Lenovo Smartband doesn’t just track fitness, it unlocks your computer

Lenovo has quietly joined the pack of fitness wearables with the Smartband SW-B100, a new activity-tracking wristband.

It takes a lot to stand out from the crowd of wearable fitness trackers in the running to take your money. So even with smartwatch-style features and the ability to unlock your computer, the Lenovo Smartband SW-B100 has some catching up to do.

The SW-B100 joins the ranks of activity-tracking wristbands like the Samsung Gear Fit, Fitbit Flex, Jawbone UP24 and Razer Nabu — and it isn't just the looks that are familiar, as Sony also has a range of devices named Smartband too.

The Lenovo band hasn't been announced with any fanfare, but has appeared in a choice of blue or orange on Lenovo's website. According to the listing, the SW-B100 is “for young people who take care of their personal health and are interested in new tech trend products.” So if you're a bit long in the tooth, then you can jog on, apparently.

The Lenovo Smartband tracks daily exercise including recording the number of steps you walk, the distance you cover and your heart rate as you do it. It also tracks how well you sleep. The collected data on your daytime activity and nighttime inactivity are then recorded in daily, weekly and monthly graphs.

Unlike most fitness bands, this one does a couple of things you may more typically expect from a smartwatch, which tend to have more functions than a simple fitness band. The Lenovo Smartband shows you call and text alerts, as well as appointment and exercise reminders. Notifications can be customised “to improve both work and life efficiency.”

One clever feature not seen on many other devices is that it will automatically log you in on your computer without you having to type a password.

The Lenovo band is compatible with Android 4.3 and above, and iOS 7.1 and above. The listing doesn't give any suggestion of release date or price; Lenovo has yet to get back to us with an official comment.