Healbe GoBe3 launched with new look, dubious technology still there

The third generation of the controversial Healbe GoBe callorie counting wearable has launched. The wearable comes with a radical new look but the same unproven technology.

Essential reading: Top fitness trackers and health gadgets

To remind, Healbe GoBe is the only wearable that claims it has the ability to automatically count calorie intake. “Tell it nothing, track everything” is its motto.

The original wearable appeared on Indiegogo back in 2014. The device captured the public’s imagination and managed to raise more than $1 million dollars via the crowdfunding platform. Some thought it was a scam, some disputed the technology, but to their credit Healbe did deliver a product. The reviews were not great though.

It followed this up in 2018 with GoBe2. The calorie tracking function was still there but, unlike the earlier generation, “you didn’t need to let the wearable know when you have eaten”. It also came with design improvements and some additional sensors.

We actually put it to the test and didn’t find anything to support its claims. Which were that the calorie tracking accuracy was somewhere between 80-85%. It seemed more like guesswork. Another of our gripes with the product was its bulkiness. To put it mildly, the thing is quite large.

Well, it seems Healbe has addressed this last concern. The new tracker can be seen pictured below. It looks like a proper smartwatch rather than the unwieldy, blocky-looking thing of the past.

The device has a touchscreen and new titanium coating. This is attached to a perforated, sporty looking silicone strap.

The previous generation had a Piezo pressure sensor for measuring blood flow and heart rate; and an impendance sensor which uses different frequencies to measure fluid levels in tissues. The third version has an updated bioimpendance sensor with improved calorie tracking and an optical heart rate monitor.

Will it track calories any better? We highly doubt it – at least not according to our experience with the previous generation. If you are putting your hopes that it will, it will cost you $199 to find out.

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