The Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Nevada, is always a sure-fire place to find some pretty crazy things. Some of those devices you can take seriously, and some you probably shouldn't. Either way, the show floor of CES is always an interesting adventure, and we should always expect somethingfrom the event.
The overwhelming majority of products are pretty run-of-the-mill, and usually cling to a particular trend. Virtual reality and augmented reality are a big one this year, so it's not a surprise to see a lot of different options. The auto industry is also seeing a bigger focus than ever before, thanks to autonomous driving, and CES is the perfect place to show it off.
And then there are, apparently, "smart bikes."
Those are a thing now, but we probably shouldn't be all that surprised by this. After all, everything is going to get smart eventually. And besides, stationary bikes have touch screens, so it was probably only a matter of time before our bikes that get out in the world got them, too.
Here we are at the start of 2017 and not only is a city bike getting smarter, but so is a mountain bike. Both of them are made by the same company: LeEco, which really shouldn't be a surprise, either. This is a company that not only makes Android phones, but also cars and TVs. So why not bikes?
The immediate draw is pretty obvious: You don't have to take your phone out to do things like navigate, or listen to music. With the Smart Road Bike and Smart Mountain Bike and their four-inch touch screens, those things are handled. And, in a future where LeEco sees a lot of these bikes rolling around, riders can even communicate walkie-talkie style to one another.
There isn't any Bluetooth connectivity, though, and the spec sheet doesn't indicate that there's a 3.5mm headphone jack, either, so it would appear that you have to use a speaker for all of those things. Which is interesting, to say the least, and I'm not entirely sure that's a positive thing, but maybe you don't mind blaring your music/conversations to those around you.
But, that's another thing entirely. I just want to talk about the bike itself, and see if this is something you might actually want. That big draw I mentioned above, the ability to keep your phone in your pocket, is a pretty big one. But, it's hard to argue that, even with just wired headphones, that's pretty much handled, right?
Then again, for someone who wants a new bike, and the new options from LeEco (which don't arrive until October in North America) do look pretty great, the added functionality might simply be icing on the cake. Options aren't a bad thing, after all.
Where do you stand with smart bikes? Are you on board with the idea, or is this another tech segment to skip? Let me know!
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