SINGAPORE — It’s a common refrain: We’re too sedentary and don’t sleep enough. The Jawbone UP fitness tracker released in 2012 aimed to reverse this trend by helping users make better lifestyle choices, and now Jawbone has released an upgrade: The Jawbone UP24.

The Jawbone UP24 wristband tracks the number of steps you take a day, which you can compare against the recommended amount. It can also be programmed to remind you to stretch your legs when you’ve been seated for too long.

The UP24 also tracks your sleep, telling you how long you’ve slept each night, including deep sleep, so you can gauge the amount and quality of your sleep. It has a vibrating alarm function that wakes you only when you’re in a light-sleep window, preventing you from being too groggy.

The UP24 boasts an upgrade that betters the original: It syncs with your smartphone wirelessly via Bluetooth, giving you results without needing you to plug in the device. With Bluetooth connectivity, the UP24 has seven days of battery life, and charging the device (via a separate USB dongle) doesn’t take more than an hour.

All the data the device tracks is shown in the UP app for Android and iOS, which prompts you when you’ve hit your daily targets, or if you need to take more steps, or sleep more. You can log other forms of exercise, such as weights in the gym, and also the food you ate, to gauge your calorie intake and usage. However, you are required to enter such activities manually, which is easy to forget.

In the end, the effectiveness of the UP24 depends on you: It egged me on to be more active and go to bed earlier, but if you’re the sedentary sort, no amount of buzzing by the wristband will force you onto your feet. You will need a smartphone to see your progress, as the UP24 doesn’t come with a screen.

The wearables industry is touted to be the next big area in tech, but sadly, the UP24 is more of a step forward than something that will change the world. It’s working for me as I wear it constantly since it’s easy to wear, but it is not something I can’t live without.

The Jawbone UP24 comes in the colours onyx and persimmon, retails at S$249, and is available now.