The Fitbit Charge 4 has everything you need in a fitness tracker for under $ . It finally includes built-in GPS to track outdoor workouts independently, it has better training tools for athletes, and it fits most of the same smartwatch features into a slimmer package than the more expensive Fitbit Versa . It’s my favorite Fitbit yet. If you’re looking for a fitness tracker than behaves a lot like a smartwatch without the extra bulk, the Fitbit Charge 4 might be the perfect fit. Keep reading for how exactly this fitness tracker won me over. Now playing: Watch this: The Fitbit Charge 4 won me over Added features without the added bulk There are plenty of great wearables for athletes, like the Garmin Forerunner and Suunto 3, that have way more fitness chops than the Charge 4, but they’re not the most fashionable . The $ (Charge 4) £ , AU $ 403 is a tracker I will happily wear / 7 thanks to its sleek, understated design. If you’re familiar with the Charge 3 , the new version doesn ‘ t look much different – it’s just the tiniest bit bulkier on your wrist. The screen can only display in black and white, but I like that it’s nearly half the size of a traditional smartwatch, such as the Apple Watch , and it also does away with physical buttons. Instead, you control the Charge 4 with a combination of the touchscreen and by pressing the left side of the tracker to navigate settings. The touchscreen isn’t as responsive and it takes a few seconds to light up when you raise your arm to wake the screen, but I eventually got where I wanted to go. The only time the lag really bothered me was while I was running and wanted to quickly glance at my stats without taking my eyes off the road. Like the Charge 3, it’s also hard to see the screen in direct sunlight. Battery life takes a hit The only downside about having GPS. on the Charge is that it’ll gobble up your battery a lot faster than on the Charge 3. Fitbit says the Charge 4 can last up to seven days on a charge, but I barely made it to day four before having to plug it in . I didn’t mind having to recharge after four days, but if you’re looking to get the most out of your battery life (and are planning to use it at night) I would recommend turning off the GPS when it’s not in use. You’ll just have to remember to do this after your workout. You can do this from the exercise shortcuts on the Charge. Just swipe up from an activity that uses GPS, like running or cycling, and toggle it off. Sleep tracking has some serious benefits I’ve never gotten much out of tracking my sleep in the past. With a 6-month-old baby and a toddler waking me up at odd hours of the night I was scared to even see my stats the next morning, let alone get graded on my sleep. Each morning, the Fitbit app gives you a Sleep Score based on everything from sleep duration to sleep stages, heart rate and variations in blood oxygen levels, aka SPO2. After a few nights of testing, it’s actually provided some useful data about my sleep habits. For starters, I’ve gotten a passing grade (above a 80) every single night, despite waking up to nurse my little one. The app told me it’s normal to spend up to 49 minutes awake each night, which was comforting. It also gives you advice on how to improve your score, like keeping your bedtime consistent, regardless of how late (or early) it is. The Charge 4 goes beyond health and fitness tracking with a few smart features up its sleeve. It mirrors every notification you can get on your phone whether you have an (iPhone) or an Android phone, but only Android users will be able to reply to messages with preprogrammed quick replies. You still can’t store music onboard to take with you on a run, but if you ‘re a Spotify Premium subscriber, you will be able to use the Charge 4 as a basic wrist remote to pause and skip tracks. There’s no volume control though. It now also includes a new agenda app along with the existing timer, alarm and weather apps. You’ll be able to set up Fitbit Pay on your wrist and use the Charge 4 on any tap-to-pay payment terminal as the tracker now comes with built-in NFC (previously, you had to buy the special edition Charge to get Fitbit Pay). Sadly it still doesn’t have as many bank partners as (Google) or (Apple Pay) and was not compatible with my primary bank (US Bank), so I couldn’t test it out. I’m also quarantined at home, so most of my payments are made online anyways, not at brick-and-mortar stores. (Read More)
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