While we’re all ready for the primary tracker to emerge with Wear OS assist and Google Assistant integration, Fitbit isn’t resting on its laurels. Barely 18 months after the debut of the redesigned Charge 3, Fitbit has launched the Charge 4, bringing new chips, new options, and a brand new colour. Here’s the way it compares to final 12 months’s mannequin:
Display and design
To the untrained eye, the Charge 4 is a carbon copy of the Charge 3, however whenever you put them aspect by aspect, you’ll discover a couple of slight variations. The Charge 4 appears quite a bit bigger on paper, however the tapered design offers it a really comparable really feel to the Charge 3.
Charge 3
Dimensions: 35.8 x 22.7 x 11.8mm
Weight: 29 grams
Charge 4
Dimensions: 28.8 x 42.7 x 12.5mm
Weight: 30 grams
Even with bigger dimensions, the Fitbit Charge 4 will not look or really feel a lot larger than the Charge 3.
With a really comparable physique, the Charge 4 additionally has the very same high-resolution (100×160) 1-inch greyscale OLED show with the Fitbit emblem beneath. However, the Charge 4’s display screen is barely extra superior because of higher backlighting that adjusts to completely different lighting circumstances.
Navigation
Fitbit launched a complete new navigation with the Charge 3, and nothing has modified on the Charge 4. The display screen is absolutely touch-enabled for faucets and swipes, and the divot on the left aspect is definitely a haptic inductive button that acts as a shortcut to the settings, dismisses alarms, and prompts Fitbit Pay. If you’re coming from a Charge 2, it’ll take some getting used to, however it’s vastly improved over the bodily button and tap-screen on the Charge 2.
Sensors
The Charge 3 already had an array of highly effective sensors, and the Charge 4 solely builds on it. The Charge 4 makes NFC normal for Fitbit Pay (beforehand it was restricted to the SE mannequin) and in addition provides built-in GPS, a primary for a Fitbit tracker. Both fashions are additionally swimproof as much as 50 meters.
Charge 3
3-axis accelerometer
Optical coronary heart charge monitor
Altimeter
Vibration motor
Relative SpO2 sensor
NFC (in particular editions solely)
Charge 4
GPS
3-axis accelerometer
Optical coronary heart charge monitor
Altimeter
Vibration motor
Relative SpO2 sensor
NFC
FitbitAll Fitbit Charge 4 fashions now include NFC for Fitbit Pay buy.
Apps and notifications
While the Charge doesn’t run wherever close to the variety of apps that the Versa does, its library greater than covers the fundamentals. And on the Charge 4, you get two new ones: Agenda, which is mainly a mini calendar, and Spotify, which helps you to management what’s taking part in in your cellphone in case you have a Spotify Premium account.
Charge 3
Exercise
Relax
Timers
Alarms
Weather
Settings
Charge 4
Agenda
Spotify
Exercise
Relax
Timers
Alarms
Weather
Settings
The Charge 3 and Charge 4 can even obtain notifications out of your cellphone, and when you’re utilizing an Android cellphone, you may set customized fast replies for responding to textual content messages.
Fitness, sleep, and well being
The major options of the Fitbit Charge clearly revolve round heath and health monitoring, and each variations deliver an array of apps and options that will help you get and keep match.
Charge 3
24/7 coronary heart charge monitoring
Cardio health rating
Sleep Stages
Real-time tempo and distance
Goal-based train modes
Guided respiration
Automatic train recognition
Swim monitoring
All-day calorie burn
Female well being
Charge 4
Active Zone Minutes
Workout Intensity Map
24/7 coronary heart charge monitoring
Cardio health rating
Sleep Stages
Real-time tempo and distance
Goal-based train modes
Guided respiration
Automatic train recognition
Swim monitoring
All-day calorie burn
Female well being
FitbitThe Fitbit Charge 4 features a few new health options that the Charge 3 will not be getting.
The greatest new well being characteristic on the Charge 4 is Active Zone Minutes, which will even be coming to the Versa and Ionic smartwatches, however not the Charge 3. To get extra personalised exercise outcomes, Fitbit will set up coronary heart charge zones utilizing personalised fats burn, cardio, and peak coronary heart charge metrics to optimize your effort throughout exercises. Then your Charge 4 will provide you with a warning whenever you’ve reached your goal coronary heart charge zone and report it on a Workout Intensity Map accessible within the Fitbit app.
You’ll additionally be capable to monitor your Sleep Score on the Charge 4 and use Smart Wake to progressively get up at a set time somewhat than being jolted out of deep sleep.
Battery life and charging
Both the Charge 3 and Charge 4 provide full 7-day battery life together with sleep and regular train monitoring. However, when you activate GPS in your Charge 4, it is going to be considerably lessened. Fitbit estimates that GPS use will drop the battery life to 5 hours as a result of battery-gobbling GPS chip consistently sending and receiving a sign. Runners and cyclists will wish to flip it on earlier than a exercise, however for probably the most half, it’ll keep turned off.
Colors and bands
Like the Charge 3, the brand new Charge 4 is offered in two colours with a couple of completely different band choices.
Charge 3
Black/Graphite
Blue grey/Rose gold
White/Graphite (SE)
Lavender/Rose gold (SE)
Charge 4
Black/Black
Storm Blue/Black
Rosewood/Rosewood
Granite Reflective Woven/Black (SE)
While the black possibility is similar to final 12 months’s graphite colour, the rosewood mannequin is nearer to the Versa Lite’s mulberry shade of purple than rose gold. Fitbit has additionally made new bands to match the Charge 4’s colours, although any of the Charge 3 bands will match as effectively.
FitbitThe Fitbit Charge 4 SE consists of an unique reflective woven band.
Price
The worth of the Charge 4 is identical because the Charge 3: $150 for the usual mannequin and $170 for the particular version. The solely distinction is that the Charge 4 SE has the identical performance because the Charge 4, the place the Charge 3 SE added NFC. The further $20 buys you an additional unique woven band that may usually promote for $35.