Fitbit has announced four new products – Fitbit Versa Lite Edition, Fitbit Inspire HR, Fitbit Inspire and Fitbit Ace 2 – designed to help make health and fitness accessible to more consumers across the globe.
Fitbit said in a statement this week: “Consumers can choose the best device for their own journeys with leading health and fitness features at an affordable price. Beyond devices, the Fitbit platform offers users engaging software features, access to their holistic data, and connection to one of the largest global health and fitness social networks which helps to drive positive behavior change.”
Fitbit says it will also soon launch a major redesign to the Fitbit app so users can further personalise their dashboard, better understand their data, discover new content and easily connect with others on Fitbit’s social community.
Said James Park, co-founder and CEO of Fitbit: “ Since founding Fitbit almost 12 years ago, we’ve focused on making health fun and achievable for everyone – regardless of fitness level or goals. Today we have a growing, supportive community of more than 27 million active users around the world who are getting more active, sleeping better, reducing stress, managing weight and getting healthier from being ‘on Fitbit,’ which is a testament to the power of our platform and our consistent innovation across our devices, software features and mobile app experience.”
The wearables category continues to evolve and grow, with global shipments of wearable devices forecasted to reach 189 million units by 2022, up from 125 million units in 2018, according to IDC research. While growth is being driven by smartwatches, trackers are expected to remain an important part of the category overall. Fitbit believes this rapid growth provides a large opportunity to bring new consumers to the category by offering both smartwatch and tracker form factors that feel more accessible and are affordably priced.
“With our newest products, we’re delivering high-quality, easy-to-use wearables that are more affordable, so getting healthy can be accessible to people of all ages and activity levels – even those who have never tried a wearable,” said Park. “Bringing more users to the wearables category and growing our community of active users is a critical part of our strategy. We will continue to build on the Fitbit platform to provide a more personalised and valuable experience for our users through a paid premium service expected to launch later this year.”
Click here to read about the new Fitbit devices.
Fitbit provided the following information:
Building on the success of the Fitbit Versa family of devices, Fitbit Versa Lite Edition is an everyday smartwatch with most of the core fitness and smart features Versa is known for, including automatic activity, PurePulse 24/7 heart rate and Sleep Stages tracking, 15+ goal-based exercise modes, connected GPS, smartphone notifications, apps, 4+ day battery life, and relative SpO2 sensor, which has the potential to estimate changes in blood oxygen levels and help track new health indicators about health, such as sleep apnea. It features a simple one-button, lightweight, design in new bold colour choices for the young at heart.
At recommended retail price of R2 999, Versa Lite Edition is Fitbit’s most affordable smartwatch yet, for users who want an attractive, versatile, and easy-to-use device with core features, actionable insights and personal guidance to motivate them to improve their health.
Fitbit Inspire HR is the brand’s most affordable and stylish 24/7 heart rate tracking device at a recommended retail price of R1 999. It packs all-day automatic activity, exercise and Sleep Stages tracking, with 15+ goal-based exercise modes, connected GPS, and Relax guided breathing in a stylish, slim design.
For consumers who are new to wearables and want an even lower-cost, easy-to-use tracker, Fitbit Inspire is available and is recommended to retail at the price of R1 299. It has the essential health and fitness features to help consumers stay motivated, including automatic activity, exercise and sleep tracking, goal celebrations, Reminders to Move and timer and stopwatch apps to help users stay on track. Both products have a new modern, comfortable and design with a touchscreen display, smartphone notifications, and up to 5 days of battery life for day to night wear.
Fitbit Ace 2 helps kids ages 6+ learn healthy habits at an early age and encourages them to spend more active time with family and friends, this new device will retail at a recommended price of R1 299. Ace 2 has a new design with a bumper to protect the screen during kid-related activities all day long and is available in fun and bold kid-friendly colours and accessories that include patterned designs. Ace 2 debuts new animated clock faces,motivating challenges to keep kids moving, and colourful avatars and cover photos to personalise their profiles within the Fitbit app. Additionally, parents must create a Fitbit family account to set up Ace 2 with their child’s account which helps them stay on top of their kids’ activities.
Innovative app update to motivate and inspire
The Fitbit app will soon receive a major redesign, giving users more ways to personalise their health journey on Fitbit. The new design will make it easier to view and understand their health and fitness stats, log data, discover new content, see their progress in Challenges, and better connect with Fitbit’s large global health and fitness social community. The update also adds Fitbit Focus, a new section found at the top of the dashboard that delivers relevant insights, messages and tips to keep users engaged, informed and motivated.
“Being ‘on Fitbit’ is about more than just wearing a device. The power is in the platform we’ve built that connects our devices, software, services and engaged community to support people at every step of their journey and help drive positive behavior change,” said Jonah Becker, VP of design at Fitbit. “We are always looking for ways to enhance that experience, so we redesigned the Fitbit app to give people more ways to tailor it, with easier access to tools and a global community that can help motivate them to reach their goals. This flexible mobile platform will allow us to offer more personalised services in the future, including coaching, guidance and insights based on personal data, making our app more valuable to consumers.”
Additionally, the Fitbit Community Feed is expanding this month to more than 80 new markets in nine languages to users across Asia, Europe and Latin America. A friendly and welcoming social network that provides support, accountability and motivation from friends and other like-minded individuals, this global expansion of the Fitbit Community will enable more users to fully unlock the value of the Fitbit platform.
Versa Lite Edition is available for R 2999 in white, lilac, mulberry and marina blue.
Versa Lite Edition accessories feature materials including stain-resistant, swim-ready and comfortable classic silicone bands in three new vibrant, fashion-forward colours: marina blue, mulberry and lilac. All new Versa Lite Edition accessories are compatible with the Versa family of smartwatches, and existing Versa accessories are compatible with Versa Lite Edition.
Inspire HR is available for R1 999 in black, lilac and two-tone black and white; Inspire is available for R1299 in black and sangria. Inspire HR and Inspire classic accessory brands are stain-resistant silicone.
Ace 2 will be available in stores and online for R1299 in watermelon with clasp or sky with yellow clasp featuring motivational messages and active graphics designed for kids.
Fitbit Versa Lite Edition, Inspire HR and Inspire devices will be available at leading retailers in April 2019.