Fitbit just unveiled three new products - including its first pair of wireless headphones
The new products joining Fitbit's lineup include Fitbit Ionic, Fitbit Flyer, and Fitbit Aria 2 - a new smartwatch, wireless headphones, and an updated version of Fitbit's smart scale.
The new products mark Fitbit's first major launch since it introduced Alta, a fitness band, in early 2016.
Fitbit Ionic
While Fitbit refers to Ionic as its first smartwatch, the company has released two other smartwatches in the past - Blaze and Surge. But both Ionic's hardware and software was designed entirely in-house by the Fitbit team.
Ionic's main features include:
- 4+ day battery life
- On-watch personal training
- GPS
- Water Resistance up to 50 meters
- Improved heart rate tracking
- On-watch music storage
- Contactless payments
The watch will come preloaded with four outside apps - Starbucks, Pandora, Strava, and AccuWeather-powered weather - but Fitbit is also launching an open SDK for app developers in September.
Fitbit bought rival smartwatch maker Pebble in late 2016 for $23 million and brought about 40% of Pebble's staff on board, mostly from the software side (Fitbit said it built on top of Pebble's SDK with its new developer's platform). But the design of the new Ionic watch does bear a resemblance to earlier Pebble watches with its rectangular face and flattened edges.
Ionic will pair with your phone and use the Fitbit app, which is free to download and use. But Fitbit is also adding a new paid feature starting this fall that costs $7.99 per month. Users can now pay extra to receive personalized guidance and training based on their data, along with nutrition programs and on-demand workouts.
Ionic will cost $299.95 and will be available for presale starting Monday. The watch will be available online, and will be at stores like Best Buy, Target, and Dick's Sporting Goods starting in October.
Fitbit Flyer
Fitbit is also announcing Monday the launch of Fitbit Flyer, the company's first foray into headphones.
The headphones are wireless and sweatproof, and are intended to be a companion to the Ionic. Because the watch can store music - more than 300 songs - you'll be able to leave your phone at home while exercising.
Fitbit Flyer includes several interchangeable tips, wings, and fins for a sealed fit, two different sound settings (Signature and Power Boost), and the ability to make calls or use digital assistants.
The headphones were designed to fit flush inside your ear so that users can wear them with helmets or headbands. But that small size may have something to do with the headphones' battery life: Fitbit Flyer gets six hours of playtime (for comparison, Apple's BeatsX Bluetooth headphones get eight hours).
The headphones will cost $129.95 and will be available for preorder starting Monday. They'll also be available in stores and online by October.
Fitbit Aria 2
The third product in Fitbit's new lineup is the Aria 2, a redesigned version of the Wi-Fi scale Fitbit launched in 2012.
Fitbit says the new scale has improved accuracy and a quicker setup, a new design, and the ability to add up to eight users so you can see individual, private stats for each family member. Aria can display weight, body fat percentage, lean mass, and BMI.
The new scale costs $129.95 - up from $99.95 - and is available to preorder starting Monday. Aria will be available in stores and online this fall.