Levi’s announces four new Trucker jackets w/ 2nd gen Google Jacquard tech

Levi’s and Google have today announced the latest additions to the Jacquard-enabled smart jacket lineup. These new jackets are available in two new styles (for both men and women), they bring the latest version of
Google ATAP’s Jacquard tech we saw on the Cit-E backpack, and they’re available at more accessible prices than ever…

For those completely out of the loop, Jacquard is a touch-sensitive fabric and Bluetooth receiver innovation from Google that lets the company’s partners — Levi’s in this case — make their jackets, backpacks, and other wearables smarter. In the case of the new Levi’s Trucker jackets, there’s an area on the cuff that you can swipe on to preform various gestures.

The new Jacquard tag (which is much smaller, thankfully!) then receives those signals and sends them over Bluetooth to your paired smartphone. You can customize what kinds of smart actions these gestures perform — everything from skipping and pausing your music to getting updated on your Uber ride.

All of the Jacquard functionality from the first jacket is still around, but with this launch Google is debuting some new features, too. Google detailed the new, smaller Jacquard tag earlier this month:

The new Jacquard Tag is much smaller and more compact. Going from what was previously a very long thumb drive, it’s now slightly larger than an SD card. This could allow for new fashion form factors going forward. In the Cit-e, the Tag is located further away from the fibers and inside the backpack.

As for the latest features, Google wants you to know that the Jacquard app has gotten a full redesign that brings the addition of three primary things. A single gesture can now trigger a photo on your phone’s camera, a new “My Day” feature gives you a personalized briefing, and “Ask Assistant” lets you create new Jacquard abilities based on Assistant commands of your choice. That last feature in particular is a whole new level of functionality for Jacquard.

As mentioned, the new jackets are available at an entry price that’s a bit more attainable than the first-generation Levi’s Commuter Trucker. These will start at $198 for the Classic Trucker and $248 for the Sherpa Trucker. They’ll be available at “select Levi’s stores” in Australia, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, UK, and USA, as well as at Levi.com.

Keep an eye out for our full review in the coming weeks. We’re planning to go hands-on with the actual hardware and physical makeup of the jacket later today, but in the meantime, I’m waiting for it to be not 90 degrees Fahrenheit outside here in Texas so that I can actually use the jacket in the real-world.