Fitbit is offering a major update to some of its current smartwatches. As detailed by Wareable, the company is making new health data available to users of Charge 4 and expanding access to previously paid information to more users. Fitbit, recently acquired by Google, continues its trend to support devices well after launch, with updates and feature fixes to keep them up to date.
With the update, Charge 4 users will be able to access blood oxygen readings on the watch face, information that was previously only available through the app in sleep data. The update also adds skin temperature data to Charge 4, which was not previously offered on this device.
Charge 4, Versa 2 and Inspire 2 owners also gain access to Health Metrics, which previously required a Premium subscription. This panel shows trends for certain health metrics – including breathing rate during sleep and heart rate variability – over a recent period of time. Premium subscribers still receive a little extra information, as their panels will show the value of an entire month of information, while the free version shows only seven days.
Fitbit also continues to expand access to its EKG feature on Sense, making it available to customers in Canada, New Zealand and the US. This feature was not available in all regions when the device was launched, but was added in locations such as the US after regulatory approval.
This update shows that Fitbit remains committed to launching new features and solving problems proactively. He addressed EKG issues with some Sense units last year, contacting affected users and replacing their smartwatches. Fitbit has also supported Charge 4 for almost a year, with a previous update to add new features and better manage things like using GPS. So while we saw devices with their share of bugs at launch, Fitbit users can take comfort in knowing that the company is listening, at least.