FITBIT has announced several new software updates to its smartwatches and Fitbit Premium membership service. The release of OS 4.1 for its smartwatches gives new sleep features and greater functionality right from your wrist.
Fitbit Versa 2 will boast an enriched always-on display mode, expanded capabilities for Amazon Alexa Built-in and a new advanced heart rate algorithm featuring the best tracking yet, all while giving you 6+ days of battery life to make the most of your days (and nights).
Besides that, Fitbit is also continuing to roll out new content and tools to enhance your Fitbit Premium membership, including 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,” said James Park, co-founder and CEO of Fitbit.
“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,” he says.
More essentials
The OS 4.1 update brings highly-anticipated features announced with Versa 2 to Fitbit Ionic as well as the entire Fitbit Versa family of smartwatches. Among the latest in Fitbit’s innovative sleep tools, OS 4.1 delivers smart wake, a silent on-device alarm you can set to wake you with subtle vibrations at an optimal time in your sleep cycle so you can start your day feeling more refreshed. You’ll also receive your nightly Sleep Score on-device, giving you a glanceable view of the quality of your night’s rest alongside all of your sleep stats and data.
With the OS 4.1 you can maximise your day, adding more innovative new features that provide enhanced functionality and improved usability. For example, the new agenda app 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 favourite 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 favourite apps and clock faces with the Fitbit user community.
Meanwhile, for Versa 2 users, Fitbit has doubled-down to enrich the recently-launched always-on display mode to deliver five additional clock face options. Now in colour, these feature full health and fitness stats, with faster transitions between always-on and active views, all powered by the device’s AMOLED display, touting a 2+ day battery life.
Amazon Alexa Built-in functionality has also been expanded for Versa 2 users so you can use your voice to start any of the now 20 exercises from your wrist. For example, you can ask Alexa to start a run with Fitbit and automatically start tracking against your personal fitness goals and daily activities.
Battery life
Known for long battery life across all its devices, when you do finally need to charge, a new feature will kick-in to notify you when your battery is running low and automatically disable select features so your smartwatch can stay on your wrist, not the charger. That means you can do even more, 24/7, so even when you’re sleeping, your fitness companion is working hard for you to track your stats and equip you with useful information about your health and wellness. These updates, along with the full suite of Versa 2 features ike 24/7 heart rate tracking, connected GPS, swimproof design, the Spotify app and Fitbit Pay are available across all Fitbit smartwatches.
Fitbit’s advanced 24/7 PurePulse, meanwhile, heart rate tracking keeps users motivated and informed with an easy way to track your heart rate throughout the day. The technology also powers essential Fitbit features, such as Sleep Stages and Cardio Fitness Score, that provide you with deeper insights into your overall health and fitness.
Fitbit Premium
Fitbit also continues to expand its Premium paid membership service that’s available now to millions of users in 17 markets across the globe with a new wellness report, an expanded library of new workouts from third parties, and more motivational tools like new guided programs and activity challenges over the next few months to help support and guide you in reaching your unique health goals.
With your new, personalised wellness report, you can view an in-depth analysis of your Fitbit activity, sleep, heart rate and weight trend data for the previous 30 days or past year for long-time users. You can share this with your healthcare professional, personal trainer or nutritionist to review your health trends over time, to better identify a potential health issue or help manage ongoing conditions.
FitbitOS 4.1 will begin rolling out to Fitbit smartwatch users the first week of December, while 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.