Update: We've now seen a leak of the Fitbit Charge 3 pictures. Below you'll see the tracker in four different designs and we'll talk you through the changes we know about so far.
The Fitbit Charge 2 has proved to be one of the company’s best-selling fitness trackers, but there are rumors that it's ready for a reboot and that the firm might be planning to release the Charge 3 quite soon.
Fitbit doesn’t usually release new fitness trackers every year, instead waiting until new technology becomes the norm and only then refreshing its trackers.
In the last 12 months we've seen the company release both the Fitbit Ionic and Fitbit Versa (as well as the children's Fitbit Ace tracker) but we expect to see new fitness trackers rather than smartwatches later this year.
You'll find all the rumored Fitbit Charge 3 leaks and rumors below, but we’ve also come up with a list of a few improvements we’d like to see.
Cut to the chase
- What is it? Fitbit's next big headline fitness tracker
- When is it out? Leaks suggest some point in 2018
- What will it cost? We'd expect around $150 (£129.99, AU$250)
Fitbit Charge 3 release date and price
There isn't much information about the release date for the Fitbit Charge 3, but sources speaking to Bloomberg have claimed Fitbit is planning to launch the new tracker at some point in 2018.
That was a report back in June 2017, but the leak mentioned the launch of Fitbit's official smartwatch and a Fitbit Blaze 2 too. The report was correct about the smartwatch - it turned out to be the Fitbit Ionic - and it was half right about the second part as the company announced the Versa, which was a spiritual successor to the Blaze 2.
Fitbit released the Charge 2 in September 2016, so we may see the company announce a new tracker at IFA 2018 in late August this year. That'd mean it'd be coming two years after the we first saw the Charge 2.
Fitbit doesn't have defined launch schedules for its products though, so it may be we have to wait a while longer to hear official word about the Charge 3.
Fitbit Charge 3 design and display
The first photo leak of the Fitbit Charge 3 has landed and it shows the tracker in all its glory. Photos from NieuweMobiel show the device in four different variants with the color of the tracker pictured in three shades. Those are black, white and gold, plus there are a selection of straps too.
Perhaps the biggest design change is the lack of a button on the left hand side of the device. It looks more like a divot in the design rather than a raised button, and that makes us think we may see a touchscreen on this new tracker to interact with it rather than a button to press to cycle through menus.
Considering Fitbit has been refining its touchscreen tech with both the Fitbit Versa and Ionic, it wouldn't surprise us if the company went for an upgraded display tech in its next fitness tracker.
From what we can tell in the images above, it also looks like the screen bezels will be thinner than on previous trackers as well.
The thick bezel at the bottom that's emblazoned with the Fitbit name is still there, but otherwise it looks like the screen may be bigger.
There are also some new watch face designs here too, so that may mean more customization will be available on the screen than there has been before.
The straps available are one of the biggest talking points for any new fitness tracker, and the pictures show similar silicone designs to the Charge 2 in both black and blue, as well as some more exciting options.
One is a bright purple material design, plus there's also a perforated plastic that reminds us of the Apple Watch 3 Nike+ design where it has holes all over to help you skin breath during exercise.
The overall design of the tracker does look thinner and more compact to sit on your wrist than the Charge 2 that was a little chunky. The source that suggested the 2018 release date above did say the company is working on a "sleeker" version of the Charge and it seems like that's what the company is doing for its next tracker.
Fitbit Charge 3 fitness, specs and features
Little is known about the features the Fitbit Charge 3 will bring to your wrist. Considering Fitbit has been working on smartwatches for the last year, it may be we see the Charge 3 get some considerably improved smart features than on the last-gen device.
We'd also expect more fitness features for the Charge 3, for example GPS is a likely inclusion, and you can read about what we'd like to see from the tracker below. We'd also hope for a waterproof design that can do swim tracking to compete with other top-end fitness trackers.
Both the Fitbit Ionic and Fitbit Versa come with Fitbit Pay, a contactless payment service, as well as offline music playback so it may be the company decides it's time to bring those features to a fitness tracker too.
Fitbit Charge 3 price
The Fitbit Charge 2 cost $150 (£129.99, AU$250) at launch so we'd expect this tracker to cost around the same amount, but nothing is confirmed yet.
We may see some fluctuation in terms of pricing, but it would make sense if it's around the same price as the Charge 3 was at launch.
Fitbit Charge 3: what we want to see
Here's our list of everything we'd like to see if Fitbit does in fact make a Charge 3.
1. Better data uses
One of the things the Fitbit app struggles with is giving you useful information from the data you've collected.
With a heart rate sensor, sleep tracking and likely expanded fitness features for the Charge 3 we want the app to use that data in meaningful ways, giving you further insight into your health.
2. A slimmer design
The Fitbit Charge 2 improved on the design of the Fitbit Charge HR, but there is still a lot of work to be done here.
Fitbit's Charge 2 is a thick device and doesn't sit flush with your wrist, so we hope to see a thinner design on the Charge 3 when it eventually launches.
3. A more reactive screen
Some criticized the Charge 2 for having a screen that wasn't properly touch-sensitive. It moves through menus with a tap, but it doesn't work as responsively as the touchscreen on your phone or a smartwatch, so we'd like to see a fully touch-sensitive screen on the Charge 3.
4. Better alarms
You can use the Charge 2 as an alarm, but the functionality is limited. Something we'd like to see on the Charge 3 is an alarm that works in a window of time that you set but only wakes you up when you're in light sleep.
For example, you could set an alarm for anytime between 7AM and 7:30AM, but it would wake you up at 7:15AM if it realized you were in light sleep at that time.
5. GPS built-in
GPS on the Fitbit Charge 2 worked by linking up to your phone, requiring you to carry your handset with you, so it was quite limited.
We'd like to see Fitbit build GPS into the Charge 3 itself, to make it a more effective device for those who want to take it out running without a phone in their pocket.
- What we want to see from a Fitbit Versa 2
from TechRadar - All the latest technology news http://www.techradar.com/news/fitbit-charge-3
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