Fitbit announced its first ever smartwatch, named Blaze, at CES 2016. The new wearable has a hexagonal design, and is the first Fitbit to offer a color touchscreen display.
The Blaze is not a direct successor to any of the products launched last year, fitting in above the Charge HR but below the Surge on price and features. It lacks the native GPS tracking that the Surge offers, but notification options and the ability to control music on your connected smartphone are available.
Updated on 03-01-2016 by Julian Chokkattu: Added news of the Fitbit being available for purchase on March 1.
You can finally grab the Fitbit Blaze starting today for $200 from retailers such as Best Buy, Amazon, REI, Brookstone, and more. Color options include a black, blue, or plum Classic band, and the company says additional accessories for the smartwatch will be available throughout the year.
Even with smartwatch-like features, the Blaze is definitely still focused on fitness and health. It can track steps and calories burned, and automatically recognizes 15 different types of exercise. On top of that, the fitness tracker will automatically recognize activities like running, tennis, basketball, and soccer, without having to start an activity.
The Fitbit Blaze has an optical heart-rate monitor inside that’s able to check your heart rate every five seconds, or every second when you’re working out. Even though there is no native GPS tracking, the Blaze will be able to pull data from a connected smartphone. Users can view more data on health and fitness through the Fitbit app, which is available on iOS, Android, and Windows Phone.
Fitbit went with a new removable design for the Blaze, both the frame and the straps can be removed and replaced. No third-party alternatives have been announced yet, but Fitbit will sell a $130 stainless steel link band or a $100 leather band.
