New Balance To Launch Smartwatch This Holiday Season

New Balance has announced the launch of a new division called "Digital Sport." This new division is tasked with developing "digital experiences" and various wearables, the first of which will be a smartwatch scheduled to launch this holiday season. The company plans to roll out a digital ecosystem targeted at athletes via the new division, and has announced Intel, Google and more as partners.

New Balance has been working with various technologies to innovate common athletic gear, not the least of which are its' 3D-printed shoes. The company showed those off during Intel's keynote this evening, but that's only a small piece of a much bigger pie. The Digital Sport segment will be tasked with developing within three product categories: performance sport, devices, and embedded tech.

The embedded technology will include things like sensors embedded in New Balance clothes and shoes, while the performance sport category concerns itself with sports equipment and more, and the devices are, obviously, gadgets like that aforementioned smartwatch.

The smartwatch holds the distinction of being Digital Sport's first product; New Balance says the wearable will let athletes ditch their phones (during their workouts, that is). Features will include GPS for tracking routes, music playback, and more.

Says New Balance, Intel and Google will both be "providing the athlete focused smartwatch platform," which is being powered by Android Wear.