Fitbit introduces budget-friendly line of wearables for kids and adults
Four new wearables are joining the Fitbit family.
Say hello to the Fitbit Versa Lite Edition, Fitbit Inspire and Inspire HR, and Fitbit Ace 2.
On Wednesday, the maker of the popular fitness trackers announced a quartet of wellness devices that includes a new budget-friendly smartwatch, two health-focused fitness trackers, and a revamped device for children ages 6 and older.
“Since founding Fitbit almost 12 years ago, we’ve focused on making health fun and achievable for everyone – regardless of fitness level or goals," said James Park, co-founder and CEO of Fitbit in a statement. “Bringing more users to the wearables category and growing our community of active users is a critical part of our strategy," Park said.
The wearables join Fitbit's extensive line of products including the Fitbit Charge 3 and Fitbit Versa that came out in 2018. Before that, the company unveiled the Fitbit Alta HR and Fitbit Ionic smartwatch in 2017.
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Inspire devices
The Inspire and Inspire HR, which were exclusively launched earlier this year through some healthcare plans and employers, are now available to the masses on the Fitbit website. The baseline wellness device costs $69.95 and the premium HR option is priced at $99.95.
The swim-proof Inspire offers most basic fitness tracker functions, including activity and sleep tracking, burned calories monitoring, move reminders, goal celebrations, and mobile alerts. It's available in black, and sangria color options and can be worn as a wristband or on a clip.
The slightly more premium Inspire HR adds an additional 15 workout modes, sleep tracking and guided breathing. It has all the heart monitoring features. It comes in black, white/black, and lilac color options.
Both products have a thin design with a touchscreen display, smartphone notifications, and up to 5 days of battery life for day to night wear.
The Clip add-on costs $19.95.
Versa
Building off the success of Fitbit's smartwatch line, the new Versa Lite is cheaper than its predecessor, $159.95 compared with the typical Versa at $199.95.
The unisex smartwatch has several fitness and smart features including automatic activity reading, heart rate monitoring and sleep stages tracking. The smartwatch also has exercise modes, connected GPS, smartphone notifications and four-day battery life.
It features a simple one-button, lightweight, swim-proof design in new
vibrant blue and purple color choices.
Existing Versa accessories are compatible with the Versa Lite Edition. The wrist bands range from $29.95 to $99.95 on Fitbit's website.
Fitbit Versa Lite, Inspire HR and Inspire devices will be available in stores and online in starting in March.
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Ace 2 for kids
In 2018, Fitbit unveiled its first fitness tracker for kids, which looked like a basic rebadged Fitbit Alta.
The company's new kid-friendly wearable, the Ace 2, has a fun redesign.
The plastic, brightly colored device has a modular design and a bumper around the screen to protect it. It's swim proof for bathtime and stain resistant so it's easy to wipe down if it gets dirt, mud, slime or food all over it.
Kids can select between watch faces that have rockets ships blasting off, googly-eyed blob monsters, and animated flower pots. These cartoons evolve over the course of the day as your kid reaches their activity goals.
The Ace 2, made for ages 6 and up, will be available in stores and online beginning summer 2019 for $69.95 in peach with a teal clasp or navy blue with neon yellow clasp.
The device is $30 cheaper than the original Ace and includes five-day battery life.
Parents must create a Fitbit family account in order to set up the Ace 2.
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The Fitbit app
Along with the four gadgets, Fitbit's app is also getting a major facelift.
The new design will make it easier to view and understand health and fitness stats, log data, discover new content and monitor progress in Challenges. The company is also launching a Rewards beta program to test new ways to engage with users.
“Being ‘on Fitbit’ is about more than just wearing a device," said Jonah Becker, VP of design of Fitbit. "The power is in the platform we’ve built that connects our devices, software, services and engaged community to support people at every step of their journey and help drive positive behavior change."
Fitbit, which has reportedly sold over 90 million devices, is the fourth-largest wearables maker in the world, according to market intelligence firm IDC. Fitbit falls well behind Apple, which held 27.4 percent of the market in late 2018. Two Chinese electronics companies, Xiaom and Huawei captured the second and third positions with 12.6 percent and 9.6 percent.
Fitbit captured 9.4 percent of the worldwide market for wearables in late 2018.
Ever feel like skipping your workout because you forgot to wear your fitness tracker? Dalvin Brown knows the feeling. Connect with him on Twitter: @Dalvin_Brown
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Fitbit introduces budget-friendly line of wearables for kids and adults
