Samsung’s Smart Belt aka ‘The Welt’ Is Expected to Ship This Coming January

Earlier this year in January, Samsung unveiled a fitness-tracking belt, called the Welt, at CES. What set it apart, according to The Verge, was the fact that it was virtually indistinguishable from standard belts besides which, it actually functions as it is supposed to. Now, it appears that the Welt is on track for commercial distribution.

A Samsung-spinoff company, named Welt, has launched a Kickstarter campaign that has exceeded its $30,000 funding goal with a month left to go. The Welt comes in a variety of classic colors and styles, ranging from casual to premium and limited editions. Depending on the model, it will set you back between $119 and $199. Overall, the Welt looks like a conventional dress belt and wouldn’t look out of place when worn to work.

The Welt, which stands for ‘wellness belt’ even though it sounds like a really bad bruise, monitors your fitness and eating activity using an array of sensors packed into the buckle. It pairs with a smartphone app to measure your food intake, activity, and waistline. The smart belt tracks fluctuations in your waistline throughout the day to let you detect overeating. It also allows you to stay on top of your dietary and fitness goals by tracking your waistline in real time. As far as your daily physical activity is concerned, the device tracks your sitting time in addition to counting your steps

The Welt charges through a micro-USB port neatly hidden in its buckle and can last over 20 days on a single charge. The first Welts are slated to ship in January, right after the holidays.