Jawbone's next fitness tracker delayed until 2015

If the Jawbone UP3 fitness tracker was on your holiday wish list, here's some bad news: you're not getting one anytime too soon.

The company confirmed to Mashable on Thursday that availability for the newly-announcedJawbone UP3 ($179) has been pushed back until next year, citing an issue with production.

"Jawbone has revised its shipping dates for UP3 as they continue to fine-tune the production process," a company spokesperson said. "The band will now ship starting early next year."

While Jawbone wasn't too descriptive about what that fine-tuning process would be, it added that it should only cause "a short delay." The company has recalled the UP band in the past for quality-related issues.

Jawbone will also offer a $40 discount or a free UP Move (typically $49.99) to all customers who pre-ordered the device, according to the spokesperson. It will honor cancellation requests, too.

While that means Jawbone will miss out on holiday season sales, its rivals are in the same position. Fitbit is holding two new trackers (the Charge HR and Fitbit Surge) until early next year, too; company executives said the devices just "aren't ready" for market. Fitbit recalled its Force tracker earlier this year for an allergy-inducing wristband.

And of course, we won't see the Apple Watch — which includes fitness tracking capabilities — until an unspecified date in 2015.

Last month, Jawbone revealed the sleeker, smarter fitness tracker UP3. It comes with advanced activity features that can differentiate exercises, such as swimming, running and tennis, to better gauge calories, and includes sleep tracking to signify REM, light and deep sleep.

Future updates to the UP3 software will eventually help you determine when you're dehydrated, stressed and fatigued, the company said.

While the UP Move is new too — which is an activity tracker that can be clipped to clothing or snapped into a wristband-like accessory — it's already available for purchase. The budget-conscious gadget comes with tiny sensors that track steps, calories and workouts, as well as your sleep cycle, but it's less of a full-fledged fitness tracker compared to the UP3.

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