HTC’s Grip wearable delayed until 2016
Smartphone company HTC has delayed the launch of its fitness wrist wearable, the Grip, for the second time. The $199 wristband, developed with sportswear manufacturer Under Armour, will feature a touchscreen display and GPS radio. Originally scheduled for release this year, a delay was announced in July. HTC’s entire "Connected Fitness" range of digital products will now be held back until 2016. As HTC’s smartphone sales and profits have been declining, the Grip and the Vive VR headset represent the company’s attempts at diversification.

HTC has delayed the launch of its upcoming fitness wearable — the wrist-mounted HTC Grip — for the second time. The smartphone company, which developed the Grip with sportswear manufacturer Under Armour, has pushed its launch back until early next year, having previously indicated that it would see release alongside a suite of fitness products in 2015.

HTC delayed the Grip once already

The $199 wristband, set to feature a touchscreen display and GPS radio, was originally scheduled to hit shelves this year. HTC first announced a delay to the project in July, saying that "after extensive wear testing and user feedback," it had decided to "align Grip with the entire product portfolio for health and fitness launching later this year." This second slip also appears to apply to HTC's entire "Connected Fitness" platform: in a statement, HTC said it had decided in partnership with Under Armour to hold back its "fully integrated digital ecosystem of products" until 2016.