Skip to main content

Fitbit Luxe gets major updates with SpO2 measurement and always-on display

 The Fitbit Luxe launched in July 2021 and was reviewed by our smart home editor, John Velasco, as a beautifully designed and modestly sized fitness tracker. It has now received two major updates bringing new features to the table. 

Version 1.151.16 has added SpO2 measurements that allow users to track their blood oxygen saturation levels when asleep. SpO2 tracking is currently available in devices such as the Fitbit Charge 4, Charge 5, Fitbit Versa 2, and the Fitbit Versa 3, so it’s nice to see it roll out to other devices in Fitbit’s lineup.  To use the function, check the SpO2 tile on the watch face or the Health metrics tab on the mobile app. Additionally, Fitbit has published a detailed manual on tracking Sp02 levels with this model.

The second major update enables always-on-display functionality. As the name suggests, users no longer need to wake up their Luxe trackers to check the time or their workout tracking data. To use the feature, it’s essential to enable the updated display functionality in Settings. You’ll be warned that the feature can increase battery drain, so keep that in mind if runtime is important to you. 

Four Fitbit Luxe trackers with various styles of bands in metalic, pink, and sillicone.
The new Fitbit Luxe Fitbit

Apart from these two updates, there are several smaller ones. A bigger font size has been added to the trackers’ screen, along with a series of bug fixes and patches. These updates are being rolled out on an incremental basis and may take some time to reach particular regions. To check if an update is available for the device, you should be able to see a pink banner when you log into the Fitbit App, and you’ll be notified of further updates once they’re available.

Editors' Recommendations

Sahas Mehra
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Sahas is a freelance writer who specializes in writing on Tech, Health & Wellness, and Gaming. He covers the Mobile…
Everything you need to know about the new Fitbit Charge 4
Fitbit Charge 4

Fitbit just debuted its latest fitness tracker called the Fitbit Charge 4, which is packed with new features like built-in GPS and a workout intensity map. 

There's a slew of new features in the Fitbit Charge 4 that people have been asking for, as well as the usual Fitbit fitness tracker features that you have come to know and love. 

Read more
Why would Google want to buy Fitbit?
Versa 2

The wearables market is racing towards records this year: IDC predicts more than 152 million wrist-worn wearables will be sold by the end of 2019 and healthy growth is expected to continue. The top five companies, with almost 66% of the worldwide market between them, are Xiaomi, Apple, Huawei, Fitbit, and Samsung, in that order. If Google has aspirations in wearables, Fitbit is a way in, which could explain the news that Google's parent company Alphabet Inc. may have made an offer to acquire Fitbit.

This revelation is based on a report from Reuters, which cites an anonymous source, and it is far from a done deal. We don't know what the offer looks like, if there was one, or whether Fitbit will accept it, but the company has been struggling of late. If we look back at IDC's report, it's smartwatches that are sprinting ahead of the pack, while simpler fitness bands, which make up the majority of Fitbit's revenue, seem to have run out of steam. Under pressure from a host of cheap fitness trackers, especially from Xiaomi, and struggling to transition to smartwatches where Apple is dominant, Fitbit has been stuck between a rock and a hard place. It has dropped prices -- and profits have gone down with them. Though we liked the Fitbit Versa Lite, the stripped-down smartwatch was not a hit and was blamed for a decline in revenue that sent Fitbit's shares tumbling in the summer.

Read more
Fitbit Versa 2 will reportedly roll out September 15 with OLED display, Alexa
why fitness trackers are losing popularity fitbit versa jacket lifestyle

Update: We took a first look at the Versa 2, as well as the new subscription coaching program Fitbit Premium. With new sleep features, Alexa, and Spotify controls, it's a powerful upgrade.

The Fitbit Versa 2, the long-awaited successor to the well-reviewed Fitbit Versa, will reportedly be unveiled this month ahead of its release on September 15 -- right after the IFA 2019 European tech extravaganza.

Read more