Fitbit announced today that the new Fitbit Charge 4, to be released April 15th, will have the one feature that many felt the device had been lacking for quite some time and that is built-in GPS.
This means that you can leave your phone at home for your outdoor activities and the GPS on the Charge 4 will estimate distance without the need of being connected to a phone.
Several Fitbit models have been plagued by connected GPS issues. The original Versa had its problems though the second iteration Versa seems to have improved but it too would benefit from built-in GPS.
Also new is what Fitbit is calling Active Zone Minutes which will track your heart rate 24/7. It’s a motivational feature that will notify you when you reach your target heart rate zones for fitness.
Active Zone Minutes will be rolled out to other Fitbit devices soon but will be first on the Charge 4.
Still supported is swimming and you’ll be able to control Spotify directly from the Charge 4. Music can’t be downloaded to the Charge 4 but you’ll at least be able to skip songs and control your playlists.
Fitbit Pay is also onboard for wireless payments using compatible banks.
Other fitness and health related features include: Sleep Score, resting heart rate, floors climbed, automatic exercise tracking for running and biking, move reminders, sleep tracking and support for over 20 exercise activities.
Other features include smartphone notifications, weather app, timer, and stopwatch.
The full retail price for the Charge 4 is $149. The special edition Charge 4 with a woven band is launching at $169.
The Charge 4 can be purchased directly from Fitbit, on Amazon, and other retailers.
