Fitbit Adds Tracker, 2 Smartwatches, Plus Sleep Monitoring Feature

Fitbit announced Wednesday the next generation of devices in its Inspire tracker line and the Versa and Sense series smartwatches. The latest devices are thinner, lighter, “more comfortable” and don’t require daily charging, blogged TJ Varghese, director-product management.

The entry-level Inspire 3, billed as “easy” and “fun,” has a $99 tag, the most affordable price in the Fitbit lineup. The third-generation tracker has a color display and offers 10 days of battery life, said Varghese.

The Versa 4 smartwatch ($229) has a fitness focus, with more than 40 exercise modes, real-time statistics, built-in GPS and Active Zone Minutes, which count a user’s time doing “heart-pumping activity.” It works with Fitbit’s Daily Readiness Score, comparing recent activity, sleep and heart rate variability levels against a user’s baseline. The Readiness Score is available to Fitbit Premium subscribers. Battery life is given as six days.

The Sense 2 ($299) is Fitbit’s most advanced health-focused smartwatch, incorporating the new Body Response sensor that’s billed as the first wrist-worn electrodermal activity sensor to measure hand perspiration, a stress marker. The watch uses heart rate, heart rate variability and skin temperature to detect potential stress signs so users are aware of triggers and can create a stress management practice, the company said. After a Body Response alert, the watch recommends ways to manage stress, including mood logging, guided breathing and mindfulness sessions in the app. Sense 2 battery life is given as more than six days.

Sense 2 also measures heart rate variability and skin temperature to detect signs of atrial fibrillation via Fitbit’s electrocardiography app and photoplethysmography (PPG) algorithm, Varghese said. The feature has Food and Drug Administration clearance, he said. The PPG sensor is designed for users 22 and older with no known history of irregular heart beat, Varghese said.

Fitbit also launched Sleep Profile via the app, giving users a longitudinal analysis of sleep patterns. The Premium feature analyzes sleep over 10 metrics each month, calculating trends and comparing them with what’s typical for a user’s age and gender. Metrics include sleep schedule variability, time before sound sleep, disrupted sleep and duration, restfulness and rapid eye movement sleep. Users have to wear their Fitbit device to sleep for at least 14 nights per calendar month to receive an assessment.

To help customers determine which product best fits their needs, Fitbit has an online quiz with questions about preferences for style, exercise habits and desired features such as health metrics and exercise tracking.

The Google brand also introduced accessories for the newest devices, led by woven fashion bands from Brother Vellies ($54). Other bands for trackers and smartwatches range $29-$49. Fitbit Premium subscriptions are $9.99 a month after six free months with a new device purchase. Subscriptions include a Sleep Profile and over 1,000 workout and mindfulness sessions, the company said.