I feel like I'm always writing about fitness trackers. Everyday, another band you wear on your wrist that tells you how many steps you've taken or how many calories you've burned. They all seem to do the same thing and they all seem to be kind of expensive, around $100. Now, a new company called Pivotal Living wants to provide its fitness wearable, the Life Tracker 1, for free with a yearly subscription. That's different, huh? That's pretty much the only difference, the smart band does the same things others do. But hey, for a mere $12, I'd take it.

CEO of Geek Wire, Dan Donovick, is happy to say its the first free fitness tracker ever. He is also serious about the business going long-term, saying “We're not going to pump and dump our product and be gone”. The Life Tracker 1 is simple in appearance, black with a digital display face showing the time. The tech inside uses three integrated sensors to track daily activities like steps, distance, calories burned, and even sleeping patterns. Its simple OLED screen and button let you scroll through these activities.

While the hardware is so-called “free”, what you are paying for is access to its Android and iOS apps that let you dive into more detailed statistics. According to Engadget, the app is “well-designed and easy to use”. It is color-coded for easier navigation and organization, and accepts a simple finger slide to adjust your activity rather than requiring text input. According to Geek Wire, the device is water-resistant and the battery lasts 5-7 days.

You gotta hand it to Pivotal Living for going at their product in a different way. This all came about four years ago while partnering with the University of Washington for a research project. Of the 30,000 people and five focus groups involved, “feedback proved that price was a key drawback in terms of users actually purchasing a fitness tracker”. So, is a subscription service more approachable?

It has a lot to offer. If the company introduces a new iteration of the band, you get the updated piece with renewing your subscription. If you decide to cancel, you keep your band and have access to the daily stats located on the device, but the highly interactive app won't be accessible to you anymore. Engadget describes it like having a subsidized phone, “In exchange for long-term fees, you pay less for the hardware than you normally would”.

I'm thinking this is a viable option for people who have always wanted a fitness tracker, but wanted to avoid the high costs even more. The small fee of $12 a year seems worth it, especially if you're like me and desire something simpler than the extensive applications of the Apple Watch. Up for pre-order now, the Life Tracker 1 should be ready for shipment this December.