FITBIT IONIC

The best all-round connected fitness tracker for most people I’m not sure why Fitbit calls this its “smartwatch” because its an excellent running watch and does great in the gym too. The company’s first water resistant watch (the swimproof Flex from last year doesn’t really count) is a great advancement of the Blaze design and looks good on most larger wrists. Inside is Fitbit’s all-new optical heart rate sensor that is rumoured to gain sleep apnea predicting powers in the very near future, it’s a great unit and sits snugly on the skin.

The biggest changes to the Ionic in 2018 is the new Fitbit OS 2.0 update which re-organised the user interface to a far more intuitive configuration. It’s still a little slower than we would prefer in the way you get around the phone and the having to download all the apps when setting up the watch is a great annoyance. Once you’re set up though you’re inside the class-leading app interface and all its great social features.

Built-in GPS is a great addition because you can go running without carrying your phone. Loading music onto the device is still a massive pain, but Deexer users can breathe a sigh of relief for they are now integrated at application level. Pricing has dropped south of R5 000 and it’s a good compromise for those seeking out more complete smartwatch experience, but don’t quite have the money for an Apple Watch or Polar M600. R4 900