Fitbit Announces 'Charge 3' Fitness Tracker Launching in October for $150

Fitbit today announced the "Fitbit Charge 3," its latest fitness tracker that includes improvements to health and workout features, a 7-day battery life, and advanced sleep tracking with an upcoming "Sleep Score" beta. The Charge 3 is completely swimproof and includes a touchscreen display, but is considered a "tracker" and not a "smartwatch," like the Fitbit Versa or Apple Watch.

The Charge 3 has an aluminum case, Corning Gorilla Glass 3 display, and a 40 percent larger OLED display than the Charge 2. Additionally, the company says that the Charge 3 has "the most advanced health and fitness features" on one of its trackers to date, including the addition of a relative SpO2 sensor that can estimate changes in blood oxygen levels to track new health indicators, like sleep apnea.


Other health features include:

Goal-based exercise modes: Choose from 15+ exercise modes like bike, swim, run, weights and yoga; set a goal for calories burned, distance or duration, and see real-time stats, progress and celebrations on device when you reach your goal.

Water resistant to 50M: Wear in the shower, rain, pool or ocean. See real-time duration on your wrist with Swim Mode, or use SmartTrack® automatic exercise recognition to see laps and pace in the Fitbit app post-swim.

Female health tracking: Gain a deeper understanding of your menstrual cycle by using the Fitbit app to log your period and ovulation (coming soon), record symptoms and compare cycle trends over time. With all your health and fitness stats in one place, you can better manage your health; easily see where you are in your cycle in the on-device dashboard.

Personalized insights: Know yourself to improve your health with new dynamic insights about your activity, heart rate, nutrition and sleep to help you reach your goals with positive reinforcement and tips to course correct when needed (coming soon in the Fitbit app).

For the Sleep Score beta, the company says that users will be able to access this feature later in the year. Sleep Score will provide users with a nightly score so they can see a "more complete picture" of their overall sleep quality and what factors could be negatively affecting it.


Like other Fitbit trackers, the Charge 3 can also display smartphone notifications for calls, texts, and other apps. Fitbit Pay will be available on the Charge 3 Special Edition, letting users checkout at NFC-compatible locations using the smart tracker.

There is also a new line of accessories for the Charge 3, including classic bands, sports bands, woven bands, and Horween leather bands. These accessories range from $29.95 to $49.95.

The Fitbit Charge 3 itself is available to pre-order today on Fitbit.com (and other retailers tomorrow) for $149.95 in black with a graphite aluminum case or blue gray with a rose gold aluminum case. The Fitbit Charge 3 Special Edition with Fitbit Pay will cost $169.95. The tracker will officially launch in stores this October in North America, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.