Following its announcement in August, the Fitbit Charge 3 is nearly ready to start hitting wrists everywhere. The new fitness tracker, which is a gradual evolution of the Charge 2, will hit stores starting on October 7.
Fitbit isn't reinventing the wheel with the Charge 3, as it largely looks much like the Charge 2 that preceded it. However, the company has packed in a number of new features and upgrades that should make for a more comfortable and stylish fitness watch. The display, for example, is a gray-scale OLED panel that Fitbit says should be 40 percent sharper and brighter than the one present on the Charge 2. That display is also covered in Corning Gorilla Glass 3 for a little extra durability.
Also on board is the dashboard from the Ionic and Versa, which will let you quickly check in on all of your stats. Those include basic things like your steps and calories burned, but you can also see your heart rate, most recent exercises, and Fitbit's female health tracking tools. The Special Edition Charge 3 also includes Fitbit Pay for contactless payments at the register.
Battery life, which has always been one of Fitbit's selling points, is still high here, with up to seven days of use on a charge. The watch is also water resistant at up to 50 meters, and a new swimming mode should help you accurately track workout while you're in the pool.
A major new addition coming with the Charge 3 is its new Sleep Score function. It won't be immediately available, but Fitbit says that it is planning to open enrollment for qualifying Fitbit users (those with newer trackers like the CHarge 3, Versa, and Ionic) starting in November for the Sleep Score beta program. The feature works by giving you a sleep score based on your heart rate and SpO2 sensor data.
The Fitbit Charge 3 is available to preorder now, starting at $150. Otherwise, you can pick up the new tracker at stores starting on its October 7 launch date.
