Misfit Flash Link revealed: A $20 fitness and smart home device

Following the lead of the budget-conscious Xiaomi Mi Band, Misfit Wearables has released the Flash Link, a $20 plastic clip-on wearable packing more features than its predecessor at a much more affordable price.

Aside from the fitness tracking and sleep monitoring capabilities inherent to the Misfit Flash, the Misfit Flash Link functions as a remote control for music, computer presentations, and even camera selfies. On the downside, it requires two separate apps to accomplish all of this- The Misfit Fitness app for activity tracking, and the brand new Misfit Link app for the remainder.

Here’s how it works: the button uses single, double, and triple presses as well as a hold function to fulfill different tasks. It is made of plastic, is water resistant, comes in a few different colors (onyx, frost, reef, and Coca-Cola red), and is intended to be clipped on (though it may worn on the wrist with additional bands). And perhaps most exciting – no charging required! The Misfit Flash Link runs on a replaceable coin cell battery that can go up to 6 months before running out of juice.

It is refreshing how super simple the Flash Link is; it is just a button, after all. The flip side of the proverbial coin however is that the device can only be programmed for one app at any given time, meaning taking a selfie while skipping a music track is not an option (although how often do these occurrences need to overlap, really?).

While the aforementioned dual app requirement and solo functionality of the Link may be an inconvenience for some, the minimalism (as well as the always gratifying pushing of a giant button) inherent to the device is undeniable.

It is certainly interesting to watch as Misfit slowly but surely grows into something more than merely a fitness tracker provider. The click-button can already be used with Misfit’s Bolt light bulb, a device that can be remotely programmed for a variety of different settings. Furthermore, there are plans in the works for integration with Logitech Harmony smart home devices, meaning that Apple and Google may have some unexpected competition in the IoT realm. Either way, we are excited to watch as Misfit branches out towards creating cheaper and more versatile devices.