Three months ago, a representative from HTC said that plans for the once scrapped HTC Grip fitness band have been revisited, after rigorous testing and user feedback. The Grip was supposedly groomed for a holiday release this year. However, a recent statement from the Taiwan tech maker has indicated otherwise.

HTC said over the weekend that the company, in partnership with Under Armour, would "launch a fully integrated digital ecosystem of products early next year." Even though the statement talks of more offerings than just the Grip, it's more than likely for the activity tracker to be included in what HTC referred to as "ecosystem of products."

HTC's full statement to Phandroid read:

"As we continue to develop the Connected Fitness platform and elevate our product offerings, Under Armour and HTC have decided to launch a fully integrated digital ecosystem of products early next year. This global launch will provide the tools needed to help athletes of all levels track, manage and improve their health and fitness. Our teams have done a remarkable job bringing these products to life and we're excited to share them with the public soon."

As a refresher course, the Grip's haul of features includes a curved 1.8-inch 32 x 160 PMOLED touchscreen display, GPS connectivity, and support for the Under Armour Record app, as per Wareable.

The Grip is fitted with a gyroscope and an accelerometer for fitness tracking while moderate health buffs have the device's step, calorie and sleep counting functionality at their disposal.

Active runners will be delighted to know that the Grip also has support for Bluetooth smart connectivity. The feature lets users pair the device to a heart rate monitor, perfect for bpm training. Users can also control music from their smartphones via the Grip's display. Unlike top-end fitness band, though, the device doesn't store music on its own.

In terms of battery life, the Grip's 100mAh battery can to last 2 to 3 days without GPS and around 5-hour with GPS, just enough for a slow marathon.

The Grip pairs smoothly with all smartphones running Android 4.3 or higher and iPhones running on OS no earlier than iOS 7. The device's price is expected to be around $200.

Having been canceled once already, and now delayed at least until next year, only time can tell if the Grip would be worth the wait.

HTC, on the other hand, has assured that it will. The company has even taken to Twitter to brand the device as "the smart fitness tracker for the serious athlete."