Hello 'Sense with Voice' is an evolution of the company's original sleep system revolution
When people think of health, they often forget about sleep. This is unfortunate, as getting meaningful nighttime rest is an important part of a healthy life. The problem? Fitness wearables that double as sleep-trackers have a fatal flaw -- if you wear them day and night, when the heck do you charge them? This was my problem with Microsoft's (now-canceled) Band -- I wanted to wear it at night, but on some evenings, I couldn't, as I had to charge it.
A company called "Hello" brilliantly solved this dilemma, by offering a dongle that connects to your pillowcase (called "Sleep Pill"), which then transmits to a nightstand device (called "Sense"). A mobile app (for Android or iOS) allows the user to interface with it all. The sleep system not only tracks your movements, but things such as noise, light, and temperature too. I've been testing Sense by Hello, and I have been loving it -- I highly recommend it. Today, the company unveils an upgraded model called 'Sense with Voice'. As you can guess, yeah, it offers all-new voice controls, but the new model offers much more than just that, including additional sensors!
"Sense with Voice builds on the original Sense sleep system, combining state-of-the-art technology with beautiful design to help you fall asleep easier, effortlessly track and improve your sleep with personalized insights, and wake up feeling great. Sense with Voice can play ambient Sleep Sounds to help you fall asleep easier, and has a Smart Alarm that helps you wake up feeling refreshed. Powerful sensors inside the device monitor the environment in your room and track how well you’re sleeping. The tennis-ball sized Sense device sits unobtrusively in the bedroom, working together with the included Sleep Pill to track your sleep. There’s nothing to to activate, charge, or wear", says Hello.
The company shares, "Sense with Voice introduces Expansions, which are designed to take the smart home products that you love and bring your sleep to the center of making them even smarter. The device lets you set your ideal room temperature for when you awake and be gently awoken by your lighting, letting you wake up to your perfect morning every time. At launch, Sense with Voice will support the Nest Learning Thermostat and Philips Hue Lights, with more to follow. All of Sense's Expansions are also completely controllable with voice commands by simply saying 'Okay Sense'".
Not needing to use the smartphone app for all functions is very convenient -- the voice controls should prove to be amazing. With that said, there are arguably more exciting updates here. For instance, the original "Pill" was a bit difficult to attach to a pillowcase; Hello promises that attachment should be much easier. The battery inside the newly designed Pill will now last two years too.
You can see an unboxing of the non-Voice model below.
While the new voice controls will allow you to control the sleep-tracker, Hello is taking things a step further. Much like the Amazon Echo, 'Sense with Voice' can connect to other Internet of Things home devices, such as smart light bulbs, or the Nest thermostat. This way, if your bedroom is, for instance, too hot or too bright, you can adjust the environment accordingly. Of course, it will still play white-noise and nature sounds too.
Let's talk about sensors. The original, according to Hello, has sensors for "light, humidity, temperature, air quality, and noise". The company explains that the new "with Voice" model has those sensors, plus new ones that do "UV light, carbon dioxide (CO2), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), light temperature, and barometric pressure". All of these sensors come together to paint a picture of your bedroom's environment. This way, you can find out what may be causing deficient sleep.
Want to buy this cool sleep-tracker? It can be yours for a very reasonable $149. This is only $20 more than the non-voice variant, making it a no-brainer. While you can order it directly from the company, it can also be had from Best Buy, Amazon, and Target.