Fitbit’s new smartwatch has been unveiled, with the Ionic positioned to compete with the Apple Watch and other similar devices.
In an industry flooded with fitness tracking and technology apps, Fitbit prioritized features that encourage wearers to not only set goals, but achieve them too, the company said on its website.
Called the Fitbit Ionic, the smartwatch has a streamlined design with a square touchscreen and wireless headphones and is available in three colors. As with most popular smartwatches, features include a heart rate monitor, GPS tracking and water resistance of up to 50 meters. However, the Ionic is set to take smartwatch technology into a new space, with added features such as offline music storage, sleep stage tracking for long-term health insights, and a four-day battery life. Another feature of the Ionic is a smart payment feature, which allows wearers to make payments via Visa, Mastercard and American Express by a simple scan of the watch face.
Fitbit hopes the $300 smartwatch will help the company's lagging sales and stock price, Fortune reported, adding that that company saw a 21 percent drop in sales of fitness trackers during the fourth quarter.
Fitbit will soon be launching a personal coaching app which can be installed on the Ionic. The app, called Fitbit Coach, means that wearers will be able to access personalized training plans, video workouts and audio coaching on-the-go.
The Ionic can be linked to both Apple and Android devices. Its longer battery life could help wearers achieve their fitness goals by doing away with the need to remove the device for regular recharging.
The Ionic runs on Fitbit’s new operating system, Fitbit OS. The new Fitbit OS incorporates third-party apps. The Ionic launch coincides with the launch of Fitbit’s first headphones which are available to purchase with the Ionic.
The new Fitbit Ionic smartwatch is available for pre-sale on Fitbit.com and will be found in retailers globally in October.
News of the new device spread on Twitter and was met with mixed reactions.