Razer Nabu SmartBand wants a place on your wrist

Razer, the company perhaps best known for its gaming peripherals and Blade laptops, is looking to branch out into fitness with the reveal of the Nabu SmartBand, a fitness tracker that will go up against LG’s recently-announced LifeBand Touch and the Nike Fuelband.

With two separate screens, one outwardly facing 32×32 OLED for notification icons and a 128×32 display on the inside of your wrist for more personal detailed notifications, the Nabu will pair with any Android or iOS smartphone. It contains an accelerometer and altimeter to keep track of the number of steps taken and calories burned, along with a battery that Razer says is good for seven days of use.

The outer skin made from rubber should make each Nabu splash and rain proof, but currently it’s unclear if it can be submersed in water.

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Razer has pledged to open up access to the data collected to first- and third-party developers looking to pair the device with existing or new smartphone apps, and is currently working on Nabu to Nabu connectivity, which would make it “the first truly social wearable” according to company CEO Min-Liang Tan.

“Smart watches in their current form are too bulky and fitness trackers are easily forgotten after the initial novelty wears off—we have fixed all of that.

The Razer Nabu provides a revolutionary new platform that bridges the divide between so-called smart watches and fitness bands. It delivers only the information you need, collects data that you want, and deepens your social interactions. Most excitingly, with our open platform, developers can utilize data collected by the Nabu to deliver incredible experiences to individuals via mobile or desktop apps.”

So far a UK price hasn’t been announced, but Razer says the Nabu will launch worldwide by the end of Q1 2014. Lucky US developers can get one first for $49, although there’s no telling whether that low price will make its way to retail.