In the craziest year that we are having so far, 2020 came with a lot of news and one of those is the latest Fitbit model, the Charge 4 that comes with a big question: Is it worth it?
In terms of looks there’s nothing new, but to be honest it is one of the best designs from Fitbit, Sleek, and easy to read, what most Fitbit Users want.
Then we have the newest addition the big difference that seems to be enough for some people and not enough for some others.
The Built-in GPS.
Let’s be realistic here, the Charge 4 its priced at $150, almost the same price range that we have seen on any Fitbit Launch, and the Built-in GPS its a big deal.
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You will have more accurate data, you would not need to carry your phone with you, and you will have a better working tracker overall.
So now we can proceed to talk about the most detailed review of the Charge 4, how good it is?. And if it’s worth it after all for Your Needs?
Contents
Built In GPS
Lest go straight to it. As we mentioned at the beginning the greatest new improvement on the Charge 4 it’s an important one, you will no longer need to bring your phone for accurate tracking or GPS.
Now straight from your watch, you can get the most detailed and accurate tracking for pace, distance, and cadence metrics as well.
If you are not sure about these metrics, they are the ones that will help you calculate the different activities that you can do, like biking, running, walking, etc.
The Charge 4 comes with 7 GPS activities from the go, then you can add or create different tracking modes for your needs with the new outdoor workout mode.
Another cool feature that comes along with the GPS activities its the automatic run detection, for those times that you forget to pick the activity before you start to run, the tracker will detect the activities and start to track, and in case that detects that you stop it will also stop tracking, which is a pretty cool function to have.
Design
We normally start the reviews with the design but as you already know the design is not a big deal for this model, its similar to the former Charge 3 when it comes to size and shape. But don’t get us wrong is a good design, and probably the best next to the Versa Series.
With a Sleek rectangular face that will give you at a glance all the data that you want on a touchscreen and a discrete button placed on the left-hand edge. You just need to scroll through menus by swiping left and right across the screen, once you find the mode you just tap on the screen. The Button works as a control.
As most Fitbit, the Charge 4 come on 2 edition the Standard that comes with a robust silicone strap in black, purple, or storm blue/black. And the Special edition that comes with two straps: one black silicone, and one reflective woven nylon, that looks more discrete.
Both bands are are easy to remove and swap, and will come in 2 different lengths to adjust well and comfortable on any wrist.
Activity Tracking
The Charge 4 will save all your tracking data from the past week such as your total steps, distance, pace, steps climbed, you will also have data on the calories you burn in the last 30 days. You can still find all the past information on the App, this is the data that you can check right from your watch.
Then you will have an optical sensor on the inside of the watch that will measure your heart rate every second while you’re working out, and every five seconds the rest of the time. So you can have an accurate reading of your heart rate all the time.
The tracker its also a motivator if you want it will deliver a gentle vibration to remind you to move, different types of movements to keep you improving your overall health stats and it will keep you active for sure.
Have in mind that you can put the boundaries all the time on these reminders, from the frequency you will want them up to disable the reminders completely.
Fitbit Charge 4 – New Features
So besides the built-in GPS, the Charge 4 comes with some cool new features, although the biggest improvements are on the ones that involve the sleep tracking part of the watch.
Such as now the possibility of turning off the notification on the Sleep mode, you now can disable the screen so you’re not accidentally woken up by some random text alert.
Another cool addition on the same sleeping department its the new Estimated Oxygen Variation Chart that it’s connected with the data from the SpO2 monitor.
It will show you a chart where you will find data on each of your night sleeps with a graph line that will show you how much your blood oxygen saturation varies throughout the night.
So now the promise that started with the Ionic of an estimate of your blood oxygen saturation levels its a reality. Now you can even detect different sleeping disorders but the most important one is the sleep apnea. This sensor started with the Ionic model but they are just starting to being active now.
Fitbit Charge 4 Smartwatch
So let’s start by saying the obvious that the Charge 4 its a fitness tracker, with some smart features, but still not a Smartwatch such as the Ionic or the Versa series.
But on the Smart side the Charge 4 it’s the most high-end Fitness tracker that includes some smart functions such as using smart apps on the Watch to help you with your day or getting notifications from your phone. As well you can get information on the weather in your area or play music using Spotify.
But without a doubt, the biggest smart functionality that comes with the Charge 4 is the Fitbit Pay app that will give you the ability to pay just right from your wrist. Using NFC payment you can connect your credit card to the app and pay wireless just with your Charge 4.
Conclusion
So after all is it worth it? We believe it is.
There’s a big debate on the internet about if it’s just another Charge 3 with a higher price, or why they are not in the same price range of other brands such as Xiaomi.
The thing here is that there’s a big difference when it comes to fitness tracking when you have a Fitbit, they are not just a big brand, they are the ones taking the industry to the next level from the beginning of the Fitness tracking times.
And the built-in GPS for the same price range as the previous models its a big plus that for us makes it worth it over and over.
The question is how serious you want your tracking to be? Accurate and for a long time of period? It’s just something that you want to try out for a month to see if you need it?.
Depending on your needs a durable and reliable tracker such as a Fitbit competes with trackers such as Garmin or Apple and those are on the same price range as well. If you want something on a more affordable range, there are plenty of good options as well, but please don’t think that the difference it’s only on price when buying a cheaper option.
Related:
- Fitbit Charge 4 vs Fitbit Charge 3
- Fitbit Charge 4 vs Fitbit Charge 2
- Fitbit Comparison 2020
- Best Fitbit for Men
- Best Fitbit for Women
Resources:
- Fitbit – Community
- Cnet – Review
- Fitbit Charge 4 Review – Digital Trends