Wearable electronics will be commonplace in Australia by as early as Christmas, if the Philips-Nike coalition has its way.
The partnership is working on a new range of co-branded portable MP3 and MP3-CD players that have been specifically designed for athletic use through the integration of ergonomics, usability, portability and solid state technology. There will be both a full size MP3-CD player using 12cm CDs and a mini MP3-CD player using 8cm discs.
-Wearable electronics will soon be its own product category, it won't be a futuristic wish list," Philips spokesperson David Wolf told ZDNet Australia. -It's not pie-in-the-sky."
Although the new products are set for US release by September this year, there is no confirmed Australian release date.
-As a company there's obvious benefits to bringing it out before Christmas, but we can't confirm a release date," Wolf said. -Given the timelines with things we've experienced in the past we hope for Christmas."
Philips has been trying to develop wearable electronics that don't compromise on comfort since 1995. They have previously formed a relationship with Levi Jeans, but it did not result in a consumer range.
-We want people to know Philips are the leaders in wearable electronics," Wolf said. -We are looking at things that are five or 10 years down the track, such as a ski jacket that measures your temperature, and heats up if you are too cold."
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