Technology companies have decided not to stop during the current health crisis. Huawei, Realme, Xiaomi, and even Apple have announced their new devices at a difficult time internationally. And Fitbit also did not want to stop its plans.
The technology company that was acquired last year by Google has put on sale a new version of its well-known activity bracelet, Fitbit Charge 4. Perhaps it is not the best time to monitor the sport we do, much as we can at home. Do something, but Fitbit has decided to turn the tables on this situation and encourage users to make confinement a perfect excuse to get around and control daily activity. And it does it with new functions and with a renewed activity bracelet.
Fitbit Charge 4
The new Fitbit bracelet looks very similar to its predecessor. In fact, the Charge 3 straps are for this new model. Its design is an old acquaintance with a 39.83 mm diagonal touch screen in which we forget about the color, since it is an OLED panel in black and white and for the management of which we can help ourselves with a touch sensor on the side left that serves to return to the main screen, where the time, date and calories burned appear.
The strap is adjustable buckle, with two versions in the box for those with larger or smaller hands, and as always, Fitbit markets its bracelet in various colors and designs to change style.
It is comfortable? Well, during the day I have no problems, it weighs very little and you do not even know to wear it, but during the night it is not so much, and in my case, it sticks in the wrist.
Actually, the main novelties of the Charge 4 are inside. The technology company has decided to equip its bracelet with some of the features that were already present in its top-of-the-range devices, such as GPS or Spotify control, in addition to Fitbit Pay, which allows payments to be made with the bracelet.
Specifically, the new Charge 4 is the first activity tracker with integrated GPS from the company, allowing the user to be able to use it without having to carry a mobile phone. This will be perfect for when the confinement is over, in activities such as running or riding the bike, because in addition to being able to follow the route made on a map available in the application, in this route it will be possible to see the heart rate in each section. Altogether Fitbit incorporates 7 GPS-enabled exercise modes and a total of 20 activity modes.
On the bracelet, in addition, a new function appears, Spotify, which will allow users to control music from the wrist. You cannot download songs and listen to the well-known streaming network without your mobile, but it is already an advance to accompany training.In addition, the Charge 4 has NFC technology, allowing contactless payments with Fitbit Pay for those users who have bank account with some of the entities with which Fitbit has an agreement (Santancer, OpenBank, CaixaBank, Revoult and Carrefour Pass).
As with any self-respecting bracelet, you can receive notifications of messages, calls and appointments in the calendar.
Another of Fitbit's strengths is sleep monitoring, an option present in Charge 4 and which is reinforced in this edition with new scores to see at a glance how you have spent the night, and the Sleep Phases option, to know in detail the quality of the rest. It also includes the relative SpO2 sensor, thanks to which the user can see the estimated oxygen variation graph in the Fitbit application. All this is possible through the mobile application, since from the screen of the bracelet the options are very limited .
It should be noted that the battery, according to Fitbit, lasts 7 days , although depending on the rod that is put into the device, this duration could be slightly less. It is also waterproof, allowing you to swim with it.
Minutes in Active Zone
Fitbit is aware that this is not the best time to monitor the activity we do, but they have tied the blanket to their heads and have decided to present a function to control movement. These are minutes in the Active Zone and it is actually a count of the minutes that we are in motion but with our own rules that have been created by the American company.
As it is not a very simple mechanism, they are in charge of calculating this new metric that is actually based on our heart rate.
Thanks to continuous monitoring of heart rate, the bracelet will keep track of the activity we do and divide it into moderate, cardio and peak. Peak activity translates to more Fitbit minutes (Minutes in active zone) and one minute of moderate activity translates to 1 minute in active zone. It is actually a kind of point system, but by the minute, which seeks for the user to reach 150 weekly.
After training, you can view a detailed summary of your heart rate zones in the Fitbit app, including progress toward achieving your goals, so you can continue to set your own challenges and make every minute count.
Minutes in Active Zone is available first on Fitbit Charge 4, and will be extended to all Fitbit smartwatches soon.
Pricing and availability
Charge 4 is available on all open channels for € 149.95 in black, plum and storm blue / black. In addition, the company is selling a special edition available for 169.95 euros that features a reflective black / granite textile strap, in addition to a classic black strap.
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