Much of today’s Fitbit announcement has been known for several weeks already due to information and photo leaks, but today the leading fitness wearable company has unveiled two new additions to its ever evolving line.
If you’ve been reading here on Supersite for very long, you’ve read through my reviews of fitness trackers. And, while Fitbit owns the mind share of the general fitness consumer, I found Fitbit’s offerings to only be just a tad bit more than simply pedometers. I found that Fitbit’s offerings are great for newcomers and those wanting incentive to get off the couch, but if a person progressed much beyond that they’d have to seek out a new provider. And, for those in the athlete range, Fitbit’s offerings provided very little.
In this new release, Fitbit seems to be working hard toward shedding the beginner device status. One feature in particular coming to the Charge 2 allows VO2 max estimation which is usually only provided in more expensive wearables like the Microsoft Band 2 or the Garmin Fenix 3 HR. However, while the Charge 2 does offer GPS, its actually connected GPS – meaning the device uses your phone’s GPS to gather and record location, so you’ll still need to carry your phone with you and make sure its battery is charged sufficiently before heading out somewhere for a run or bike ride. The more expensive wearables still have this over the new Fitbit.
Interestingly, though, with all these new, advanced features, the Charge 2 is NOT waterproof. Fitbit suggests keeping it out of the way of heavy liquid. The Flex 2, on the other hand, is the waterproof version. Fitbit labels it as Swim-proof, and ever offers the ability to track swimming activities. However, the Flex 2 does not provide heart rate tracking.
Both versions have battery life up to 5 days. Fitbit does this by only supplying low-power LED-type displays and of course, not actually including a GPS chip, but instead utilizing the GPS capability of the smartphone.
Here’s the features to expect in these updated versions:
Charge 2 ($149)
· PurePulse Heart Rate
· Multi-Sport Tracking & Connected GPS
· Call, Text & Calendar Alerts
· Cardio Fitness Level
· Guided Breathing Sessions
· All-Day Activity
· Auto Sleep Tracking
· SmartTrack - Auto Exercise Recognition
· Reminders to Move
· Long Battery Life - 5 days
· Silent Alarm
Flex 2 ($99)
· Swim-Proof - Track swimming
· Interchangeable Accessories
· Reminders to Move
· SmartTrack - Auto Exercise Recognition
· Call & Text Notifications
· All-Day Activity
· Auto Sleep Tracking
· LED Display
· Shows progress to goal
· Long Battery Life - 5 days
Both devices are available for pre-order from Fitbit’s web site, but neither will start shipping until later this fall.
Stay tuned, too. We’ll be putting these new versions through their paces soon.
