Fitbit’s smartwatch: all of the news and rumors

It’s no secret that Fitbit is hard at work on its new smart wearable. And since its purchase of Pebble in 2016, expectations for what’s next from the popular fitness company have risen exponentially.

Looking back on its last effort, the Fitbit Blaze, fitness tech aficionados have clamored for something more. Something that continues to track the usual batch of workouts and activities, but does so while bringing along a unique batch of apps, quirky watchfaces and with a design that rivals premium smartwatches from the likes of Apple, LG, Samsung and more.

But will it deliver? It’s still a little too early to say with certainty, especially since reports suggest that the device has had a troubled development. However, Fitbit’s track record is solid, even if some of its recent devices haven’t really rocked the wearables world from an innovation perspective.

Here’s everything we know about Fitbit’s next smartwatch, including news and rumors. 

Cut to the chase

• What is it? Fitbit's sophomore smartwatch effort
• When is it out? Reportedly delayed from Spring to an autumnal launch
• How much will it cost? Realistically, anywhere from $199 to $299 (about £231)

Fitbit watch price and release date

We’ve known since the that Fitbit is working on a full-fat smartwatch, but we’ve only learned recently that its projected Spring launch target has instead stumbled into late 2017, closely aligning with whatever Apple has planned for its autumn event.

However, this reported delay hasn’t stopped us from thinking about .

But just how much could such a smartwatch cost you? Given that the Fitbit Blaze launched at $199 (about £153), then soon after worked down to where it is now, at about $149, there’s a slim, but ever-present possibility that the smartwatch will land for a similar price. It’s much more likely that it will be $50 or up to $100 above the cost of the Blaze, at most. 

The Fitbit Blaze

Fitbit watch news and rumors

What we know to be true: Fitbit is currently working on a new smartwatch. Things we do not know: a lot of stuff about it, though this has changed of late.

Just recently, we might have gotten our first look at the Fitbit smartwatch, which is supposedly donned with the code name “Higgs”. What’s there to parse from a code name like that?

Credit: Yahoo Finance

Thankfully, the leaked render above gives us a pretty clear idea of how Fitbit’s next smart wearable may come together.

It’s rather easy to see how the Blaze and this Higgs render fall from the same tree. Many of its physical features look similar to that of the Blaze, but it’s all more refined looking around every corner.

We’ve heard reports that this wearable will feature swappable bands, a classic Fitbit move. In addition, sources say Fitbit's upcoming smartwatch hosts a full color screen with 1,000 nits of brightness, an aluminum body and built-in GPS.

While it’s unclear how Fitbit’s smart, touch-based operating system has matured since the Blaze, there’s no question that its Pebble acquisition will likely result in a big improvement. At best, Higgs will be the most intuitive Fitbit model yet.

Additionally, the smartwatch is said to also allow mobile payment, music playback through Pandora, and, of course, heart-rate monitoring.

We’ll keep this section updated as more news, both confirmed and unconfirmed, comes through.
 

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/techradar/allnews/~3/VP9FYLFZs9o/fitbit-watch