FITBIT CHARGE 2 MISFIT RAY

Do it all Secret agent

What is it? Activity trackers are popular and the many incarnations of the Fitbit Charge (Charge and Charge HR) are probably the most popular of them all. There’s a new one out and it’s the best one to date. It almost managed to replace my Fitbit Blaze and Garmin Vivosmart HR+ as my go-to activity tracker.

What’s bad about it? “Almost” is mainly because of the limited notifications (incoming calls, text messages and calendar notifications) and small screen size. If you’re paying above R2 000 for an activity tracker, it better be able to act as a part-time second screen for your phone. (Note: I separate sports watch and activity tracker.) The button push to scroll through menu options and screen tap to interact with sub menus isn’t the greatest UI solution.

What’s good about it? Charge 2 comes with a bigger screen than the Charge HR it replaces and is equipped with a better optical heart rate monitor that has learnt a few new tricks. One of those tricks is guided breathing. Connected GPS is also on board, so the Charge 2 can commandeer your phone’s GPS antenna to more accurately track distance and pace metrics. It also tracks more than just steps now and will auto recognise certain activities so you don’t need to engage with the clunky menu system.

Bottom line: This is the best activity tracker to get if you’re not looking for a smartwatch and like taking your phone along with you when you’re running. The Charge 2 will probably be Fitbit’s volume seller and the persistent water resistance omission is becoming a bit boring now. Charge 2 builds neatly on what has come before it and offers enough features to complement Fitbit’s brilliant social ecosystem. LS What is it? The best-looking activity tracker ever. It’s so elegant that my wife was complimented on her jewellery at a black tie awards dinner. And that was with the standard plastic band.

What’s bad about it? Notifications come in the form of a flashing LED and a vibration. It’s at least something and the subtlety is part of the device’s appeal, but it does mean a bit of schooling and customising to assign colours to notifications. The Ray also doesn’t tell the time. Although you could always wear a regular watch along with it.

What’s good about it? Six months of battery life from three button-type batteries. The joys of not charging a device every couple of days or having it fail on you unexpectedly are plentiful. Its also swimproof, even partnering with Speedo for lap and stroke counting. Misfit have gone to great lengths to integrate smart functions into the Ray and, through an unintuitive series of taps, it can now act as a remote shutter for your smartphone camera and even control your Philips Hue lights.

Bottom line: With automatic activity recognition and a near endless supply of straps and chains, Misfit has hit a home run with Ray. If you’re low key trying to up your activity and quantifying yourself but just need a slight nudge, get this. It blends into the background and works flawlessly with Apple Health and Discovery Vitality. LS