: Photo: Fitbit
As we entered a new decade, Fitbit’s fortunes looked uncertain. Last year, the company was acquired by Google for a neat $ 2.1 billion — a move that left some longtime Fitbit users wary about their data privacy
The Charge 4, however, seems like it has more substance. For starters, it’s a $ fitness tracker with built-in GPS. For smartwatches, that feature is old hat, but it’s notable for a more basic tracker, as most bands opt for connected GPS via your phone. The difference in results can range from decently accurate to completely wrong, depending on the maker. Adding built-in GPS to the Charge 4 makes it a much cheaper alternative to more expensive running watches, on a well-known platform with an active community. On top of the
Fitbit is also using the Charge 4’s launch to introduce a new tracking metric, Active Zone Minutes, which tracks time spent in specific heart rate zones to determine whether you’ve made progress toward the minutes of moderate exercise per week recommended by the American Heart Association and (
World Health Organization . You earn credit for each minute of medium activity in the fat-burning zone and double the credit for each minute in more vigorous cardio or peak zones. In the past, I’ve been critical of Fitbit’s focus on steps — that famous , – step goal is more about clever marketing than research , and health benefits associated with that goal are dubious. It’s a small shift, but an important one for actually helping folks who want to meaningfully improve their health.
Those are the big updates, but they’re far from the only ones. The Charge 4 will also get Fitbit’s Smart Wake alarm feature — an alarm that wakes you up at the optimal time in your sleep cycle — whenever that comes out. Also, Fitbit recently rolled out an Estimated Oxygen Variation Graph in its app, which finally makes use of the Sp 06 sensor it’s included in its devices since the Ionic. According to Fitbit’s press release, all Charge 4 devices will also come standard with NFC payments via Fitbit Pay. And, as with the Charge 3, battery life remains an estimated seven days on a single charge, which is impressive given that built-in GPS is a notorious power drain.
Design-wise, Fitbit’s saying if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. That said, perforated bands should die in hell. Image: Fitbit
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