Fitbit Ionic

A DAY’S WORTH OF STEPS BEHIND THE APPLE WATCH

THE WORLD’S MOST popular step-tracking brand finally has its first real smartwatch. Its lack of apps means it’s no Apple Watch, and despite a few luxuries and innovations that make it a fine day-to-day companion, this is a fitness device for people who feel like they need to move more than they currently do.

This tester loved the design, especially the sharp, clean edges, and the colour touchscreen is bright and easy to read and use, even in direct, bright sunshine. Fitbit’s included a small and large silicon strap in the box, and you can choose from an extensive collection of fashionable leather straps (sold separately, of course), making the Ionic the most style-conscious Fitbit ever.

A single button on the left and two buttons on the right side of the screen act as shortcuts within exercises, though everything can be operated with the touchscreen. The physical button interface isn’t particularly intuitive and will take some time to get used to, so you’ll end up relying on the touchscreen to manipulate the information during your activity. Running, swimming, cycling, weights and a general workout option are included, and the GPS will quickly and accurately pick up a signal. Comparing it to our test Garmin revealed the two were close in reporting distances, with only a slight variation between them — totally fine for someone who’s looking for more than simply how many steps they’ve taken today.

Although US owners can use Pandora, Australia’s locked out of music streaming services. Instead you’ll have to use 2.5GB of flash memory to store mp3s or audiobooks and pair the Ionic to a set of Bluetooth headphones. Yes, this means you can leave your phone at home while you go for a run.

A new ‘coach’ function brings short workout videos to the screen, and is the best new exercise feature. Each video demonstrates a short routine, and is a more portable version of the Fitbit Coach app. While it won’t monitor your form to ensure you’re performing the exercise correctly, it’s a remarkable inclusion.

So far, so Fitbit, and that’s because the Ionic is being sold on a few promises. An extra sensor next to the optical heart rate monitors the oxygen in your blood, giving insight on your sleeping habits and — for want of a better word — performance. Science continues to prove how important it is to get a good night’s sleep, so this info could be just as lifesaving as keeping track of your heart rate. However, that function hasn’t been activated. Audio coaching is coming soon, as is Nest support to control those smart devices. App support is limited and as a result, the Ionic feels compromised at launch.

Apart from the fitness tech, you can use the Ionic as a form of contactless payment, as long as your bank is supported. At launch, that only includes ANZ, NAB and CBA, with more banks yet to announce a partnership.

Look at the tech specifications and you’ll see a lot of hardware included. Five days of battery life is excellent, though this can dwindle to as little as ten hours if you use the Bluetooth service and GPS. However, it’s frustrating that the Ionic is so restricted thanks to the user interface, and gaining reliable, usable info is really hit and miss. Until these functions are updated, the Ionic is in an odd place — not a smartwatch, not a challenger to Suunto or Garmin, and far more expensive than other devices in the Fitbit family.