Fitbit announces Charge 5 fitness tracker with colour display & a new Daily Readiness check for Premium members

There’s a new fitness tracker on the block with Fitbit today announcing their latest the Charge 5 with a new colour LCD screen and svelte curves. Also announced today is a new Daily Readiness check which uses your data to see if you need to rest, or you’re ready to push harder.

Fitbit Charge 5

The Fitbit Charge 5 is a new design with a thinner, sleek design than the Charge 4 showing some new curves, and a larger(and brighter) colour AMOLED touch sensitive screen that’s the first in the line to offer an always-on display option. 

Fitbit also includes an array of other sensors including heart-rate and oxygen saturation (Sp02) tracking, sleep and step tracking and GPS tracking. 

The Charge 5 also features ECG support – which Fitbit says will be available Soon. Australia is listed on the approved list of availability having had their Fitbit Sense approved by the TGA in July – and the Charge 5 is expected to be approved in time for launch.

There’s NFC for payments which lets you utilise Fitbit Pay for tap on/tap off on NSW Transport, as well as a number of banks including ANZ, NAB, Commonwealth Bank, Westpac and more.

Battery life is estimated at 7-days though use will affect it, as will the Always-on-Display feature. 

The Charge 5 is available to pre-order from today on the Fitbit Australia Store – as well as being listed as ‘Coming Soon’ on the Google Store for $269.95 with units shipping in late September. There’s three colour options: Black / Graphite Stainless Steel, Lunar White / Soft Gold Stainless Steel and Steel Blue / Platinum Stainless Steel, with an array of premium bands also available to purchase as well.

For the launch of the Charge 5, you’ll also receive 6 months of Fitbit Premium to help you ‘stay active, sleep well and manage stress’. Fitbit is also upping their offering with a new ‘Daily Readiness Score’ for Premium subscribers, which launches first on the Charge 5. 

Daily Readiness

The Daily Readiness check is a new metric for premium subscribers that evaluates your overall data and lets you know when it’s time to push yourself harder, or maybe time for a rest day. It’s launching with the Charge 5, but it’s also coming to more devices soon.

The feature uses three metrics to gauge your daily readiness: Activity, HRV (Heart Rate Varaiabilty) and Sleep. Using these metrics, Fitbit Sense will offer suggestions in their workouts to push you harder or rest up to improve your fitness overtime, and it also takes into account your improving overall fitness.

Activity is based on Active Zone Minutes (AZM) which Fitbit recommends you get at least 30-minutes, three times a week. HRV measures your recovery rate, and how your body transitions from rest to activity, and of course sleep is needed to recover after a workout. 

Overall, Fitbit is hoping this Daily Readiness metric will help you train and recover better to improve your health. 

Fitbit says the Daily Readiness feature will be available in the Fitbit app for Premium members with Fitbit Sense, Versa 3, Versa 2, Charge 5, Luxe and Inspire 2 devices.

Mindfulness

Fitbit Premium already includes access to more than 200 audio and video workouts, but Fitbit is also looking to improve your mental health as well as your physical health. 

Fitbit has announced they’ll soon offer Premium members access to 30 pieces of Calm content in seven languages. These mindfulness sessions which are completed in the Fitbit app will also count towards your weekly mindfulness goal.