Jawbone announced the third generation of its fitness tracker last November but it has yet to ship. Appropriately called the UP3, the device builds upon its two predecessors, adding heart rate monitoring to the mix. The tracker was already delayed once. Now Jawbone tells me that it is having trouble manufacturing the device.
According to a Jawbone spokesperson, the company is having issues maintaining quality when scaling the manufacturing up to the levels it needs to bring the device to market. The UP3 devices built during small test runs work, according to this person.
Predictable, the spokesperson professed that quality is of the utmost importance to Jawbone and the company wants to get the product right. The company hopes to announce a ship date soon.
Jawbone opened pre-orders for the UP3 when the device was announced last November. The company is still taking preorders today even though the UP3 product page states the device will not ship for 10-11 weeks. Pre-orders are fully refundable, though, and Jawbone offered those who preordered the device early a $40 credit or an Up Move for their trouble.
This delay comes as Jawbone’s biggest competitors are managing to ship their devices on time. Fitbit just released three new fitness trackers and Garmin is steadily rolling out new wearables as well. Walk into a Best Buy and there is an aisle full of different fitness trackers and smart watches.
If Jawbone holds true to the UP3’s 10-11 week ship time, that puts its release window a month after the Apple Watch’s expected launch of April. Good luck with that.
Jawbone declined to comment on a report that Google is interested in a strategic investment in the company.
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