Nancy Blair

USA TODAY

SAN FRANCISCO — Fans of Jawbone's Up bands who happen to be Android smartphone owners as of today can consider the company's most recent take on the fitness tracker, UP24.

Jawbone on Tuesday announced Android compatibility for the $149 UP24 band, which launched late last year as an iOS-only device.

The new hardware added Bluetooth connectivity, which the original Up band ($129) lacks. That means you don't have to plug it into your phone's headphone jack to sync data.

The Android app lets you wirelessly sync from the band to an Android device via Bluetooth Smart technology, so you can get feedback in real-time.

Everybody and their brother has a fitness tracker on the market, so the UP24's arrival on Android was a must to deliver.

Bands from competitors including Fitbit and Nike all offer a variety of ways to track overall fitness and health. The Up made its mark as a simple step tracker that added insight into sleep patterns in a sleek design. An early version was marred by some battery and syncing issues, which the company addressed for the most part in a subsequent model.

I've used the non-Bluetooth Up model for about a year and find syncing still finicky at times. Presumably, not having to stick the thing into your phone smooths out that issue. And there is no display on the band, so you must rely on the app to get the latest info about your progress.

But Up is simple to use and I've continued to rely on it to keep me honest and active during the day, even as I've added a Pebble smartwatch to my wrist-wear. Indeed, it will be interesting to see how Jawbone and others keep pace in the market as smartwatches make their move, many with functionality and apps that mimic what the first-generation of bands provide.