The undisputed king of fitness trackers, Fitbit, today announced a new addition to its lineup – the Fitbit Alta – that adds a touch more style and a few extra feature perks as well.
The Fitbit Alta is a US$130 tracker that tracks pretty much all the same stuff as its peers in Fitbit's lineup do (though, unlike the Charge HR, Surge or Blaze, there's no heart rate sensor here). While the Alta doesn't quite try to mimic the look of a real bracelet or watch, it does have a somewhat sleeker-looking and more bracelet-like appearance compared to the Charge and Flex.
Though the Alta ships with a plastic band, you'll also have the option of accessorizing it with more expensive ($60) leather or ($100) steel bands.
The Fitbit Alta also adds something that Fitbit's other trackers have been lacking: reminders to get up and move if you've been sitting still for too long. First seen on Jawbone's fitness wearables (and later copied by Samsung and Apple for their respective smartwatches) the useful idle alert feature had been one of the big missing pieces in Fitbit's lineup. Hopefully this means it will make its way to the company's other recent trackers via software updates.
Fitbit estimates the Alta's battery will last up to five days – that's the same as the Fitbit Charge HR, but several days shorter than the standard (non-pulse-sensing) Charge.
Fitbit Alta is up for pre-order today for $130, with North American orders expected to launch in March. The rest of the world will have to wait until April.
Product page: Fitbit
