Google has launched the Fitbit Charge 5 fitness tracker, and Fitbit is said to be taking preorders for the update Charge 5. Product image leaks had surfaced online yesterday. It was expected that Google will launch the Charge 5 sometime in September. Market speculations have been put to rest. Google pre-empted everyone’s assumptions and went ahead with public launch of the Fitbit Charge 5. The move comes right next to the launch of Samsung’s Galaxy Watch 4. Watch 4 is to be launched on August 27. And, suddenly, there is a lot to talk about in the world of smart watches and fitness trackers.
Google has introduced a set of new features on the Fitbit Charge 5. Some of these are –
- Stress Management Score – Inline with most smart watches and fitness trackers, Fitbit Charge 5 will have a stress management score to cope up with tiring and exhausting days.
- There is a renewed focus on health monitoring and recording. Heart rate monitoring will take place on a 24×7 basis. Once your heart rate goes above or below the normal heart rate range, an alert or notification will be sent to the device wearer.
- ECG app will make its place on the Fitbit Charge 5. ECG assessments can be useful for detecting heart rhythm issues and Google has reported that the ECG app on the Fitbit Sense has completed more than 4 million assessments over the past year or two.
- Fitbit Charge 5 comes with a colored AMOLED display, and is akin to most fitness trackers and smart watches on offering. The device is optimized to offer better battery life. The screen comes with Always-on-Display to ensure better visibility during times of darkness or less brightness.
- Sleep monitoring, oxygen saturation monitoring and body temperature monitoring are some of the other common features that will be a part of the Fitbit’s app.
- Contactless payments through the use of Fitbit Pay app will be a standard feature on the Fitbit Charge 5. You will need to associate your credit or debit card with the Fitbit Pay app. You will just need to point your Fitbit Charge 5 over a contactless card reader to facilitate payment at a merchant store.
Fitbit Charge 5 is currently taking pre-orders at $179.99. You can order the device directly through the Fitbit site here – https://www.fitbit.com/global/us/products/trackers/charge5. The device on preorder comes with three color options. You have an option to buy a black, white or titanium steel color bands on the Charge 5.
Helen Kurt is a geeky nerd who loves to cover the wearables space. She has over 5 years of experience in the smartwatch domain. You can reach her on email at [email protected].