News from Fitbit has been scarce this year, especially when it comes to new devices. For this reason, the listings at the FCC come as a bit of a surprise.

Apparently, it initially was 9to5google that took note of the new documents at the FCC. Unfortunately, the documents contain very few specific information. Conclusions about products must be derived from the limited information available.

Fitbit or Google after all?

The documents were published in the context of Google and not Fitbit. Accordingly, the identification of the documents is completely different. As a reminder: The numbers under which previous documents for Fitbit devices were filed all start with “XRAFB” followed by a number. The model numbers of the devices themselves all start with “FB”. Listings for Google devices at the FCC generally begin with the abbreviation “A4RG”, so the new documents under the number A4RG3MP5 with the corresponding model number G3MP5 have nothing to do with Fitbit anymore.

This suggests a broader perspective and fuels the suspicion that the Fitbit brand will continue to lose its appeal.

Bluetooth, but neither Wi-Fi nor NFC

Even though the information about the products is sparse, it’s always possible to deduce which wireless technologies are being used. Because the described device only uses Bluetooth and omits Wi-Fi and NFC, successors to Versa 4, Sense 2, and Charge 5 can be ruled out with a fair degree of certainty.

At least for the successor of the Fitbit Charge 5, there remains a residual risk, as the way Google reconfigures the functions across its products leaves open the possibility that contactless payment might only be reserved for smartwatches.

This shifts the focus more toward the Fitbit Luxe 2 and the Fitbit Ace 4. Both the stylish fitness tracker and the fitness tracker for kids are expecting product updates.

Introduction as part of IFA

The timing gives hope that the new product will be introduced at the IFA starting on September 1. What gives me pause for thought is that Fitbit is not offering any booth appointments this year – something I would have expected for the launch of a new product. There’s nothing else to do but wait and see.

Der Beitrag FCC filings may refer to a new fitness tracker from Google / Fitbit erschien zuerst auf Fitness Tracker Test.

Fitbit’s product launches last year left some customers with an unpleasant surprise, as several popular features were removed from the new Versa 4 and Sense 2 models. To make matters worse, feature cuts also impacted some of Fitbit’s older products.

Fitbit Sense 2

Fitbit Premium is a subscription service that costs €8.99 per month or €79.99 per year and provides users with access to additional metrics, detailed data insights, video workouts and meditation exercises through Calm. However, the fact that certain data collected by Fitbit’s wearables was available exclusively to Premium subscribers caused frustration for some and turned away potential customers. By making some features available for free, Google is addressing this issue.

Historic health metrics

Fitbit’s wearable devices gather various health metrics that can provide valuable insights into one’s well-being. These metrics include:

– Respiration rate
– Heart rate variability
– Resting heart rate
– Blood oxygen saturation
– Skin temperature

Without a Fitbit Premium subscription, users can only view their health metrics for the past 7 days, which is not sufficient to observe long-term trends. However, Premium users have access to up to 90 days of past data.

Google has announced that starting today, it will lift the restriction on viewing historical health metrics for all Fitbit users. By the end of March, users will be able to access up to 90 days of past data.

Fitbit Premium will retain some premium features

Despite offering some features for free, the following features will remain a part of Fitbit Premium:

– Daily Readiness Score
– Stress management score
– Detailed analysis of sleep index
– Meditation exercises from Calm
– Snoring and noise detection
– Health report
– Video workouts

Google’s new differentiation clarifies that the company offers all sensor-generated metrics at no cost. However, any metrics that are based on baseline data or Fitbit content (such as Calm’s meditation exercises and workouts) are exclusively available through the Fitbit Premium subscription, which comes with a charge.

My opinion

It’s difficult to say if unlocking certain features will lead to the demise of Fitbit Premium. However, the company stands out from competitors by charging customers an additional fee for accessing all their data on top of its costly products. Meanwhile, companies like Garmin, Huawei, and Amazfit offer free access to the data gathered.

To be fair, Fitbit provides a 6-month premium membership with the purchase of a product to allow customers to explore the additional features on offer. Even if customers choose not to continue the premium membership, they still retain access to their data. Health metrics will be limitd to the last 7 days, as other metrics like steps, calories burned, heart rate, and sleep data, have always been unrestricted in access.

The pricing of Fitbit’s premium model raises a few questions for me. Earlier this year, the premium features were priced at €8.99 per month or €79.99 per year. Now that some of these features are available for free, it’s unclear whether the subscription is still worth the same amount. I wonder if I’ve been paying too much up until now.

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Fitbit is expected to launch the Inspire 3 just in time for the IFA in Berlin. The predecessor Inspire 2 has been released in 2020. Decompilation and analysis of the Android Fitbit app a couple of weeks ago indicated new, incoming products. The source code revealed three unknown products, one being the Inspire 3 while the two other products refer to the Sense 2 and Versa 4.

If you follow me on Twitter, you may have noticed that the first information about the products, their color variants, and prices has already been revealed by the end of May.

The first press renders popped up on 91mobiles at the beginning of August, even though Fitbit has not officially announced the product yet. Since then, the Inspire 3 has been listed in some online shops (including amazon.ca) and thus a lot of details have been confirmed, that once were rumors.

Fitbit Inspire 3 At A Glance

The Inspire 3 is a small and solid fitness tracker that resembles the Fitbit Luxe. This is particularly noticeable when comparing the two wearables side-by-side. If you take a closer look, the Inspire 3’s casing looks slightly larger – if there is a difference at all, it is negligible.

Compared to the Fitbit Inspire 2, the changes are more significant. The casing looks more round, more pebble-like. In addition, the Inspire 3 features a colorful AMOLED display instead of the Inspire 2’s monochrome one. What seems like a big step for the Inspire series is quite common even for cheap white-label products.

Extended or stagnating features

Depending on which device you compare the Inspire 3 to, the enhancements tend to be either large or small (some may even say non-existent). The main differences between the Inspire 2, Inspire 3, and Luxe can be found in the following table:

The small table results from the fact that the Inspire 3 is filling the gap between the Inspire 2 and Luxe. The information that I have found online has not yet revealed any new features, so the following generally characterize the Inspire 3’s features:

• 24/7 activity tracking (steps, distance, calories)
• 24/7 heart rate monitoring
• Active zone minutes
• Cardio fitness
• SpO2 monitoring
• Resting heart ratge
• Heart rate variability
• Respiratory rate
• Skin temperature
• Female health tracking
• Stress management
• Notifications and messages
• DND mode

Don’t be fooled – though the Inspire 3 does feature “Connected GPS”, it does not support GPS on its own. Connected GPS describes a way to use the GPS data of a paired smartphone. The bottom line is that the Inspire 3 is clearly dedicated to well-being and health in everyday life.

Extended battery life

The Inspire 3’s battery is supposed to last up to 10 days. Compared to the Inspire 2 this is no improvement, but when compared to the Luxe, the battery life has been doubled. As the Inspire 3 is more derived from the Luxe than the Inspire 2, it’s quite possible to talk about a doubling of the battery life. Of course, it’s also possible to argue otherwise – as it is always when talking about a product filling the gap.

Prices and availability

If the Amazon product pages (which have been taken offline again) are to be believed, the Fitbit Inspire 3 will be available in Canada starting on September 29, 2022. I’m pretty sure that Fitbit will launch the new wearable along with Sense 2 and Versa 4 well before that date. My guess is that Fitbit will present all three devices at IFA in Berlin – anything else would be a missed opportunity.

For 99.99 €, you can choose between the colors Midnight Zen, Morning Glow and Lilac Bliss. The price includes a 6-month premium membership which allows for some some additional insights and reports. After the 6 months, the subscription can be terminated or can be continued for 8.99 € per month.

If you are looking for higher-quality material, you will inevitably end up with the Luxe, which is currently on sale for 109.99 € at Fitbit. Whether the small surcharge justifies the stainless steel casing with a significantly shorter battery life is something that everyone has to decide for themselves.

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9to5google didn’t miss the opportunity to take a detailed look at the Fitbit’s Android app and its source code. While the latest update didn’t change much for most customers, under the hood it introduced three new wearables which are codenamed Hera, Rhea, and Nyota.

Fitbit Versa 4 and Sense 2

It is almost certain that Hera and Rhea refer to the Fitbit Sense 2 and Fitbit Versa 4 – not only because the two new devices offer the same display resolution of 336 x 336 pixels as their predecessors but because of additional information from different sources (which I cannot disclose).

Based on previous release dates, the Versa 4 and Sense 2 are expected to launch this year:

Fitbit Sense 2 and Versa 4 (Source: 91mobiles)

There is no information concerning the use of Wear OS, so you can expect the Sense 2 and Versa 2 to offer a similar user interface to the prior generation running on Fitbit OS. Google’s next-gen wearables that may be introduced along with Google’s Pixel 6, probably will have their own naming convention.

Fitbit Inspire

In addition to Sense 2 and Versa 4, Fitbit is also about to launch the Inspire 3. The Inspire 3 resembles the Fitbit Luxe. The small wearable will feature an AMOLED color display and from the leaked press renders the Inspire’s body seems to be made out of plastic instead of metal.

Fitbit Sense 2 and Versa 4 (Source: 91mobiles)

The Inspire 3 will stick to the soft button, while Sense 2 and Versa 4 return to a physical button.

Prices and Availability

It’s not only the app’s source code that gives hints about the upcoming wearables. Other sources provide preliminary information about pricing and colors. The Sense 2 is expected to change hands for $299.95, while the Versa 4 will be $229.95. Both products come with a 6-month membership for Fitbit Premium.

As always, all information given here should be considered wild guesswork until the official announcement by Fitbit (even if a lot of information should end up sounding familiar).

The Sense 2 will initially be released in the following colors:

If you are interested in the Versa 4 you can choose between the following colors:

Unfortunately, there is no reliable information about the product releases yet. After all, the IFA in Berlin has been the trade show that Fitbit often used to announce and present new products. To be honest, I don’t think that we’ll have to wait this long. If we were already in June or July, I would bet on a release at IFA in September. Based on the app update and the other sources, Fitbit is already preparing the launch. However, it makes me wonder that no information has surfaced at the FCC yet.

I wouldn’t rule out that both products will hit the shelves before fall.

Der Beitrag Fitbit Sense 2 and Fitbit Versa 4 – Press renders, prices and color variants leaked erschien zuerst auf Fitness Tracker Test.

Fitbit Charge 5 (source: amazon.com)

Fitbit – meanwhile a Google company – seems to be close to the launch of another fitness and health wearable.

The timing comes at no surprise, as Fitbit has regularly used the trade fair IFA in Berlin to present new products. As this year’s IFA is once again canceled due to the pandemic, a schedule for product launches seems somewhat a little more relaxed, though the rough timing shouldn’t have changed much.

Additionally to the first images leaked by Evan Blass, amazon.com has prematurely published the product online, allowing for a good insight into the features the Charge 5 is going to offer.

Fitbit Charge 5 – What’s new and noteworthy?

The Charge 5 is sporting a color screen – while this shouldn’t be big news in 2021, it is a tremendous change to the Charge series. Up to now, all previous models offered monochrome displays only. What may have been of advantage to Fitbit’s competitors, has been a huge drawback to potential users.

Even though the display looks quite big, the Charge 5 is having a wide bezel, that can be easily spotted in the press renders. Nevertheless, a color display will offer significant added value.

In addition to the display, the elongated strips on both sides of the housing were subject to speculations. Now their function is clear:

• Soft button

  Charge 4, Versa 3 and Sense all offered some sort of soft button and the Charge 5 is going to have the same. Most likely it will ease the manufacturing process concerning waterproof housing. Let’s hope Fitbit worked on the buttons’ sensitivity as using the button on the Sense and Versa 3 has been a struggle most of the time.

• EDA scan

  Fitbit has introduced EDA scans with the Sense and the Charge 5 is going to get this feature from Fitbit’s high-end wearable.

• ECG scan

  Another feature that the Charge 5 is going to get from the Sense is the ECG feature. This is most likely the reason for extending the sensor area to both sides of the housing. There are some rumors that the ECG feature won’t be active right from the start and will be enabled later this year.

With the Daily Readiness Score Fitbit will introduce an completely new metric. So the is more to the Charge 5 than just features that have been seen on other products. The Daily Readiness Score should reveal if the owner is ready to exercise or should stick to more lightweight activities and recovery.

To determine the Daily Readiness Score sleep, heart rate variability and past activities are taken into account. This feature will be available to Fitbit Premium users only – at least in its full glory.

Fitbit Charge 5 – Additional features

In comparison the Charge 5 won’t lack any of its predecessor’s features. Thus the Charge 5 will offer:

• Steps, Floors, Distance, Calories
• Monitoring of heart rate / heart rate variability
• Monitoring of breath rate
• Active Zone Minutes
• Sleep monitoring / Sleep Score
• Skin temperature
• Estimated Oxygen Variation (SpO2)
• NFC payment with Fitbit Pay
• GPS (build-in and Smart GPS)
• Guided breath work
• Female Health Tracking
• Spotify Connect & Control

Except for installing additional apps and the Alexa / Google support the Charge 5 and Sense offer pretty much the same features.

Prices and Availability

As soon as the first press images popup on the internet, it usually doesn’t take long before the products are officially released. The product is already listed on amazon.com and apparently was also visible on amazon.de. At least for now it has been taken offline again in Germany. The US site states that the Charge 5 will be released on September 27.

If you know where to look, the prices of the Charge 5 were already available on Fitbit’s website a couple of weeks ago. If there won’t be any changes, the Charge 5 will change hands for 179.95 €. You can choose from one of the following colour variants:

• Black / Graphite Stainless Steel
• Steel Blue / Platinum Stainless Steel
• Lunar White / Soft Gold Stainless Steel

The infinity wristband, which Fitbit includes in two sizes, can be changed without tools. Separately available interchangeable wristbands between €29.95 and €69.95 allow for more individuality. A special edition, as was the case with the Charge 4, won’t be available for the Charge 5.

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According to a report by WinFuture Fitbit is moving forward to unveil another wearable. You’ll find a couple of images on WinFuture’s website, which I won’t republish here for the time being. A lot of online magazines have spread the news lately but none was able to figure out the price and date of availability. You’ll find these missing information here.

Fitbit Luxe – Standard and Special Edition

Scanning the leaked images, the Fitbit Luxe looks like revamped version of the Inspire 2. Though the case is made of stainless steel and though it got the rounded corners of Fitbit’s Versa 3 / Sense, the general appearance isn’t that different from the Inspire 2. But it doesn’t resemble the Inspire 2 only – its silhouette looks pretty similar to Xiaomi’s MiBand 6 (and almost all the other cheap fitness trackers).

As neither a button nor a soft button can be found on the press renders, my guess is that the Luxe will have a tap / touch sensitive screen.

At launch the following color variants will be available:

• Black / Graphite
• Lunar White / Soft Gold
• Orchid / Platinum

Bands are replaceable due to the Luxe featuring the same quick release as the Versa 3 / Sense. In addition to the basic silicon wristbands, Fitbit will sell other wristbands made of steel and leather and there will be woven ones.

Screenshot gorjana website (Source: gorjana.com)

If you prefer a more sophisticated look, you can buy the Luxe Special Edition that Fitbit will present together with the fashion label gorjana. The special edition will be available in

• Soft Gold Steel
• Platinum Steel

The most distinctive part is their golden / platinum braclet (Parker collection). If you’d like to check gorjana’s website, you’ll have to use Google Cache as the company has taken the landing page offline.

Both standard and special edition will have a small color OLED display. My guess is that it is the same display that can be found on the Versa 3 / Sense. If that’s true, the Luxe is going to have a bright and crisp display that could outdo the MiBand 6’s one. To be honest, this is guesswork because Fitbit usually does not give specific information concerning the smaller sized wearable displays.

Fitbit Luxe Features

On the fitness tracker’s back, you will find the heart rate sensors. As the Luxe won’t be a top range product, I won’t expect any innovation here. With this in mind, Fitbit will focus on the Luxe’s stylish look, not the features. Expect the Luxe to have the following features:

• 24/7 Activity Tracking (steps, distance, calories burned, floors)
• Sleep Monitoring
• Active Zone Minutes
• Female Health Tracking
• HR zones
• VO2max

When you will buy the Luxe, you will get a 6 month membership of Fitbit Premium for free. Fitbit Premium allows for more detailled insights but don’t expect any completely new insights other than the existings ones.

Prices and Availability

Information I received reveal that the standard edition will be shipped starting end of May for $149.99 when pre-ordered on Fitbit’s website.

The gorjana special edition will be $199.99 – the shipping date is expected to be mid June.

Taken these shipping dates, the official press release should be within the next weeks.

Der Beitrag Fitbit Luxe – News, Prices and Availability erschien zuerst auf Fitness Tracker Test.

Fitbit Versa 2 (Quelle: Evan Blass @Twitter)

For some time there have been rumors circulating the Internet about a Fitbit Versa 2. With publishing a render image, famous leaker Evan Blass boosted the discussion about a successor of Fitbit’s smartwatch. As there is no official press release from Fitbit, all information given should be considered as rumors and wild guesswork. In my opinion we will see Fitbit release the Versa 2 at the beginning of September so that they will be able to present the new smartwatch on IFA 2019 in Berlin.

Groundbreaking New Features

Just once in my life I wanted to use a click baiting topic – sorry, I just couldn’t resist. To be honest, from the leaked picture there are only a few hints so let’s start with the most obvious one:

• Amazon Alex on Fitbit Versa 2

  If the picture is to be believed, the Versa 2 has support for Amazon’s digital assistent Alexa. This means that there is a need for Wi-Fi and the need for at least a microphone, better a microphone and a speaker. From what you can see from the back of the Versa, there is a small hole adjacent to the wristband. Most likely this will be the microphone. Though a speaker would be nice, visual and haptic feedback can be given by screen and vibration motor.

• Fitbit Versa 2 Special Edition

  Taken the woven wristband on the right hand side into account, there will be a Versa 2 standard and special edition. I guess that, as with the Versa, Fitbit Pay will be available on the special edition only.

• Sleek and slender design

  Fitbit devices always had there unique design but with the time, the design has become more mainstream and Apple oriented. The design of the Versa 2 is no different. Compared to the Versa, its successor misses the last sharp edges that gave the Versa somehow a unique look. But it is not only the edges that are missing – the Fitbit logo underneath the LCD display has gone too, so are the two buttons on the watch’s left. Not a big deal, though.

• LCD vs. OLED

  Some people consider that the Versa 2 is going to have an OLED display instead of the LCD display. I share this opinion as it emphazises Fitbit’s claim concerning design and quality. Maybe the picture on the left hand side underlines this improvement, as the display seems to be all black – different from what you usually see with Fitbit.

• Heart rate sensor

  The heart rate sensor that is part of Fitbit’s PurePulse technology looks exactly the same as the one found on the Versa, the Versa Lite and Ionic. I except Fitbit to introduce an ECG sensor, but its unlikely that is will be available on the Versa 2.

Release Dates and Prices

I am convinced that we will see a new Fitbit device by the end of August / beginning of September and I am pretty confident that I will be able get some hands-on experience on the IFA trade show in Berlin starting September 6th. Given this release date the Versa 2 will be available by September / October.

The first-gen, $199 Versa launched in March 2018, with the Versa Lite ($160) following this March. However, Fitbit doesn’t follow a standard product release schedule, so stay tuned for a release date and price.

When released a year ago, the Versa went on sale for $199 (standard edition). Most probably the price for the Versa 2 won’t be that different, with the Versa Lite being sold for $149, the Ionic for $249.

Fitbit Versa 2

Check price on amazon.com

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Fitbit Versa 2

Fitbit

1.40 inch
AMOLED
300 x 300 pixels
303 PPI

5days (Smartwatch)

39.0 × 39.0 × 11.0 mm

38 g (with strap)

Features

Display

Battery life

Total

Rating

Features

Compare Fitbit Versa 2

• Features

  Click for more information

Activity Tracking
Steps
Calories
Floors
Sleep
Stress
Inactivity alert
Dynamic target
Information
Time / Date
Notifications
Weather
Calendar
Find phone
Music
Remote control
Playback via BLE
Phone calls
Calls (direct)	k.A.
Calls (via Bluetooth)	k.A.

• Sport programs / features

  Click for more information

Running

▪ Race time prediction

▪ Advanced running metrics

▪ Pairing footpod

▪ Training load / Recovery

▪ Running Power

Cycling

▪ Pairing power meter

▪ Pairing cadence sensor

Swimming

▪ SWOLF

▪ Distance

▪ Strokes

▪ Style

▪ Pace

Hiking

Golf

Rowing

Crosstrainer

Indoor running

Workout

• Sensors

  Click for more information

Acceleration / Gyroskop
PPG / Heart rate
Altimeter
Compass
Skin temperature
Temperature
ECG

• Location services

  Click for more information

GPS
GPS (Multiband)
Galileo
GLONASS
BeiDou
QZSS
Live tracking

• Connectivity

  Click for more information

Bluetooth LE
ANT+
Wi-Fi
NFC
LTE

• Other

  Click for more information

Interchangeable wristband

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