Fitbit, a company that manufactures wristband activity trackers, came up with its latest creation, the Fitbit Alta.
“A wristband that lets you wear fitness your way,” as read in Fitbit’s web page, this new style-focused fitness tracker has been designed to incorporate fashion and exercise, allowing users to wear it as a piece of jewelry and not just as an activity and exercise device.
On Wednesday, Fitbit Alta became available for pre-order. It costs $129.95 and comes in 4 different colors: black, blue, plum and teal. The strap can be customized for another color of the classic ones, or it can also be switched for a blush pink or graphite leather one or a metal bracelet.
Fitbit Alta is equipped with a full OLED touchscreen in which you can tap. Among its tasks it includes: tracking of all day activity and calories burned, monitors sleep, reminders to move that encourage the user to reach an hourly goal of 250 steps and sending call and text notifications and calendar alerts. It is also water resistant.
The device does not have an optical heart rate sensor nor a GPS feature, and its battery is also inferior to other models as it will last five days on a full charge compared to the average of 10.
However, this lack might be redeemed by its “SmartTrack” feature which, according to the web page, “automatically recognizes and records exercises for you, so you can keep track of your workouts without ever pushing a button”. The device is linked to the smartphone of the user through an app, by which it sends notifications of when the user has been sitting for too long. This feature is sure to look appealing to Fitbit’s users, thanks to its automated features.
The creation of this new device represents Fitbit’s opportunity to experiment with the exterior of its products. Fitbit Alta aims to attract users based on its physical value. By the use of the new customizations, Fitbit might begin to design aesthetic-based products.
Sales and shipments will begin in North America in March, and in April in the rest of the world.
Sources: Fitbit