This discreet upgrade can track your steps without the ‘tech look’

Whether it’s a style issue or you just don’t want another screen in your life, some people still prefer to wear a regular wristwatch over a smartwatch. But what if you could take the beneficial features from a smartwatch and apply them to your analog watch? That’s the aim of a new device from Chicago-based startup Ganance.

The team at Ganance has developed a coin-sized sensor called the “Heir.” This device is 30mm in diameter, is 3mm thick, weighs 5g, and sticks to the back of your watch via a microsuction disc. Meaning it will fit on pretty much any watch, will be fairly unobstrusive, and there are no magnets to interfere with the mechanical movements happening inside your watch.

While not as advanced as the sensor in a typical smartwatch, the Heir can track steps, distance, and calories. This data can be found in the Ganance iPhone app or in the Apple Health app. An Android app is also on the way, as well as support for Google’s Health Connect, which shares data with Android fitness apps. According to New Atlas, the Ganance Android app and support for Health Connect will arrive around late June.

In addition to fitness metrics, you’ll also be able to use the Heir to control media playback with a single tap. A double-tap, on the other hand, allows you to skip a song. If you receive a call or a text, the device will notify you with a vibration. In the app, you can adjust the vibration strength — there are three different levels — and you can disable tap input or the sensor itself.

The company’s co-founder, Jason Reinhart, says more functionality will come in the next shipment. “The Heir and our mobile app will be able to split your activity by type: Active or Casual,” says Reinhart. “The idea is to be able to visualize and depict and track how you’re performing over time. Additionally, one feature I’m excited about is tracking the users sedentary time as well.” It appears that the Heir will also get adaptive goals, a silent alarm, WhatsApp and Slack vibrations, Tasks reminders, and weather-based activity recommendations sometime around June.

One aspect of the Heir that sticks out is the battery life. This device only lasts about 42 hours on a single charge, so you’ll need to charge it fairly frequently.

The Heir is available for pre-order for $149. You can also get the Heirband for $39, in case you don’t want to wear your watch but you still want the Heir’s tracking capabilities. If you bundle it, you can get both for $169, saving you about $20.