Fitbit’s best-selling vary of merchandise has been sorely lacking an replace for a while. The vary began with the Fitbit Charge all the best way again in October 2014, however quickly after that the Cost was dropped in favor of the heart-rate monitoring Fitbit Charge HR.
The Fitbit Charge 2 got here nearly two years in the past again in August 2016, however now lastly we now have the model new Cost three, which takes every part that Fitbit followers have liked in regards to the Cost line prior to now and improves on a lot of it.
Fitbit appears to be leaning towards its new smartwatch experience with the Cost three, however this is not a smartwatch. As an alternative it is a health band that brings among the sensible notifications and further options we have seen on the Fitbit Versa and Ionic to your wrist.
Under you may watch our fingers on Fitbit Cost three video evaluate to see the health tracker in motion.
Fitbit Cost three worth and launch date
You’ll be able to pre-order the Fitbit Cost three from the producer’s official web site now, whereas we anticipate to see third-party retailers begin providing pre-orders within the coming days. It gained’t be obtainable on store cabinets till October, however we’ve been advised it’s going to land in direction of the beginning of that month.
Pricing-wise, the Cost three is about at £129.99 / $149.95 / AU$229.95, which is a contact cheaper than the unique checklist worth of the Fitbit Cost 2. There’s additionally a particular version model of the tracker that prices £149.99 / $169.95 / AU$269.95.
That particular version of the tracker will include Fitbit Pay on board – for some motive it’s not a characteristic on the traditional model of the tracker – and comes with some totally different bands. You’ve bought the selection of the woven materials in purple or the perforated white sport band if you happen to go for the particular version.
Should you purchase the particular version model of the tracker you’ll additionally get a spare black silicone band to swap out once you need a extra generic search for your Cost three. Contemplating it’s solely £20 or $20 ($40 extra in Australia) extra, that’s fairly spectacular, as regular sports activities bands price £24.95 / $34.95 / AU$50 every if you happen to purchase them individually.
You may as well get woven materials bands for £29.99 / $34.95 / AU$49.95, whereas further leather-based bands made by Horween might look much more premium however come at a excessive price of £59.99 / $49.95 / AU$69.95.
Design and show
You’ll be able to see numerous the design language from the Fitbit Cost 2 transferring over into the Cost three, however there have been some important modifications right here to make it look extra premium and sit extra comfortably in your wrist.
We have solely worn the tracker for round half an hour, however at no stage did we discover it an uncomfortable expertise and that bodes nicely contemplating you may be carrying this all through the entire day.
It’s quite a bit thinner than the Cost 2, so it sits nearer to your wrist and has softer angles so it doesn’t have a giant bump excessive of your wrist. This could assist the heart-rate monitoring tech’s accuracy, and whereas we don’t but know the precise dimensions or weight, it’s a really gentle health tracker.
We particularly observed that when carrying the lighter woven band. This gained’t be as gentle because the Xiaomi Mi Band 3, nevertheless it gained’t crush your wrist like an Apple Watch or Garmin tracker both.
Not like the Cost 2, this comes with a premium-feel aluminum physique – the final model used stainless-steel – which appears to be like good in your wrist, does not really feel uncomfortable in your pores and skin and comes within the shade decisions of charcoal black or rose gold.
We’d anticipate Fitbit to launch some extra colours sooner or later as that is fairly a restricted choice, however there’s no assure of that.
One factor to notice is how there are not any pressable buttons on the Cost three. That’s as a result of this one has a full touchscreen somewhat than the tap-to-cycle display screen we noticed on the Cost 2.
You’ll do most of your navigating round its options together with your finger on the show, however there’s additionally an inductive button on the left facet of the tracker.
You need to use this to wake the system, with a tactile vibration letting you already know it’s working, plus you may additionally use it as a again button.
In our testing we did get a little bit confused by the performance right here, however we expect when you’ve used it for a when you’ll in all probability get used to navigating the tracker. Anticipate our verdict on that characteristic in our full evaluate.
We don’t but have any precise specs for the display screen on the Cost three – Fitbit doesn’t usually share these forward of launch – nevertheless it’s noticeably bigger and straightforward to navigate by means of the restricted menus.
It’s 40% bigger than the show on the Cost 2, comes with Gorilla Glass three safety and the corporate claims it is simpler to learn in daylight, though we have not had time to check that out but.
You might be upset to be taught it’s nonetheless black and white, which is a little bit of disgrace. Fitbit has improved the decision of the greyscale within the show although, so it ought to look a bit higher than the Cost 2 did.
With trackers just like the Garmin Vivofit 4 managing to incorporate shade shows for a a lot lower cost, we’re a bit upset to see Fitbit caught within the black and white period right here.
The tracker is absolutely waterproof as much as 50 meters although, so that you’ll have the ability to comfortably take this swimming or within the bathe with out having to fret about whether or not it’s going to survive.
Under you may see all the shade and band variations you’ll purchase the Fitbit Cost three with too.
Health options
All the top-end health options on the Fitbit Cost 2 are again right here for the Cost three, so that you’ll have the 24/7 coronary heart fee monitoring, exercises, guided respiratory, and rather more.
The most important improve is the swim monitoring you’ll get on the system. It doesn’t appear to be as strong as on some devoted swim monitoring watches, however it’s going to inform you the period of your dip within the pool once you look down at your wrist mid-way by means of your strokes.
Different stats, akin to your size time and tempo, will be discovered within the Fitbit app once you get out of the pool.
All exercises at the moment are improved – there at the moment are 15 totally different sports activities – as you may set your aim immediately out of your wrist.
Wish to work out for 30 minutes precisely? You’ll be able to set that as a goal and get biking. Wish to burn 500 energy operating right this moment? You’ll be able to set that up and get buzzed in your wrist once you’re executed.
Runners could also be upset to be taught there isn’t any devoted GPS on this tracker. It’s a disgrace contemplating far cheaper merchandise available on the market are able to monitoring your location with out your cellphone, however the Cost three does have Linked GPS, so that you’ll have the ability to preserve an correct eye in your distance if you happen to’re prepared to hold your cellphone with you.
Feminine well being monitoring is now on the wrist too, so that you’ll have the ability to use the Fitbit Cost three to trace your subsequent interval. Ovulation monitoring can also be set to return to the Fitbit app later within the yr, however you gained’t have the ability to see this on the tracker.
Sleep monitoring makes a return right here too. It is going to be in a position to present an image of your evening with particulars on REM, gentle and deep sleep.
Plus Fitbit is engaged on a brand new device referred to as Sleep Rating that may have the ability to use the SpO2 sensor on this tracker to control your respiratory in addition to utilizing the heart-rate tracker to offer much more perception into your sleep.
Sensible options
The Cost three is the closest Fitbit has come to merging its smartwatches with the extra fundamental health gadgets it is best identified for.
This system will have the ability to give you higher sensible notifications from all the third-party apps in your cellphone than the Cost 2, which is simply able to alerting you to cellphone calls and some different issues.
You aren’t in a position to obtain apps to this like you may with the Ionic or Versa, however there are a couple of options on board, together with alarms, timers and climate. Later within the yr you’ll additionally have the ability to settle for or reject calls from the system too, plus a calendar and the Fitbit Leaderboard are coming to the Cost three quickly as nicely.
Should you’re utilizing an Android cellphone, you’ll additionally quickly have the ability to do fast replies to your messages. Basically this lets you reply to prompt messages and the like with a variety of fundamental responses, akin to to say you’re operating late.
Fitbit estimates the battery life for the Cost three will imply it lasts for seven days somewhat than the quoted time of 5 on the Cost 2. We’ll make sure you put this declare by means of its paces throughout our full evaluate.
Early verdict
There are lots of enhancements on the Fitbit Cost three, ensuing on this seeking to be top-of-the-line health bands available on the market, with a premium design, a lot of strap decisions, improved health monitoring and the additional benefit of notifications in your wrist.
Given the shortage of GPS, we expect the Cost three will not be the system for many who need top-end monitoring, nevertheless it could possibly be the right exercise band for the on a regular basis exercise and to put on as half smartwatch, half health companion.