Fitbit updated its smartwatch platform and the Fitbit Premium membership service so you can “put your health and fitness goals front and center this holiday season and into the new year.” Highlights of Fitbit OS 4.1 include new sleep features, greater on-wrist functionality, enriched always-on display mode, expanded capabilities for Amazon Alexa, and a new advanced heart rate algorithm.
Fitbit Premium membership also got updated and now includes a personal wellness report, developed in consultation with leading medical professionals from institutions like University of California, Los Angeles and University of California, San Francisco. In addition, over the coming months, Fitbit will be rolling out new programs, challenges and wellness content, plus workouts from popular brands like Daily Burn, Down Dog, Gaiam, POPSUGAR and Whil.
“Staying motivated to maintain your health and fitness routine is really hard around the holidays. We’re focused on making it more achievable through a combination of affordable devices, engaging software and our Premium membership to help you stay on track,” James Park, co-founder and CEO of Fitbit, said in a statement. “The new FitbitOS update and added Premium features give users even more support with innovative smartwatch tools, fresh workouts, new programs and more, setting users up for success going into the new year.”
The OS 4.1 update brings features announced with Versa 2 to Fitbit Ionic as well as the entire Fitbit Versa family of smartwatches.
The mentioned sleep tools include a silent on-device alarm you can set to wake you with subtle vibrations at an optimal time in your sleep cycle, and the ability to see your nightly Sleep Score on-device.
There is also the new agenda app that will help you take on the day to live your best life and help manage your daily schedule on-the-go. One of the most requested updates, the new clock face switcher, lets you store up to five of your favorite clock faces from nearly 4,000 available in the Fitbit App Gallery directly on-device so you can quickly and easily swap clock faces to match your outfit, your activity or mood. A new five-star rating system has been updated within the Fitbit App Gallery, allowing users to rate and recommend their favorite apps and clock faces with the Fitbit user community.
Specific to Versa 2 users, the recently-launched always-on display mode now features full health and fitness stats, with faster transitions between always-on and active views. Also, Amazon Alexa Built-in functionality has been expanded so you can use your voice to start any of 20 exercises from your wrist.
Further, Fitbit announced the new heart rate tracking algorithm called PurePulse, which uses machine learning to recognize the unique signature of heart rate in the optical sensor, leading to higher accuracy overall.
FitbitOS 4.1 will begin rolling out to Fitbit smartwatch users the first week of December, just in time for the holidays to stay on track with goals, and as you look ahead to set new ones in 2020. Fitbit Premium members can already access and enjoy many of the latest updates, with the rest rolling out on an ongoing basis in the coming months.