Best Buy unveiled on Feb. 27 the latest addition to its growing collection of consumer health technology: a smartphone app and accompanying wearable device providing seniors with one-touch access to emergency services.
The Lively Wearable2, worn around the wrist or on a lanyard, immediately connects wearers to urgent response agents in a medical emergency at the touch of a button. It can also detect falls and offers a daily step count and health tips.
The wearable connects via Bluetooth to the Lively app, through which users can access their medical history and step count data. The app can also be used to connect with emergency response teams, and will automatically notify selected family members and caregivers when an emergency occurs.
The device costs $49.99, with add-on health and safety packages starting at $24.99 per month.
In the last year and a half, Best Buy has steadily expanded its footprint in consumer health, beginning with the August 2018 acquisition of GreatCall, the maker of the Lively app. Since then, the electronics retailer has allotted around $1 billion to acquisitions in the sector and has been forecasted to ultimately generate up to $46 billion in revenue from its commercial health business.
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