Fitbit’s new smartwatch is due out in the next couple of months, seeing as the company wants it on shelves before the upcoming holiday shopping season gets started. This smartwatch is the company’s second smartwatch, but it won’t be replacing the Blaze, and it’s the first since its acquisition of Pebble. Wareable has just gotten some exclusive images of what is said to be the final design of the smartwatch, and there are a few interesting tidbits about these pictures.
This smartwatch was already expected to have a heart rate monitor, but it looks like Fitbit is going a step further and is looking to make the heart rate sensor a bit more accurate than its existing products. Instead of using two green optical sensors, like most companies do currently, including Fitbit. It looks like there are two red lights, along with what could be a infra-red sensor below that. What this means is that Fitbit may be using a pulse oximeter which is used to measure oxygen levels in your blood. The two red lights could be used to get a more accurate heart rate, variability and other parameters. This would make it more accurate than what it uses on the Alta HR or Charge 2 currently. Of course this bit is all rumor and speculation at this point and nothing will be confirmed until the device is formally announced by Fitbit, which should happen fairly soon.
Fitbit will be offering this smartwatch in three base color variants. There is the silver case with a navy strap, a rose gold case with a blue strap and then a darker case with a black strap. The setup seems to be fairly similar to the Fitbit Blaze, where the back actually protrudes a bit, likely so that it will sit on your arm a bit closer to get a better read on your heart rate. And it also uses two buttons on the right side with one on the left, similar to the Blaze. This smartwatch still doesn’t have a name, but Fitbit’s CEO did state that it would have an app gallery when it launches, which that tech is likely taken from its Pebble acquisition. The announcement of this new smartwatch should be happening fairly soon, unless the company doesn’t plan to have it available for the holidays.
