14 DAY TRIAL // Fitbit has just announced Ionic, the company’s very first true smartwatch that comes with all the bells and whistles of the likes of Apple Watch, including its very own operating system, an app platform, support for a wide array of workouts, GPS, and notification support.
Although at first glance the Ionic is obviously an evolved Fitbit Blaze in terms of design, the company says it turned to very advanced technologies to create the body of its smartwatch, including nano-molding, which is an approach that’s typically used on high-end smartphones to combine two materials.
In the case of the Ionic, Fitbit fused the plastic and the aluminum case, which includes the majority of sensors you’d expect from a high-end smartwatch, including GPS, Bluetooth, and Wi-Fi. The Ionic is waterproof and offers support for swimming, but this was something to be expected from Fitbit’s new-generation device.
Touchscreen and update heart rate monitor
The smartwatch will be available in three different colors, namely silver, gray, and orange, and while bands can be changed by owners, it’ll be rather difficult to find more of them at first given the proprietary system that Fitbit used, just like Apple on the Apple Watch. There are two band options from Fitbit, namely sport, made of silicone, and leather.
Fitbit hasn’t detailed the touchscreen, but it features 1000 nits brightness, which means that you should be able to see info on the display even in direct sunlight. This is a feature that’s particularly important for runners and bikers, but it should come in handy to everyone when working out outdoors.
Additionally, the watch comes with an upgraded version of the PurePulse heart rate sensor, which the company guarantees is more accurate, while a so-called tri-wave sensor is in charge of estimating oxygen saturation, which represents the level of oxygen in your blood.
Fitbit OS
One of the most important things about the Ionic is that it features its own operating system called Fitbit OS and which is based on the platform developed by Pebble, a company Fitbit purchased last year. Developers will be allowed to create apps reading all the sensors, and a Fitbit App Gallery will also be available to let users install third-party apps easily. Watch faces will also be available from the store.
The device will come pre-loaded with several apps, including AccuWeather, Strava, Starbucks, and Pandora. Notification support will be offered for third-party apps as well, though users won’t be able to delete them from phones or reply to emails, for example.
An NFC sensor is also integrated for a new payment service called Fitbit Pay, and the company says it’s already working with a number of partners, including MasterCard and Visa, to make it possible for Ionic owners to pay with their smartwatches.
The Fitbit Ionic will go on sale in October at $299.95, with the sport band sold separately for $29.95. A leather band will also be available for $59.95.
