Tech giants like Alphabet’s Google have already brought smart features to our wristwatches, cars, and TVs. Now they’re coming for our bikes.
Chinese company LeEco announced that its smart bicycles will be coming to the U.S. In the second quarter of this year. The vehicle will be available in a road and sport model, and each one comes equipped with a 4-inch touchscreen that runs on a modified version of Android (GOOG). This enables the bikes to display turn-by-turn directions based on the Here Maps service, play music both online and offline, log rides, and function as a walkie talkie for other nearby LeEco bike riders. Pricing has not been announced yet.
Other sensors found on the bikes are meant to help riders keep track of their health data and physical performance. The bikes can, for instance, detect wheel and crank speeds and are compatible with third party heart rate sensors. A security feature alerts the owner when the bike’s alarm has been triggered, allowing them to see the vehicle’s location on their phone via an app.
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The LeEco Smart Mountain Bike weights 26.9 pounds, while the Smart Road Bike is 18.5 pounds. The tech inside both models is water resistant, meaning rain and other inclement weather conditions shouldn’t inflict any damage.
The launch will come months after LeEco made its splashy debut in the U.S. This past October. The addition of these new smart bikes will help LeEco diversify its product lineup in the U.S., where it currently sells gadgets like smartphones and TVs.
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LeEco isn’t the only technology company with intentions to outfit bicycles with technology. In 2014, Samsung unveiled a prototype of its Smart Bike, which can project laser beams that create individual bike lanes and can connect to a Samsung smartphone.
