content includes pregame arrival footage, highlight reels, music playlists, and also unlock boosts for players in NBA 2K18. So unless you’re a hardcore NBA fan, then there’s a good chance you might not really have much use for it. However we guess at the same time it does open the possibilities of what one can do by pairing apparel and smartphones together.
For those who are interested, the Nikie Swingman replica will retail for $110 while the authentic jerseys will go for $200, and both will feature the NFC hardware and will be available on the 29th of September.
Filed in . Read more about Connected Objects, IoT (Internet of Things), Nike, Sports and Wearable Tech.