Fitbit refreshed and revamped its line-up of smartwatches and fitness trackers today, adding four new products and retiring another four. Heading the new arrivals is the Fitbit Versa Lite Edition, a cheaper and more basic version of the Fitbit Versa launched last year.
For US$40 less (with an RRP of $159.95), the Lite Edition of the Versa cuts out offline music playback, on-screen workouts, and the ability to track swims and flights of stairs climbed. Everything else that you get with the Versa, including step, heart rate, and sleep monitoring, is included in the new, cheaper version.
Fitbit says the Versa Lite Edition is good for more than four days between battery charges, and will show smartphone notifications as well as your essential health and fitness stats. Thanks to its relative SpO2 sensor, it can also estimate changes in blood oxygen levels.
Improved affordability is the overall theme of today's unveilings – Fitbit has also put the Inspire and Inspire HR fitness trackers, previously only available to businesses, on sale to everyone for $69.95 and $99.95 respectively. As the names suggest, the big difference between the two is the heart rate monitor.
Both these trackers bring with them the usual exercise, activity, and sleep tracking options, a small touchscreen display, and up to five days of battery life. If you don't like the feel of something on your wrist, they can be clipped to clothing as well.
Fitbit is clearly trying to simplify its range, with the Inspire and Inspire HR the obvious fitness tracker choices, and the two Versa models and the Fitbit Ionic the smartwatch options. Fitbit has now taken the older Alta, Alta HR, Flex 2 and Zip trackers off sale, though the Charge 3 remains – if you own one of these older wearables they will keep working as usual, but you can no longer buy them new.
The fourth new device announced by Fitbit today is the Fitbit Ace 2, the follow-up to its Fitbit Ace tracker for kids launched last October. It brings with it a new swimproof design, animated clock faces, and regular challenges to keep your children exercising. The Fitbit Ace 2 will set you back $69.95, though it's not on sale until the middle of 2019.
As well as cheaper prices, the running theme across all these new wearables is bold colors: marina blue, mulberry, scarlet, sunshine and lilac are your choices for the Fitbit Versa Lite Edition, for example, while the Inspire HR offers lilac and two-tone black and white alongside the usual black.
Last but not least, Fitbit is promising a "major redesign" for its smartphone apps in the near future, to try and tempt more of us to keep a Fitbit connected to our bodies at all times. Apparently an improved layout, better community features, and more relevant insights are on the way, so keep watch for the upgrade if you use a Fitbit device.
Source: Fitbit