Fitbit has unveiled the Charge 5, its "most advanced" fitness tracker that can track your stress level, sleep cycle, and other key health aspects.
The Charge 5 is a major upgrade over the Charge 4 in every possible way: it packs a bigger display, offers longer battery life, and tracks the health metrics that will improve your daily life.
Fitbit Charge 5 Is a Substantial Upgrade Over the Charge 4
The Fitbit Charge 5 packs several features and sensors that you'd find on other high-end Fitbit wearables. It packs both ECG and EDA sensors that first debuted on the Fitbit Sense, though features associated with these sensors will only be available in selected countries. The Fitbit Charge 5 can also track our heart rate, sleep cycle, SpO2 levels, stress levels, and more. It also packs a built-in GPS and support for Fitbit Pay.
Fitbit has managed to include a 10 percent bigger and colorful AMOLED display on the Charge 5 despite the body thickness going down by 10 percent. The display can reach a higher peak brightness level of 450 nits vs. 200 nits on the Charge 4. There are no physical buttons on the Charge 5, so you'll be relying solely on the AMOLED display for interacting with the wearable.
The AMOLED display also supports Always-On Display, though enabling it will lead to battery life taking a massive hit. Fitbit claims up to seven days of battery life for the Charge 5, but it will go down to about two days with Always-On Display enabled.
For an easier pairing process, the Charge 5 supports Google's Fast Pair standard. Additionally, when paired with an Android device, you'll be able to review and reply to notifications right from your Charge 5.
Daily Readiness Experience Coming to Your Fitbit
Fitbit is adding a new Daily Readiness experience to Fitbit Premium that will help you understand if your body is ready for a workout or if you should instead give it more rest. The score will be based on your fitness fatigue, heart rate variability, and recent sleep. Additionally, Fitbit will be providing suggestions on how you can improve these metrics.
Daily Readiness experience will be available on the Fitbit Charge 5, Sense, Versa 2/3, Luxe, and Inspire wearables as a part of the Fitbit Premium subscription. Fitbit Charge 5 owners will get access to Fitbit Premium for six months for free.
Fitbit Charge 5 Price and Availability
Sadly, all the improvements that the Charge 5 packs over the Charge 4 come at the cost of a higher price tag. The Fitbit Charge 5 will retail for $179.95, making it $30 more expensive than the Charge 4. The wearable will be available for pre-order from August 25, with retail availability scheduled for this fall.
While the additional features like the AMOLED display, ECG, and EDA sensors make the Charge 5 a compelling wearable, the increased price tag puts it in close reach of smartwatches that offer a superior experience.