A recent press released noted that Razer was looking to launch the
Nabu smartband to consumers as early as the fourth quarter of 2014. A select number of developers and at least 1,000 Razer fans have been granted access to beta versions of the Nabu, but it appears that Razer is actually closer to a commercial release than previously thought.
In a
press release earlier in the month, the first details of a launch for the Nabu were indicated by the gaming peripheral company. When Razer announced that it was working with mobile gaming developer Tencent Games to bring
Timi Run Everyday to the smart band, it also announced that it would be releasing the band in the fourth quarter.
Even though the company stated it will release the Nabu in the last quarter of 2014, it seems that they are shooting for sooner rather than later.
Tom's Hardware received word from Razer that the company was aiming for an October release of the unit. The smart band was originally thought to be released earlier, but the Nabu underwent several changes and tests. The new timing is likely intended to capitalize on the holiday shopping season.
The Nabu saw a major change when it was shown off during the Electronic Entertainment Expo in June, as the smaller 32x32 pixel display was removed. Razer said the removal was based on user feedback. The upper screen was often ignored, causing the company to remove it and change the way the larger screen activated. So far, at least 1,000 beta testers have obtained the Nabu for $1, with 500 given access through the beta program in July and another 500 in Germany during the Respawn developer conference.
Several developers have also signed on for the Nabu, including Wargaming, Techland, Halfbrick and Shortbreak Studios. Razer has yet to release details on any of the developer projects other than
Timi Run Everyday.
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