Fitbit recently lifted the lid on its duo of new fitness
trackers: the Fitbit Charge and its bigger brother, the Fitbit Charge HR.
The new activity wearables are an upgrade to the current Fitbit Flex, and a replacement for the Fitbit Force, which was discontinued
earlier this year after it was found to cause a nasty skin irritation for some
users.
The verdict is in: Fitbit Charge review
The new trackers have been given a serious overhaul, with a
huge array of new sensors, an OLED screen and the power to show notifications
from the wrist.
We’ve put together a full run down of everything you need to
know. Also, check out our Fitbit Charge official verdict and stay tuned to Wareable, as we’ll soon be bringing you our full Charge HR review.
Fitbit Charge: Design and display
Both new Fitbit Charge models feature a wristband made from
a flexible, durable elastomer material similar to that used in many sports
watches. The duo boast surgical-grade stainless steel fasteners: a buckle on
the HR and a clasp on the regular Charge.
They come in three different sizes; small, large and x-large
– with wrist sizes from 5.5 inches right up to 9.1 inches catered for. The Charge
band is 21mm wide, the Charge HR measures 34mm.
Both devices will be available in four different colours.
The Fitbit Charge comes in black, slate, blue and burgundy and the Fitbit
Charge HR’s colour shades are black, plumb, blue and tangerine.
Essential reading: Fitbit Surge specs, release date, price
The big design difference from the Fitbit Flex is that the
new Charge trackers have a small OLED display to show the time, real-time stats
and incoming caller IDs.
The Fitbit Charge HR uses the same form-factor as the Fitbit
Charge, but features optical heart rate tracking, for continuous heart rate
tracking from the wrist.
As you can see from these two product shots, the design for
the new pair is pretty similar:
The Charge HR (below) is obviously a bit bulkier due to the
heart rate sensor inclusion, and features a different textured finish and the
buckle that we’ve already mentioned:
