Fitbit announced a new wearable devices, the Fitbit Alta, which is as much focused on fashion as fitness. And yes, in that sense, it reminds us on a product made by the company’s archrival Jawbone.
The fancy device boasts SmartTrack automatic exercise recognition to instantly start counting reps, miles, and all other metrics crucial for the activity you happen to do at any given moment. Heart rate sensor doesn’t come included though, but you do get a bigger-than-usual — for a Fitbit device, at least — OLED display that will show key information at a glance.
The Fitbit Alta is available for pre-order for $130.Other that, this is a rather basic product with all of the usual bells and whistles you would expect from an activity tracker in its price range. These [bells and whistles] include weekly exercise goals set through the Fitbit app, activity and sleep tracking, and occasional reminders to get you moving after some time.
The Alta has a battery that should work for up to 5 days after which it needs to be recharged. It is available for pre-order for $130, but that’s just a starting price. Since this is a fashion wearable, Fitbit presumes users will want to customize it with different bands that come in a few different flavors: a sweat-wicking plastic ($30) in black, blue, teal, and plum; leather ($60) and stainless steel ($100).
Despite the Apple Watch and the rise of Android Wear devices, Fitbit is still the king of the game, accounting for more than a fifth of the wearables market, according to IDC. During this year’s CES, the company announced its second smartwatch, the Fitbit Blaze.