Apple Pay is not the only service where consumers will be able to execute contactless transactions at NFC terminals. Now, wearable maker Jawbone has decided to take on the tech giant Apple with its own product named UP4. UP4 is another fitness tracker that is going to be rolled out by the company in the near future. Apart from monitoring the vitals of the wearer, UP4 will also be able to make payments at NFC terminals.
For now, UP4 happens to be the only standalone wearable that allows users to make payments without requiring a smartphone or tablet as a tunnel to complete that particular transaction.
UP4's capability of making NFC payments has been made possible thanks to the new partnership of Jawbone and American Express. According to Wall Street Journal, American Express executive Leslie Berland has stated that if consumers are displaying a significant level of doubt concerning security, then all they will be required to do is disable the payment making feature from Jawbone app that is present on iPhones and Android handsets.
Jawbone's UP4 will be stamped with a price tag of $200. UP4's predecessor, UP3 was retailing for $180, and if consumers feel that for the extra $20, they will be able to get a flexible payment making feature, then they are more than welcome to head down to the company's official website and view all the necessary details for themselves. In addition, UP4 will be able in black and grey. Currently, the only other wearable available in the market that is capable of making NFC payments is Apple Watch.
Unfortunately, some consumers might not be convinced to purchase the Apple smartwatch since it carries a starting price tag of $349 and must be paired with either an iPhone 6 or iPhone 6 Plus to successfully complete the NFC type transaction. In comparison, UP4 appears to be a more worthy purchase in terms of its price and performance ratio.
