Smart apparel has become more prevalent in recent months. Every company from Levi’s to Under Armour is trying to take advantage of the new technological offerings. Now it looks like Nike is trying its hand at the smart apparel trend with its connected NBA jerseys.
According to SportTechie, Nike’s new connected jerseys feature a radio-frequency chip embedded in the tag that unlocks exclusive content for the wearer. The company just announced the first batch of content is available with exclusive playlists for the 30 NBA teams. The content is accessed through the new jerseys and the NikeConnect app.
So, how does this technology work? Using the NFC technology in the jersey’s embedded chip, wearers open the NikeConnect app on an NFC-enabled smartphone, and tap their phone to the label to unlock player highlights and the new team playlists.
This video helps explain it a little clearer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=7&v=E60ryjNqkZQ
Nike tapped LeBron James to create a playlist for the Cleveland Cavaliers in order to drum up some hype for the connected jerseys.
Who’s to say whether these tech-enabled jerseys will be a hit for Nike? Right now, smart apparel is still so new that it’s still too soon to tell where the technology is headed.
What do you think of Nike’s new smart apparel? A hit or a miss?
