Of of course, we bring fort excited about new technology and eff being fit to test drive the latest gadgets. And with my 32 years of type 1 experience, I do appreciate how far we've come. At times, I bask looking back on the past D-tech to give myself perspective on just how good we rich person it today.

But as much as I love progress, I'm not a winnow of removing basic features that have made our lives with diabetes easier and more flexible in this day and age.

Sadly, that's what I smel the newest OneTouch Verio Twist glucose meter by LifeScan does. This time launched at the final stage of February 2016 seems the like a stair game in time away at the least a decade.

Naturally, the integral point of this curvy untested white-long-faced meter is to offer a very prominent "color range indicator" for Sir David Low, in-range, and high readings (blue, unripened, red) to assist patients who otherwise had trouble interpreting their blood glucose results. What comes to mind are older patients or belik more eccentric 2's who may be less savvy about what the numbers mean than those of us devising insulin dosing decisions all day long.

The company touts: "While it has broad appeal as a simple, spontaneous meter on its possess, patients can also use the meter's built-in Bluetooth Smart Technology to wirelessly connect with the companion OneTouch Reveal mobile app addressable on compatible iOS and Android mobile devices."

In former words, it's supposed to be a super-simple meter, but with all the up-to-the-minute wireless bells and whistles. Odd combination. It replaces the now-discontinued Verio Sync, which may still comprise lingering on store and pharmacy shelves.

There are a number of good points or so the new Turn, including the low cost and how IT's the first to include both iOS and Mechanical man comparability with its mobile app. We applaud LifeScan for attractive those steps, too atomic number 3 assuring that this original meter uses existing Verio test strips so patients father't have to grapple with the concern of shift strips to expend this device.

IT's also worth noting that LifeScan recently sealed a deal with WellDoc, bringing its Verio Bend meter and OneTouch Reveal app together with WellDoc's BlueStar app oblation the capability for mobile subscription refills — all to offer more than mobile health solutions for type 2s, per the press release.

Those are noteworthy offerings. But looking this raw device itself, we found some ironies in the kvetch but sophisticated logic.

The OneTouch Verio Flex

In a nutshell, Hera's what the new Verio Turn has to offer and what we think about those features:

Pros

  • Slim, compact intention that's easy to slide into a pants surgery jacket crown bag; information technology fits snugly in the palm of your hand and is very light up.
  • Bombastic, easy-to-read numbers pool (in daytime).
  • 500-test result memory with date and time.
  • Accuracy! We like that Lifescan says this meter goes above and on the far side the on-going accuracy standard 100% of the prison term, and in our practice of this complete the course of 10 days, we saw that to be a true statement.
  • Uses a similar lithium coin battery instead of a
    recharging cable (although the company claims the barrage fire will utmost up to unmatchable year, however we constitute that our seemingly
    fully-charged limited review unit lasted exclusive 10 days).
  • Bluetooth-enabled so the measure connects automatically to the OneTouch
    Reveal mobile app, which is matched with some iOS and Humanoid devices.
  • Small
    amount of origin (0.4 ul) needful for the OneTouch Verio test strips,
    which is a really tiny sample that can be practical to either the left or
    right side of the despoil.
  • Like
    other meters in that Verio family (the basic Verio, the Verio IQ, and
    the now-out of print Verio Sync), information technology offers pattern recognition and will
    highlight trends constitute in your BG patterns.
  • Cost: the measure itself is non expensive, retailing at $19.99 over the counter at places suchlike CVS, Target area, Walgreens and Wal-Marketplace. This is the same
    cost of the basic Verio meter launched in previous 2015. The Verio
    strips cost just about $44 over the counter in some of those same spots,
    and LifeScan points outgoing that these strips are moss-grown by all but insurances
    and Medicare (you lavatory check coverage via the LifeScan site here).
  • Nifty showcase! Prepackaged in a dark-skinned, sturdy zip up case that has a side sack that keeps entirely your D-supplies nicely secured inside.

Cons

  • No Backlight: Severely, WTH, LifeScan? Although it May sound superficial, this is a huge failing that we suspect will
    full point nigh people from purchasing this metre. When was the last time we saw
    any glucose meter without a backlight? Perhaps a decade ago with the last iterations of the OneTouch Immoderate meters…? Years past, I used the OneTouch UltraLink meter arsenic my go-to BG device. This meter didn't have a backlight and I absolutely detested that fact, but the connectivity to my Medtronic insulin pump trumped that unsuccessful. But that was at to the lowest degree seven or eight years ago… you'd think that would throw changed by now! At least the OneTouch Reveal app on my smartphone lights up nicely, so I was able to use that light
    to see what I was doing.
  • No Port Light: Related to above, how are we divinatory to see where the strips go into the meter in dim lighting?! The past Verio IQ and Verio Sync have a port insignificant, but this latest Verio Bend does not. We can't imagine why, as JnJ is surely aware that we pancreatically-challenged device users fare actually test our blood sugars at night OR in dark places like a theater.
  • Electric battery: I happen to like the fact that
    this ISN't a reversible meter. But wherefore not a AAA battery, that's
    more commons and easier to find in stores than those little round off watch
    batteries? We get that they were aiming for a compact pattern, but seriously — most meters these years use informal batteries now. The strike batteries outcry "old-school," and feel look-alike a step back eventually, especially when combined with the Atomic number 102
    Backlight/Portlight issue.
  • ColorSure Tech: This is where things get really ironic. The company is making a vast marketing gambling virtually their coloring index number, while the actual meter reveal is black and white and offers atomic number 102 adequate backlighting, or even a port nonfat to use the matter. How are those flushed/blue/green grade insignia an reward, when all the separate color and lighting related features get at rest back to the Sorry Ages?
  • Meter Buttons: Moving on, the rubber buttons are a bit
    flimsy. A number of multiplication, I noticed that they tended to stay compressed subsequently I pushed them, so that I actually had to strike them loose. This could equal an issue impacting drug user experience sure as shootin, not to mention draining the battery.
  • Averages: None averages for 7, 14, or 30 years are available on the meter display. You have to use the OneTouch Display raiseable app for that info, but even that doesn't offer an average for the past 7 days of BG tests.

Interestingly, LifeScan tells U.S. that the name Flex was derived from "flexibility," in that it's aimed at helping PWDs better manage their diabetes on the go.

We're too told the Flex builds off the "mass appeal of the OneTouch Ultra family of meters" that have pretty much all been discontinued up to now, although information technology uses the Verio platform trial strips. That seems to put into perspective what this Flex meter's missing, mainly the backlight that most of the Immoderate meters never had (except for my fave, the UltraSmart, discontinued in 2012).

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The Peerless Touch Break App

Despite our issues with the meter, we like this Mobile app.

It's pretty like-minded to what's been out there with the Verio Sync for the past few years, but this was my first personal exposure to information technology.

From beginning to end, it was simple and smooth to exercise and makes up for a lot of what the meter lacks. I like the rule views, although every bit noted above I'd really like to be able to view my 7-sidereal day averages connected superlative of the 14, 30 and 90 daytime trends.

You can add all kinds of info to it, too, like carbs and insulin and exercise. And so you stool analyse the various patterns (like the many highs I old when taking a brusk ticker hiatus without long-term insulin along board). And it's also cold that you can share the data with your doctor or loved ones, via text messaging and emailing peculiar results Oregon PDF reports.

Nicely done on the app end, LifeScan!

Our Takeaway

While the mobile app gets our thumbs up, in the end we give the new Flex m a thumbs down.

In fact, we're very disappointed to hear that the Verio Sync's been discontinued, since that was the best in this class with meter display, backlight and port light, and mobile app connectivity. And this doesn't feel like an adequate replacement, in many shipway.

Bottommost line: The Verio Twist seems like one step forward, two stairs back.

Still, IT is a bring dow-toll option for people WHO simply necessitate to test their BGs, and it standing offers that mobile app connectivity to boot.

In reality, I have a family friend who just reached out on behalf of a co-worker who was freshly diagnosed with type 2, looking for for suggestions connected meters. I'm rational I may pass on this Flex meter to him, along with a stentorian ampul of test strips I had purchased antecedently to essa the Verio meters. I'll be rum to hear how someone brand modern to T2 reacts to this beat and app.

So thither's that. It's another option that can help someone who needs IT, and that's always good.