Fitbit Charge 3

IS FITBIT STILL LEADING THE CHARGE IN THE FITNESS TRACKER SPACE?

FITBIT CHARGE 3

$229.95 www.fitbit.com

CRITICAL SPECS:

Android and iOS compatible; Small and large size bands included; 4cm display, 2.7cm OLED screen; 5ATM 50m water resistance (internally tested); up to 7 days battery life (3 to 4 days with regular connected GPS tracking); 22.7 x 34.5 x 11mm (no band), 29g. THE CHARGE 2 really pushed the upper limit of what we could be expected from a dedicated fitness tracker when it launched towards the end of 2016. All-day heart-rate monitoring, connected GPS fitness tracking and automatic sleep tracking were features traditionally exclusive to more expensive smartwatches until the Charge 2 squeezed them into an affordable fitness tracker. So it’s not surprising that it’s been the company’s biggest seller, shipping more than 35 million devices worldwide.

While it’s been more than two years since the release of its predecessor, the new Charge 3 has largely the same elevator pitch, namely: it’s a fitness tracker that offers enough features to compete with smartwatches without costing too much. As such, many of the legacy features that made earlier Charge devices appealing still contribute to the device’s overall value.

WATERTIGHT WEARABLE DESIGN

The most obvious, and perhaps the most valuable, upgrade is the new 50 meter water resistance rating. In addition to making it showerproof, the new ingress protection means that the device can also be used to track swim training. There’s no official independent IP rating for the Charge 3 however, so while you should have no problems swimming for short periods, longer exposures or any form of diving is not recommended. Bluetooth struggles to connect through water, so the device can’t use its connected GPS for swim training, but it will detect laps using internal accelerometers, and keeps track of your heart rate while you train.

While it might look similar to the former model, the Charge 3 has had a complete design overhaul. The case has been refashioned with aerospace grade aluminium that is much lighter than its predecessor’s steel enclosure, the display now uses sturdy Gorilla Glass 3, and the button is now immovable, inductive and offers haptic feedback. The Charge 3 is around 20% lighter overall at 29g and it’s fractionally wider too with the band coming to 22.7mm. Fitbit says that the display is actually 40% larger and brighter than the Charge 2, but it’s screen is only 2.7cm when you don’t include the bezel in the screen measurement, so it’s still not particularly large.

The Charge 3 has its own new range of sport or fashion-forward bands and the clasps that bind them to the screen are apparently new and ‘better than ever’. Of course, there’s also a new proprietary charger, which will be extremely annoying for anyone hoping to have a spare when upgrading from the Charge 2.

FITBIT’S SOFT’ SIDE

What’s perhaps even more dramatic than the physical updates of the Charge 3 however, is the considerable software advancements. Fitbit was only tracking sleep duration and restlessness when the Charge 2 was first released, but you’ll get full sleep stage tracking with the Charge 3 at launch. There’s also the promise of sleep apnea tracking and overall sleep quality scores on the schedule for 2019.

While the fitness metrics that Fitbit use on the Charge 3 haven’t changed much, the

WHILE IT MIGHT LOOK SIMILAR TO THE FORMER MODEL, THE CHARGE 3 HAS HAD A COMPLETE DESIGN OVERHAUL. THE CASE HAS BEEN REFASHIONED WITH AEROSPACE GRADE ALUMINIUM THAT IS MUCH LIGHTER THAN ITS PREDECESSOR’S STEEL ENCLOSURE, THE DISPLAY NOW USES STURDY GORILLA GLASS 3, AND THE BUTTON IS NOW IMMOVABLE, INDUCTIVE AND OFFERS HAPTIC FEEDBACK.

company says it’s used its troves of accumulated heart rate data to make the 24/7 PurePulse more accurate, for more reliable resting heart rates and calorie burn calculations. The current VO2 Max estimation system is still one of the simplest and most informative overall fitness metrics available, so we’re happy to see its return on the Charge 3. The speed, heart rate zones and distance metrics offered by the Charge 3 exercise tracking are still more than enough information for the vast majority of people.

THE OTHER HALF

The device will benefit from the recent direction in Female health tracking that Fitbit

announced alongside the Versa smartwatch in 2018. While menstrual cycle tracking is still yet to be released, it is expected to become an important piece of Fitbit’s overall health dashboard for women when it does finally launch (we don’t know exactly when that’ll be). The new area promises insights about mood, motivation, cravings and heart rate fluctuations at different points in the month.

All this is accessed through a new user interface that packs more fitness information directly onto the device, using brighter and more animated icons. There’s still no percentage battery-level indicator - both on the device or in the connected app - until you plug the device into power, but the battery life

is long enough for this to not be a big issue. While it’s reported that the Charge 3 can get up to seven days battery life, you’ll only get around three to four if you do an hour or so of fitness tracking every day. This is still plenty for sleep tracking and makes it easy to get a clear picture of your nocturnal habits and what needs attention.

At $229.95 the Charge 3 is much cheaper than a smartwatch, but the new device manages to include many of the smart features you’d be looking for. Most notable is the introduction of Fitbit Pay, which is the most ubiquitous NFC payment system we’ve used. Fitbit has forged enough financial partnerships to mean that you can confidently leave your credit card at home when exercising and still grab something from the shops.

While the screen is small, it’s bright enough to read the text notifications you can get pushed through form your phone and there’s a few quick responses that you can send straight from your wrist. Of course you still have the essential silent alarms, exercise and settings apps alongside other useful weather forecast, timer and breathing apps available directly on your wrist.

One of the key features for many will be the ability to accessorise the Charge 3 to make it go with outfits, whether that is a three-piece suit or full training kit. The classic bands are available in black or purple, but you can grab any of the four colours of Sport bands for $49.95, a grey or white Woven Band for $59.95, and a black or purple Horween Leather Band for $69.95. There’s enough diversity in the styles for anyone to find at least one band appealing enough to wear every day, but many will want more than one.

Anyone thinking that the Charge 3 is just a slightly rejigged Charge 2 is mistaken. The Charge 3 is a considerable upgrade from its predecessor that improves the design, components and feature set, while shaving $30 off the launch price of the Charge 2. If you want a heap of smartwatch features and all the best features of a fitness tracker there’s still nothing we can think of that offers better value.