When launching the Fitbit Ionic smartwatch, Fitbit took the courageous choice to go it alone. Relatively than go for an Android Wear watch providing entry to the well-stocked Play Retailer, it launched a watch operating its very personal working system known as Fitbit OS.

We’ve seen many instances previously how troublesome it may be to persuade the cellular developer group to embrace platforms outdoors of the Apple and Google realm (see Home windows Cellphone, BlackBerry, Palm and so forth), however Fitbit is off to a good begin.

Whereas the corporate is ranging from scratch, there are a restricted however rising variety of apps, Many are centered on well being and health, together with some crackers from Fitbit Labs itself.

Whereas Fitbit’s retailer is totally no match for the App Retailer and the Google Play Retailer you’ll be able to nonetheless get some massive names and a few attention-grabbing additions from smaller, indy devs. After all, at its core, this souped-up health tracker continues to be a watch. With watches come watch faces and there are lots to select from too.

The apps and watch faces beneath also needs to work on the Fitbit Versa when it is launched in April, however for now we have solely examined the whole lot beneath on the Fitbit Ionic. Does the Fitbit App Gallery have sufficient so that you can overlook the Apple Watch and Android Put on? Let’s have a look…

Finest Fitbit Ionic apps

Fitbit has snared some fairly massive names for the App Gallery. They’ll will let you sustain with the information, management your house’s lighting, discover a good place for a chunk to eat and, in fact, maintain observe of your exercise. 

It’s not stunning that the Fitbit Ionic’s well being and health app part are the place the watch has essentially the most attention-grabbing instruments to obtain.

Switchr

Switchr is a helpful app, which leverages the backchannel magic of IFTTT (If This Then That) to manage numerous good dwelling units. With a faucet of the watch display screen you’ll be able to flip in your espresso pot and open the storage door within the mornings. Something for an additional minute or two in mattress…

Strava

Strava is already deeply built-in with Fitbit, so it’s no shock to see Ionic wearers rewarded with a extremely purposeful, brilliantly designed app for the smartwatch. The headline characteristic is Matched Runs. Each time you deal with on the identical route it’ll routinely pull collectively key stats out of your earlier makes an attempt. After all all knowledge is synced again to the Strava app, whereas additionally counts in direction of Fitbit credit.

The New York Occasions

Though a sure president may disagree, the great outdated NYT might be essentially the most respected information supply on the Fitbit Ionic. You’ll have the ability to scroll by means of headlines and scan story summaries to examine on who mentioned president has bonked, bombed or bamboozled at this time.

Barcodes

Forgotten your gymnasium membership card once more? Have a pockets full of retailer playing cards? The ingenious little Barcodes app permits you to enter 5 numbers in your watch to create scannable barcodes. The app helps UPC-A (Common Product Code) so you need to be good for many barcodes within the US and the UK. Code-39, Code-128 and EAN-13 codes are additionally supported.

RHR Report

Your coronary heart charge whereas resting is simply as essential as your max output throughout train. Over time, a reducing RHR exhibits you’re getting fitter and reducing your danger of coronary heart illness. Anomalies can supply perception into your sleep, stress ranges, the onset of sickness or the quantity of booze you sank the night time earlier than. This app exhibits your RHR over 7 days in a easy chart.

FindMyCar

“Properly, the place did you permit it?” mentioned essentially the most infuriating particular person ever as you battle to find the automobile earlier than the grocery baggage (or your elbow joints) give out. With FindMyCar you’ll be able to mark the place of the automobile (or something actually) and make your again through GPS and following an on-screen show.

Digital Associate

Okay, this isn’t what you suppose it’s. It’s not an AI-style girlfriend/boyfriend that vibrates simply on the proper time, it’s a digital RUNNING companion. You possibly can set a goal time and distance after which exit and beat it… the digital companion, we imply.

WaterLogged

This one’s easy, however efficient. You possibly can log the quantity of water you drink and see visible progress in direction of your that objective every day. There are additionally one-touch controls for glasses, bottles and extra. In the event you’d relatively log beer, wine or tea DrinkCounter can be value a glance.

Tennis

Fitbit Labs’ personal Tennis app makes use of movement sensors to trace your strokes (forehands and backhands) and overhead swing. After all, it will probably’t observe volleys as a result of how on earth does the watch know if the ball has bounced or not? In the event you need, or your suspect somebody of dishonest, you can even maintain observe of match scores. Fitbit warns it won’t be prepared for Wimbledon, however it’s undoubtedly a enjoyable one to attempt.

ThinkFast

Fitbit’s personal mind coaching recreation helps you hone your psychological sharpness. The 2-minute actions require you to change between duties shortly, with the objective of bettering your cognitive flexibility. Monitoring your efficiency over time permits you to see how your sleep patterns have an effect on your rating.

TreasureTrek

We’re all about gamifying exercise and TreasureTrek will reward your steps with sunken pirate treasure. You need to use that booty to improve your ship and crewmates an excellent purchase pets that’ll permit you allow you to make distinctive discoveries. Sadly there’s no rum on the finish of all of it.

Finest Fitbit Ionic watch faces

You need to select a watch face that displays your model, and with tons of of selections now obtainable for the Ionic it is best to have the ability to discover one thing that matches the invoice. 

There’s an enormous collection of digital, analogue and considerably leftfield designs so that you can select from. If performance is as essential for you as appears, then you can even select from a spread of watch faces that ship stats proper on the Ionic’s dwelling display screen.

My Canine Timmy

Do you miss the Tamagotchi pet you brutally uncared for as a 90s little one? Now you’ll be able to redeem your self by adopting a digital pet that’s stored alive by you assembly your step targets. Take into consideration taking the canine for a stroll, solely the canine leaves you should you overlook. There’s an choice for cat followers too, however sadly nothing for hobbyist trainers of lions or circus elephants.

StepVerse

This one’s actually cool. You possibly can compete with your mates and look at respective exercise progress on a Mario Kart-style map displaying everybody’s positions. Double faucet the display screen to see step counts in real-time. This one’s 99¢, however you’ll be able to attempt it free for 24-hours.

CDF Digital Traditional

“Wait, you spent all that cash on a smartwatch, simply to make it seem like one thing from the 80s?” we hear you ask? Sure. Sure we did. 

This app provides a spread of basic digital watch faces together with the long-lasting Casio face all of us spent endlessly enjoying with as children. You possibly can even customise the exercise stats proven within the nook. Sorry Fitbit, it simply appears cooler.

StepCounter

There’s hundreds and a great deal of methods to view your steps and coronary heart charge, however as an irredeemably obsessed runner this easy clock face is my favourite. The race quantity design modifications colour relying on the way you’re doing in opposition to your step goal too.

The Shia

Who doesn’t need to take a look at Monsieur TheBeef each time they examine the clock to see if it’s lunchtime but? In the event you answered “Um? Me” to that query, then I’m afraid we are able to’t be associates anymore.

Line Progress

What do we would like? Visible representations of progress! The place do we would like them? On our wrists! In the event you’re an information fanatic who can’t get sufficient information, this watchface will will let you observe 4 knowledge factors at a time, whereas displaying development in direction of targets.

Binary

Don’t really need to know what the time is? Binary turns a easy process right into a take a look at on your mind by changing the clock to Base 2 numbers (no matter these are). Appears to be like fairly in your wrist although.