Fitbit announced a lineup of new fitness trackers and smartwatch this morning. The two main product releases from this morning are the new Fitbit Versa 3 and FitBit Sense. The company also released a new Inspire 2 fitness tracker.
In this post, we will provide you with the highlights of the major features of the new and very promising Fitbit Sense smartwatch.
Contents
Fitbit stress tracking feature via skin sensor
The new Fitbit Sense is the first major watch with an electrodermal activity (EDA) sensor, a sensor that monitors your skin surface and sweat chemistry to determine your stress levels.
The combined on-device and in-app experience with Fitbit Sense gives you insights into your body’s response to stress with tools to help you manage both your physical and mental stress.
This innovative stress management experience was built by Fitbit’s team of behavioral health experts, with decades of expertise in diagnosing and treating mental health, along with guidance from medical experts at leading academic institutions.
Fitbit research scientist Samy Abdel-Ghaffar said a new stress score would help users decide whether to take on a fresh project or instead take a break, sleep early or meditate.
Afib tracking and improved heart rate monitoring
Fitbit Sense also incorporates Afib detection and monitoring. The new Sense watch can be used to assess your heart rhythm for signs of atrial fibrillation.
The heart rate tracking feature has been updated in the new Fitbit Sense. The company’s PurePulse 2.0 technology can track your heartbeat data with more accuracy and detect conditions such as bradycardia (Heart rate too slow) or tachycardia ( Heart rate too fast).
This is one area where Fitbit had historically fallen short when compared with other smartwatch devices that monitor heart rate.
It’s really good to see that Fitbit has taken the shortcoming seriously and revamped its heart tracking features by incorporating a new multi-path heart sensor.
Serious Health Monitoring Features
Fitbit Premium’s new Health Metrics dashboard goes further than before helping you track
- Breathing rate (average breaths per minute),
- Resting heart rate, RHR, (an important indicator of cardiovascular health),
- Heart rate variability, HRV, (variation of time between each heartbeat), and
- Skin temperature variation (surfaced through the dedicated sensor on Fitbit Sense and through existing sensors on other Fitbit devices).
These metrics and their combination will help Fitbit algorithms determine various aspects of your health and fitness levels and provide you powerful insights.
If you are a Premium member with a compatible device, you will see these daily metrics and trends over time to see potential changes to your wellbeing.
Monitor nightly SpO2 levels
For Fitbit smartwatch users, we are also providing new insight into your nightly average SpO2 levels (amount of oxygen in your blood).
A series of free SpO2 clock faces show both your previous night’s SpO2 range and nightly average, and Premium members can track SpO2 trends over time in the Health Metrics dashboard to see indications of important changes to their fitness and wellness.
Early findings from our COVID-19 study suggest that changes in some of the metrics included in the new Premium dashboard (breathing rate, resting heart rate and heart rate variability) can be detected by Fitbit devices simultaneously with the onset of COVID-19 symptoms, and in some cases even before.
Beyond New Health Monitoring Features
Fitbit Sense also combines all of the key health, fitness and smart features found on Fitbit’s other smartwatches, including on-board GPS, 20+ on-device exercise modes, SmartTrack® automatic activity tracking, Cardio Fitness Level and Score, and advanced sleep tools.
The simple square design on the watch features an AMOLED and Gorilla Glass 3 display making it easy to stand touch scratches and more.
Users will have the choice of using Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant with their Fitbit Sense. The sense comes with a built in speaker and microphone allowing you to take calls on your watch and interact with texts via voice commands.
The new Fitbit sense has a battery life of 6 days, which is impressive when compared with other smartwatches in the market.
Related: Macrotellect releases new Brainlink Dual to help users achieve peak mental fitness
Availability and Pricing
It comes in just one size and two colors. You can choose from Lunar White/Soft Gold stainless steel or the Carbon/Graphite Stainless steel.
The new Fitbit Sense is available for pre-order now at a very affordable price point of $329.95 and will ship on September 25th.
The new Fitbit sense proves that the company is serious about providing top-notch health monitoring features that can match up to the offerings of serious competitors such as Apple Watch.
Fitbit’s product enhancements come at a time when the company is awaiting further direction around its planned acquisition by Google.
The company also announced the Versa 3 smartwatch, priced at $229 and upgraded from its predecessor to include a GPS sensor and phone-calling functionality; and the Inspire 2 activity tracker, running $100 with a tweaked design.