Fitbit Announces Charge 3 Fitness Tracker

Fitbit announced its latest fitness tracker, the Charge 3, today, adding a more premium design, even better battery life, and more.

“With Charge 3, we are building on the success of our best-selling Charge franchise and delivering our most innovative tracker, offering an extremely slim, comfortable and premium design, along with the advanced health and fitness features our users want,” James Park CEO said in a prepared statement. “Charge 3 gives existing users a compelling reason to upgrade, while also allowing us to reach new users who want a sleeker, more affordable wearable in a tracker form factor.”

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Fitbit offers a range of wearables at a wide variety of price points. Indeed, its product line is getting a bit dense. But between this new device and its wildly-popular new smartwatch, the Versa, Fitbit pretty much offers something for everyone.

The Fitbit Charge 3 comes two years after the release of its predecessor, the Charge 2. That device was “swim-proof” and offered “PurePulse” heart rate tracking. It also sat neatly between the Fitbit Alta that I’m still using and real smartwatches like Versa. Charge is also Fitbit’s most popular line of products, with over 35 million sold overall.

Charge 3 improves on its predecessor in a number of ways.

It features a premium design that is made of aluminum and Corning Gorilla Glass 3, and is smaller and lighter than its predecessor. The grayscale display is 40 percent bigger, made from OLED, and is crisper, clearer, and brighter than before as a result. Fitbit says that Charge 3 is also the “first wearable with an inductive button,” and the device includes a larger battery with up to 7 days of use, up from 5 in the previous Charge 2.

Additionally, Fitbit enhanced the device’s PurePulse heart rate technology for even greater accuracy. And it now provides a better measure of calorie burn and resting heart. As important, it is the first Fitbit with a SpO2 sensor, which lets the device estimate changes in blood oxygen levels and help track new health indicators, including sleep apnea.

The Fitbit Charge costs $150, and the firm will also sell a Charge 3 Special Edition with Fitbit Pay will be available for $170 that adds NFC and e-payment capabilities. The devices are now available for pre-order and will be on sale starting in October in the United States.

And on that note, I may be getting one.

I switched to a Fitbit Alta two years ago and really like the device and its epic battery life. My wife has since purchased a Charge 2, which she really likes. And with my Alta aging and experiencing some recent reliability issues—it was stuck on a battery display for days this past week, during which time I joked about it being “battery o’clock”—I’ve been actively thinking about replacing it.

My original choice was the Versa. But with this device coming in at a lower price point but still offering the features I want the most, I think my decision has been made.

 

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Conversation 12 comments

  • Chris

    20 August, 2018 - 10:32 am

    <p>Typical… I just bought a Charge 2, and it's replacement has just been announced… Gee I have some bad timing…</p><p><br></p><p>The Charge 2 is a great device though.</p>

    • MikeGalos

      20 August, 2018 - 12:17 pm

      <blockquote><em><a href="#303002">In reply to c.hucklebridge:</a></em></blockquote><p>I can top that. I just bought TWO Charge 2 trackers as gifts for my cousin and his wife.</p><p><br></p><p>Oh well, that's life in the tech world.</p>

  • JacobTheDev

    Premium Member
    20 August, 2018 - 10:53 am

    <p>&gt; The Fitbit Charge 3 comes two years after the release of its predecessor, the Charge 2. That device was “swim-proof” and offered “PurePulse” heart rate tracking.</p><p><br></p><p>The Charge 2 wasn't swim-proof, but the Flex 2 was. One of the big upgrades for the Charge 3 is that it's now waterproof, basically the only thing that's making me consider upgrading.</p>

  • Cdorf

    Premium Member
    20 August, 2018 - 12:08 pm

    <p>I bought the Versa for the swimproof and upgraded from the Charge 2. I really am happy with it. Had this been available I might have done that upgrade instead— BUT I like having the onboard storage of the Versa- the face is very sleek and nice looking, and I really enjoy the bigger display &amp; exercise modes</p>

  • MikeGalos

    20 August, 2018 - 12:16 pm

    <p>A correction. The Fitbit Charge 2 was NOT swim-proof. It was only rated as splash-proof and shower-proof. That swim-proof designation is one of the new features of the Charge 3 and was enough for me to justify ordering it to replace my Charge 2 this morning.</p>

    • dkb1898

      21 August, 2018 - 12:18 am

      <blockquote><em><a href="#303041">In reply to MikeGalos:</a></em></blockquote><p>I own the Charge 2, I'm 99% sure it's NOT shower proof either, just splash proof</p>

    • dkb1898

      21 August, 2018 - 12:24 am

      <blockquote><em><a href="#303041">In reply to MikeGalos:</a></em></blockquote><p>Confirmed: According to the manual you should NOT shower with or submerge the device in water</p>

      • MikeGalos

        21 August, 2018 - 10:40 am

        <blockquote><em><a href="#303186">In reply to dkb1898:</a></em></blockquote><p>Actually, I got that phrasing from the archived version of FitBit's website.</p>

  • Skolvikings

    20 August, 2018 - 12:16 pm

    <p>I'm looking forward to this. My Charge 2 recently died (no explanation, just went dead and support couldn't revive it) so this is good timing. I'll have to go without a tracker for a couple months, but no point spending money on a replacement now and then upgrade to this 2-3 months later.</p><p><br></p><p>PS. The Charge 2 is not swim proof. It's water resistant, so splash and sweat proof, but you definitely wouldn't want to submerse it in water.</p>

  • MikeGalos

    20 August, 2018 - 12:30 pm

    <p> A clarification. The Charge 3 Special Edition with Fitbit Pay will not be available until November unlike the base Charge 3 which will be shipping in 6-8 weeks (the first 2 weeks of October).</p>

  • wright_is

    Premium Member
    21 August, 2018 - 3:29 am

    <p>The Charge 2 wasn't swim-proof, that was one of the things that annoyed me with my Charge 2, what use is a fitness tracker if you can't get it wet? The Charge 2 is splash and rain proof, but shouldn't be worn in the shower and can't be plunged into water.</p>

  • thesmartestonearth

    19 December, 2018 - 5:29 am

    <p>Great POST!</p><p>Now the time to to be fit has come…</p><p>While searching for the best fitness band for me…. </p><p>I found this <a href="https://bestgadgetbestbudget.com/best-fitness-bands-under-2000-2018/&quot; target="_blank"><em>Best Fitness Band</em></a></p>

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