At CES 2016, Fitbit has entered into the smartwatch ring with a device that features a color touch screen, an always-on heart rate monitor, along with in-built workouts and five-day battery life.
Fitbit’s newest device, called the Fitbit Blaze Smart Fitness Watch, features a color touch screen, which is the first of its kind for the popular fitness band maker. We don’t know the precise screen resolution, but Fitbit also promises 5 days of battery life despite the resolution and brightness of the display. The Fitbit Blaze does as most other smartwatches: it tracks your steps, calories, workouts, and even sends you notifications on your wrist. The device doesn’t have GPS in-built, however, but Fitbit attempts to mask its weakness by advertising that it provides “Connected GPS” – another fancy way of saying you’ll need your smartphone connected to the device in order to access GPS functions and features. An auto sleep tracking feature will monitor your sleep patterns and provide up-to-date information on the state of your nightly rest.
The Fitbit Blaze does have three in-built workouts in it, however, from a company it acquired last year (FitStar), not to mention PurePulse heart rate monitoring that is reminiscent of Samsung’s Auto HR feature in-built into S-Health on the Gear S2 smartwatch. There is a Multi-Sport Mode that allows you to customize your workout, though the Fitbit Blaze features Smart Tracking that provides accurate information on your workout – even if you don’t remember to activate Multi-Sport Mode in the morning or at the start of your workout.
There will be an array of bands available for the Fitbit Blaze, though only the stainless steel version will be available when the smartwatch launches.
Fitbit’s entrance into the smartwatch market is an interesting one indeed, but the company seems to be the only one capable of rivaling Apple in the wrist wearable segment so far. You’ll be able to purchase the Fitbit Blaze for $199.
