HONOR is expanding its offerings yet again with a few new additions. The company has already been actively producing AIoT and health related products since it was a Huawei sub-brand. Now, it’s continuing to do so on its own. HONOR has brought three devices made to help users achieve their fitness goals: the HONOR Band 7, HONOR Earbuds X5 and HONOR Scale 3.
Keep Track of Your Fitness with the HONOR Band 7
HONOR is upping the ante with the HONOR Band 7. The new entry into their fitness band line up brings an all new chipset powered by AI algorithms and professional optical components. These algorithms and sensors allow users to track metrics like heart rate more accurately and display it as easy to understand information.
The Band 7 comes with a 1.47-inch AMOLED display with 2.5D curved glass and comes with sensors that that allow it to track multiple health metrics. Users will be able to measure heart rate, sleep, stress and blood oxygenation. The Band 7 will display these metrics in real time on its display. It also comes with tracking modes for 96 different workout modes including running, walking, cycling, swimming, elliptical, rowing and free training.
Stay Focused with the HONOR Earbuds X5
Workout without distractions with new HONOR Earbuds X5. Tune out the world while you workout with the 13.4mm dynamic coil drivers. The Earbuds X5 can deliver deep bass, clear trebles and distinct highs with its polymer composite diaphragm.
With the 27 hours of battery life in total, the Earbuds X5 is built for you to take charge of your workout playlist. You don’t have to worry about running low on battery either, a short 10 minute charge will get you 3 hours of playback.
See more than Weight with the HONOR Scale 3
Of course, keeping track of your fitness comes with the understanding that at some point you will need to check in with the scale. HONOR is trying to make your scale do more with the HONOR Scale 3 that is able to measure more than just weight. It is able to give you measurements of your body fat, BMI, bone mass, muscle mass and more. The Scale 3 can even calculate your basal metabolic rate (BMR).
It doesn’t even need a smartphone to give you insights and data. You can do it all on the scale itself. If you have a WiFi connection, the data gets automatically communicated to the HONOR Health App with automatic synchronization.
Pricing & Availability
All three devices are now available in Malaysia via the HONOR Store, Lazada, Shopee and TikTok Shop. They are priced at:
Keeping yourself fit is more important than ever. At these trying times, exercising is not just about keeping yourself physically fit anymore though. Exercising has also become a way to keep yourself mentally. Keeping yourself fit is also about keeping tack about how you are doing through your exercise journey. In that case, you need a fitness tracker.
What do you get though? The market is not exactly starved for choice. The fitness tracker market is a huge one since the first smartwatches launches off the shelves. What we are saying is that there are plenty of choice and different budgets to work with, when it comes to fitness trackers.
Garmin just launched their new Forerunner 55 smart fitness trackers. The Forerunner 55 is a new smart fitness tracker, but it retains all the classic, rugged, and functional look that is signature of the Forerunner series. It is a little bigger than the Forerunner 45 though, to fit larger wrist and for people who want bigger displays. It also features a few new things over the Forerunner 45.
Source: Garmin
They call the Forerunner 55 a running GPS smartwatch. While it is slightly larger at 42cm, the display size stayed the same at 1.04 inches. The 208 by 208-pixel touch sensitive display is encased in a 5 ATM water resistant rating so you can take it for a swim.
Launched in tandem with the annual Global Running Day, the Garmin Forerunner 55 boasts two weeks in battery life; a signature of a Garmin smartwatch. Because it is made for runners also, there is built-in GPS for runners to track their running pace and path. It also tracks your heart rate in real-time, which is useful not only when you run. If you wear it to sleep, it also tracks your sleep as well.
The Garmin Forerunner is also your health coach and tracker. It can keep track on even your calories if you let it. You get personalised workout suggestions from the forerunner 55. PacePro built into the Garmin Forerunner 55 could also guide runners customise their run patterns on their selected course, or distance. It will also time your run so that you know what to aim for in the future.
Source: Garmin
Source: Garmin
Source: Garmin
Source: Garmin
Source: Garmin
Source: Garmin
Source: Garmin
Source: Garmin
Source: Garmin
The Garmin Forerunner is not just a running tracker though. It will also track other activities including swimming, Pilates, Yoga, or even HIIT exercises. Just so that you do not hurt yourself, the Garmin Forerunner tells you your optimum recovery time to ensure that you get enough rest before then next push.
The Garmin Forerunner 55 is now available on Lazada, Shopee, AECO e-store, and all Garmin authorised resellers. Available in black, grey, white, or aqua colour options, the Garmin Forerunner will set you back MYR 960. More information on the Garmin Forerunner 55 can be found on Garmin’s website.
Fitbit has always been a company that has focused on being functional wearable; putting fitness and health tracking before form and style. However, with the new Fitbit Luxe, they’re turning that approach on its head. The Fitbit Luxe takes a hard turn left and focuses on marrying style with fitness to bring a chic, functional wearable that stays true to Fitbit’s own fitness first paradigm.
Source: Fitbit
Taking inspiration from a bracelet, the Luxe takes it queues in being a fine piece of jewellery. It comes with a metal unibody with a pristine finish making it seem like you’re wearing a refined, handcrafted bracelet. Within the body, Fitbit is packing the wearable with an abundance of sensors for all the health metrics you’re used to from a Fitbit. The Fitbit Luxe comes in three colours: graphite, platinum and soft gold with a soft, silicone band. The Luxe is also the first tracker from Fitbit which comes with an AMOLED touchscreen with a built-in ambient light sensor. This allows the display to automatically adapt to ensure you’re seeing all the information under all lighting conditions. The Luxe also comes with up to five days battery life on a single charge.
Source: Gorjana
Of course, Fitbit, being Fitbit, ups the ante with a collaboration with Gorjana. The new Fitbit Luxe Special Edition comes with a gold stainless steel Parker Link Bracelet designed exclusively for the Luxe. The link bracelet is also adjustable to fit most wrists. It also comes with a soft peony band for an additional look in your pocket. The bands are, of course, available as separate accessories.
The Luxe is only half the equation. Like other Fitbit wearables, the tracker works in tandem with the Fitbit app. The app brings a unified, accessible dashboard where the data collected by the Luxe is displayed in an easy to understand format. Everything from sleep tracking, steps tracking and active zone minutes can be viewed on the app. If you need additional metrics, the Luxe comes with a 6-month trial of Fitbit Premium which gives you access to more personalised data.
Pricing & Availability
The Fitbit Luxe will be available in Malaysia starting from June 2021 for MYR648 (USD$157.40). Pre-orders are open today in the U.S. where the Luxe is being sold at USD$149.95 (MYR617.31).
Smartwatches have always been seen as gender neutral in design. However, when it comes down to it, the design and finish of any given watch can leave an impression. So far, we’ve only seen designs that versatile and are adaptable to both feminine and masculine styles. However, Garmin is paying close attention to women in it’s newest line up – the Garmin Lily.
The Garmin Lily comes with a sleek, fashion-forward design which looks to keep its users looking sharp while keeping up with their fitness goals. The smaller, 34mm smartwatch comes with a monochromatic, liquid crystal touch display with 14mm straps brings a refined sense of femininity that other smartwatches on the market are lacking. Garmin says that the Lily is inspired by the jewellery-like design of timepieces which are designed for smaller wrists. The Lily classic comes with straps made of Italian leather while the Lily Sport comes with a sweat-proof silicone band.
The Garmin Lily doesn’t skimp on the health features even in its petite form. It is capable of measure blood oxygenation, stress, hydration, sleep and heart rate continuously. It also has a Body Battery energy monitoring feature which will help users monitor their energy levels and plan activities like workouts and rest times. Being made for women, the Lily also comes equipped with software features like menstrual cycle tracking and pregnancy tracking to help women stay in tune with their body and wellness via the Garmin Connect app.
Aside from the software features, the smartwatch comes with connectivity features that we see in all smartwatches including WiFi and GPS connectivity via your smartphone. It also comes with smart notifications for you to keep focused while you’re out and about. It also boasts a 5-day battery life.
Pricing & Availability
The Garmin Lily will be available in Classic and Sports editions. The Garmin Lily Classic will be retailing for USD$249.99 (MYR1,010.60) while the Garmin Lily Sport will be retailing at USD$199.99 (MYR808.47).
CES 2021 is well under way. But we are not talking about CES at this point. No, we are talking about the merging of giants.
Google is undoubtedly one of the most successful tech companies you will ever see in your lifetime, beside Amazon, Microsoft, and Apple. They started out in the Search Engine industry in the midst of the MSN and Yahoo! boom. They bloomed and grew to surpass two of their biggest competition at the time and now they are in everything. They are in applied sciences, corporate backend solutions, automotive, smartphones, computing, and even your homes.
They are also on your wrists with the guise of Android Wear. They do not make any watch hardware on their own though. They have always relied on their partners like Fossil, Motorola, OPPO, and even Vivo to design and create their own iteration of what an Android Wear watch should look like. This situation might change soon though.
As per Google’s Blog post alongside Fitbit’s one in their own blogs too, Fitbit is now a part of Google. As of the 14th of January 2021, Google and Fitbit finally concludes their deal. Google has officially acquired Fitbit.
As we mentioned also, Fitbit is also a giant. They are a giant in their field, the fitness tracker and smart wear field. They have revolutionised the smart wearable devices market in more ways than one.
They are, technically, the largest standalone smartwatch making company in the world currently. They have a more complete product range than any other smartwatch maker in the world right now too. They have simple fitness trackers that look like wristbands and can be easily hidden. They also have full on smartwatches now in their Fitbit Versa line-up. The Versa and Sense watches are clearly also a side effect of them acquiring Pebble a while ago.
Now though, they are a part of Google. What does this mean for you Fitbit users?
On the surface, Google says that this acquisition has always been more about hardware instead of software. They want Fitbit watches and wrist bands. They basically wanted to experiment making their own smart wearable in the future, like how they experimented with smartphone manufacturing when they acquired HTC years ago. They are still making their own hardware today with the Pixel line-up. They have an amazing line-up of Chromebooks too.
The only thing they have not been making on their own then, are smart watches and smart wearables. With Fitbit as part of Google, now they can. So, according to Google, it is not about software and data.
In terms of software though, Google has a thing or two to learn from Fitbit and vice versa. We at techENT love our Fitbit Versa devices because they are so simple to work with. Their interface is easy to understand and navigate it becomes second nature when you acclimatise with them.
We also think that the Fitbit line-up could use a little bit of Google’s magic touch. In that case, they will be easier to pair with Android smartphones, faster too, and probably even more intuitive to connect. We find that these are our biggest pain points using the Fitbit devices. Of course, there is the subject of software integration too. Currently Fitbit’s collected data does not sync to Google’s own fitness app. Maybe we might see a merging of the two apps. At the same time, we doubt we will see that integration happening too soon because Fitbit also has the premium subscription segment.
Source: TechPP
Google has ensured that they will not touch Fitbit’s data pool at this time. They also confirmed that Fitbit’s user data will not be used for Google Ads purposes at this time. From the blog posts from both sides too, it seems that Fitbit will continue business as usual at this time. Which also means that Fitbit devices will remain Fitbit devices for a little longer.
In Google’s blog post, Rick Osterloh’s statement also reads, “the combination of Fitbit’s leading technology, product expertise and health and wellness innovation with the best of Google’s AI, software and hardware will drive more competition in wearables and make the next generation of devices better and more affordable”. We are more excited about this than anything. It means that you can start expecting Google smartwatches soon. You might want to expect some changes in Fitbit’s software approach now too. We hope that it is for the better on both parties. You might even get an Android Wear update for your Fitbit Sense.
Still, we see this as a win-win situation. At this time anyway, the acquisition and merging of the two giants in their space may prove to be just what both companies needed for the uncertain times ahead. For us consumers, we only care about their upcoming devices, and we are expecting them to be miles better than what we have now. Google Watch anyone?
Fitbit launched the Fitbit Versa series a few years ago. The first Fitbit Versa looked a lot like a now-defunct Pebble watch. There is a good reason to that, but we are not going to get into it.
All I wanted to say there is that I personally really wanted a Pebble smartwatch when they existed. Their smartwatch is unlike whatever smartwatch that was available at the time. They were not running any fancy Operating System (OS) that overcomplicates a smartwatch at the time and either slowed down the watch, or even reduce its battery life by half. They actually look very pretty as well, in my opinion anyway.
When they came up with the Versa 2, Fitbit pushed a few more upgrades to it. It had Fitbit Pay too, which is technically an e-wallet solution by Fitbit themselves. They said that they will be working with local banks and merchants to make the feature available, we have not seen much from that yet. We are still waiting for a wider adoption by merchants. Gyms and fitness centres, in our minds, would be the perfect places to start.
Design wise though, it looked slightly more modern than the first Versa with rounded of corners on the display. It maintained a physical button, we liked that. The display looks a little sharper and better too, for some reason.
Then they introduced the Fitbit Versa 3 and Fitbit Sense in 2020. To be fair, both are very similarly designed. If you do not know Fitbit devices, you might mistake them as the same smartwatch.
The Fitbit Versa 3 and Fitbit Sense are not that dissimilar in terms of function and features too. It is to the point that the website for both devices tell you pretty much the same things. They are a little different though, the two.
Unlike the Versa 2 as well, the two new devices from Fitbit comes with a new generation strap that is not interchangeable with the older wrist straps. So, if you upgraded from a Versa 2, you have to retire the older straps you might have bought as well.
What is the difference between the Fitbit Sense and Fitbit Versa 3 though? Which is the smartwatch for you? Could you still walk away with a Fitbit Versa 2 at this point and be happy? We tested the MYR 1,498 Fitbit Sense to tell you.
Design
As we mentioned earlier, the Fitbit Sense has a very similar design language to the Fitbit Versa 3, save for the glossy bezel top of the case surrounding the glass that houses a 1.58-inch AMOLED display. The body, according to Fitbit at least, is premium stainless steel. That explains its glossy exterior.
The unit we have is the black colour option with black strap. You can opt for a Soft Gold option with a Lunar White strap. To be honest, the Soft Gold looks better in photos or renders. When we unboxed the Black on Black variant though, we found that we liked the finish more than we thought.
The design language is technically just an evolution of the Versa series from Fitbit, rather than a complete redesign. It is a little more rounded off in the corners of both the body and the display. It is still a square-ish design, not quite rounded. In a sense (no pun intended), the new Fitbit still looks very much like it is part of the Versa line-up.
The added curves though make the device look a little more modern than before. The Sense looks more at home and more subtle than the older devices. Of course, the black finish does help it blend into the wrist a little bit more.
The glossy rings surrounding the display is what differentiates it from the regular Fitbit Sense. The Gloss finish is only interrupted by two small plastic looking bars on both sides of the smartwatch though. We suspect that the plastic inserts are important for the Sense to receive GPS signals properly, or even for a more stable Bluetooth connection.
The biggest noticeable difference when you pick up the device though is the missing physical button. The Fitbit Sense, as well as the Versa 3 is now relying on a haptic button on the left side of the smartwatch. The ‘button’ does not even look like a normal button, it looks like a dimple, or recess on the flush body of the Sense. Not that we are saying it is an odd-looking thing.
In our opinion, the buttonless approach keeps the body look a bit tighter. We think that it looks good to without a physical button on the side. It keeps the body look flush without interruptions in its lines.
You find that the Fitbit Sense also retains a mic hole that you notice on the Versa 2 on the back plate (or at least part of it). But there is an additional recess on the body that houses two additional holes, one larger than the other. The holes look like they house an additional mic and a loudspeaker unit.
The Fitbit Sense’s speaker unit and mics work with Amazon’s Alexa and supposedly Google Assistant. For now, only Amazon Alexa activation is available for the wristwatch. Google Assistant should be available later in the year, according to Fitbit. The speaker and mic units also indicate that the Fitbit Sense is built with a capability to answer phone calls directly on the wrist. As of now though, we could not get the function to work yet. We are told that the feature will be available in a later update.
Then there is the shiny reflective silver plate that covers the bottom with Fitbit’s new type of 4-pin magnetic charger. This also means you cannot use your older Versa or Versa 2 chargers to charge your Fitbit Sense, although they have similar designs. To be fair the Fitbit Versa, Versa Lite, and Versa 2 has more in common with each other than the Fitbit Sense and Fitbit Versa 3, in terms of design.
The shiny reflective plate that is also stainless-steel houses the heart rate sensor that scans your heart rate in real time as you wear the device. It also houses a built-in blood oxygen sensor now, something that the older Versa does not have. But the Sense is also supposed to come with an EKG sensor, which explains the shiny metal surface. Sadly, the feature is not yet available in Malaysia, because of that, you cannot access the EKG function of the Fitbit Sense yet.
The strap is a new type of strap that Fitbit calls an infinity band. It is very different from the older quick release strap that you see on the Fitbit Versa 2 and older. They claim that the material should feel better on the skin too, more comfortable. We do have to admit that the new band is slightly softer than before.
The latch mechanism on the older Versa smartwatches are very similar with the quick release straps of regular watches, which opens up possibilities for third-party strap makers to convert their straps into a Fitbit strap. Thing is, the lugs on the Fitbit Versa has a very unique shape to it that might not play nice with general watch straps.
On the Sense, they turned away from the general quick release mechanism and went back to their own quick release design that has worked in their own favour for the longest time. That also reduces the amount of ‘affordable’ or third-party options that you can find on the likes of Shopee or Lazada. Instead, now you have to go back to Fitbit for a different coloured or types of strap for your Fitbit Sense and Versa 3 that properly fits. Spoiler alert, they are not exactly cheap.
The Infinity Band that you get when you buy the Fitbit Sense has an incredibly unique latch mechanism that really secures the watch to your wrist. It only has a small metal latch part that inserts into the pre-made holes in the silicon strap. Once that is latched, you insert the extra ‘tail’ to the other hole on the strap, to keep things nice and tidy. That also means that there is no annoying metal latch that might catch on fabrics or cut into your skin if you strap your Sense too tightly. You still can go for the traditional type of metal buckle strap though; you just have to head to Fitbit’s website (or Official Online Store on Lazada) for different options. Again, you must get it from Fitbit to make sure that the strap actually fits. There is not much in choices yet though in terms of straps for the Fitbit Versa 3 and Sense.
The new lug mechanism is a clever one though. It is much easier to work with than the regular quick release lug. That also means that detaching and changing straps is a 5-second job. All you need to do to take the straps off is just push the tabs slightly and pull the straps away from the Sense. To attach a new strap is even easier than that, just push a new strap in and you are done. The new proprietary lugs also allow the straps to open wider on your wrist, which also means that it should fit bigger wrists better and more comfortably.
Features
Of course, when you buy a smartwatch you want it packed to the brim with different functions and features. Other than packing many watch faces you can choose from, the watch should tell you information like your heart rate, your breathing patterns, where you are, your past, your future, and even what you eat (we are exaggerating on some of these of course). It should be your secondary smartphone that you plonk on your wrist. You should not need to take out your smartphone to see what is on your smartphone.
Notifications
With the Fitbit Sense, you do not really need to take out your smartphone to know what is on your smartphone. Everything that your smartphone gets, your Fitbit Sense can get also. We are talking in terms of notifications, as per the subheading.
We said ‘can’, and not ‘will’. That is because you can choose what notifications the Fitbit Sense takes and which notifications to ignore. You can just set the watch to vibrate and notify you when emails come in, for example. If you wish to ignore Whatsapp for that entire day, you can even turn notification off for Whatsapp.
All these are done through Fitbit’s app. You do not have to dig around to find the notification settings too. You just enter the app, click on your Fitbit device from the app, and the notification settings should be right in that home screen.
Notifications are quite instant too, meaning you will not be missing important calls even if your device is on silent. Notifications are also very dependent on your device though. If you have turned off notification of an app on your smartphone, the notification will most likely not reach your Fitbit Sense as well, by default.
Having notifications on your smartwatch is quite a standard affair these days though. Most smartwatches will also continue to give you vibrate notifications throughout the night if you let it. This is one of those.
Unlike the Fitbit Versa 2 that I personally had, the Fitbit Sense does not automatically turn to sleep mode at your set bedtime. You need to turn the smartwatch on and turn it to sleep mode manually instead. Sleep mode also means that your Always-On Display is turned off to save battery and to allow you to sleep in complete darkness. That, while muting all kinds of notifications, except for the alarms already set on your Fitbit.
Rather than violently shaking your wrist to bits with the alarm function, the watch also has something called Smart Alarm. This is a technology unique to Fitbit watches too. The watch learns your sleep patterns and wakes you up at the most appropriate time before the set alarm time. The most appropriate time also means when you are in the ‘light sleep’ stage of your sleep. That is also not to interfere with your sleep patterns, and you wake up easier, and less grumpy
Fitbit App
The Fitbit App has evolved to one of the best smart wear companion apps available today. It has evolved from just being a smart fitness tracker to an integrated smart wear app. You can track your activities on it. Fitbit is also one of the brands to integrate real-time heart rate monitoring in their smartwatches and that translates to the app as well. It is also your sleep tracker, and your daily organiser, sort of.
In that regards, we would like to see some integration between the Fitbit app with the clock app on your smartphone. The current app does not keep track of the alarms you have on your smartphone, which also means that you have to manually set the alarm on the Fitbit Sense yourself. While the Fitbit app allows you to input your own bedtime and your wake-up time, it does not share that information with the smartwatch to automatically set an alarm for you to wake up. It does remind you that it is nearing your bedtime though, via your smartwatch and smartphone.
You can have an integrated calendar though, via the Agenda App by Fitbit. The Agenda app automatically syncs with any calendar app you have on your smartphone. That also means that you can keep track of your events, or meetings, or appointments from your wrist as well. If you set your calendar app to notify you on an event, you can get that same notification on your Fitbit Sense. The Agenda app itself too will notify you of an appointment.
Of course, the Fitbit app is more than just about managing your Fitbit Sense, or just controlling notifications. It is also your sleep tracker, and everything about your fitness fit into one. Technically it is your Today app that is also on your Fitbit Sense.
Of course, the information available to you is very dependent on the hardware on your wrist. The Fitbit Sense is a unique smartwatch in the range of Fitbit smartwatches because it has a skin temperature sensor for when you sleep, and something called an EDA (Electrodermal Activity) scanner. The Fitbit Sense also has an EKG sensor which is not really used or activated in Malaysia yet.
Skin temperature apparently plays quite an important role in your health. Your skin temperature should typically reflect your core internal temperature with minimal variations. Variations in your skin temperature can determine your health status. That is also why it is important to keep the variation pattern of your skin temperature. The measurements are done mostly when you sleep though, with the Fitbit Sense. The issue is, if you want access to the variation data it is behind Fitbit Premium paywall. If you opt not to pay the MYR 43.99 a month fee, you only get a daily average data.
EDA meanwhile is a measurement of your skin perspiration corelating to your heart rate too. This is a measure of stress levels, technically speaking. So yes, the watch tells you if you are stressed our or not. It even helps you ‘relax’ with some basic meditation programs. Mental health is important too, you know.
Before we forget, the Fitbit App only allows you to have one Fitbit Versa or Sense device paired to the app. That means if you have a Versa 2, you might want to think of selling it or giving it away to your loved ones.
Fitbit Premium
If you pay the MYR 43.99 a month for Fitbit premium, you get more than just daily average readings of your skin temperature. You get to find out what it means too. You also get access to a more comprehensive sleep and heart rate data instead of the basic average tracking that you get.
Perhaps the biggest push for you to get a Fitbit premium subscription though is daily exercise recommendations and regimes. Those might prove useful in this work from home situation. But you get a more in-depth analysis of your sleep patterns too, which might be useful the next time you see your doctor. Exclusive to the Fitbit Sense, you get even meditation recommendations and programs on top of exercise regimes and recommendations.
While subscription-based services are a norm these days, there are certain things that we thought should not be behind a paywall. Yes, Apple does charge for more functionalities and services for their Apple Watch, but they do not hold information back. You still get all the data that the Apple Watch could track for you, whether you pay for it or not.
The Fitbit Premium subscription forces Fitbit’s customers to pay for data that users might want or need for their own analysis. Things like heart rate during sleep, or even movement data when you sleep is not something that you should keep behind your pay wall, in our opinions. You could, however, access your heart rate data during your sleep by just heading to your heart rate monitor though. In that case, why not just make the collected data available to your sleep analysis in the first place?
Once you start paying for the subscription though, you get access to more than just data. You can get access to a personal health or fitness advisor. You get access to Fitbit’s tailored health, diet, and fitness programmes via Fitbit Coach. Some of them are genuinely great programs to get active with in this pandemic situation. On that front, we can agree on the subscription. We still do not see the point of paying just for accessing that little bit more data though. You might as well spend your money on something like a Samsung Galaxy Watch for that.
The Non-Button
Before I go on and mislead you, there is still a button on the Fitbit Sense, I am not contradicting myself. The Fitbit Sense has a button still, a regular single button like the older Fitbit Versa. It is not a regular button with spring mechanism though. It is a haptic touch button, like the ones you might be used to with the Fitbit Charge, for example.
The only thing is that I do find that kind of button on a wristwatch quite annoying. With a regular button, while it does spoil the clean lines a little bit, you get a tactile feedback of knowing when the button is pressed. With a touch button, you hardly know.
The only good thing is that the touch button on the Fitbit Sense is a pressure sensitive button. That also means that you have to press the button like you mean it for it to respond. It even works with a glove; just in case you are curious. But that also means that just a small pressure on the button might turn the watch on. It even triggers if you push it against your own wrist.
While that is not perfect, it is the same set of problems you are presented with when there is a traditional button in the way too. While the traditional button is gone to be replace with this pressure sensitive sensor thing, it is still placed at the left side of the device like any Fitbit fitness tracker does. That little dimple too is helpful since it is deep enough that your thumb or finger can feel it when you reach for it. Then again, you cannot go wrong with placing your thumb in the middle of the left section of the Fitbit Sense.
Charge Quickly and Openly
The new charger is not the clamp style charging dock that you are used with traditional Fitbit fitness trackers anymore. That also means that you cannot be re-using your old Fitbit Versa or Versa 2 charger. Even the Versa 3 has moved away from that old clamp style charger, by the way.
The charging dock is a much smaller package now that you can fit in your electronic pouch in an instant. Smaller also means that it is easier to lose, so you might want to keep that in mind. But smaller is also better for travels and convenience.
Because the charger does not clamp either side of the Fitbit smartwatch anymore, the buttons are now exposed. The exposed button helps with setting up the device for the first time. You need the charger to get your device up and running anyway. But with the buttons exposed, you can get the screen to work without moving your watch around without looking like a crazy person too.
Once you set it up, you might still want to look at the watch when it is charging to check if it is fully charged and even check the time of day. The exposed button is a great improvement in that aspect. When you pick it up too, you will still be charging your device, because magnet.
The new charger is a magnetic charger so it will automatically stick to your device to charge when you place the Sense near it, neat. But the magnetic charger also means that the charging pins are put in a completely different layout compared to the older Versa devices (it does not have to, but why not). That also means that you cannot use this charger to charge your older devices. In that case, make sure you find the old charger if you want to pass on the older device to your family or friends. In this pandemic situation also, we encourage you to give the older device a thorough clean before passing it on.
The new charger is also even faster than before. If you managed to get the battery flat on the Fitbit Sense, the charger gets you up and running again in 12 minutes, provided you have the right charger. This is also part of their marketing blurb; “a full day’s charge in 12 minutes”. That is not full charge though.
We do find this claim to be quite true. If you find that your smartwatch battery has dwindled a little bit to near empty, you get it plugged to the charger, get changed, do your quick toilet break, wear your shoe, tie it down, and you are ready to get going again for a whole day technically. A full charge will typically take about an hour or so too, which also means that you might want to include a quick shower and grooming into that routine before heading out and you are ready to take on even more days with the Fitbit Sense. We will talk more about the battery life later though
OLED Display
We usually include this section in performance. The issue here is, on a smartwatch, the display is more of a feature to have than a performance gauge. Most smartwatch displays are not high-resolution, high-speed, ultra-bright displays that you use to perform digital magic with anyway.
The display on the Fitbit Sense though is still a very pretty display that we have expected since the Versa 2. Like the Versa 2 as well it has an OLED display with super black blacks and vivid colours. Fitbit did not officially mention the resolution of the display because it is truly unimportant.
The OLED display is also bright enough under direct sunlight which is brilliant because you still can see it when you are out and about, at least I can. You might want to choose watch faces that has plenty of blacks too though. The reason for that is so that the Fitbit Sense does not blind you when you are trying to see it in the middle of the night, or when you are in a movie theatre. It also ensures that you do not disturb other people in the theatre, or your partner who is most likely fast asleep.
But OLED displays has more things going for it. For example, because it is more power efficient, your battery life is extended compared to normal smartwatches. That, or you can make your package a lot smaller than necessary packing smaller sized batteries. Thanks to that too, Always-on Display is possible, and looks great because the colours are so vivid.
Performance
The performance of a smartwatch is determined mostly by the virtues of its functions though. To us, the experience that you are going to have with the smartwatch is more important that how fast it churns numbers. So, what if the watch packs a Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 series (it does not), It is not like I can play games on the watch anyway (there are no games in the Fitbit app market). What is important then is how fast we can work with it, and how much more convenience we get with the watch.
User Interface
The Fitbit Sense comes with Fitbit’s own User Interface (UI) and Operating System (OS). It is an interface unique to Fitbit’s smartwatches and we foresee it in future smartwatches. They did not mention what sort of hardware the Fitbit Sense comes with to run the OS, just that it runs.
We like the layout of the Fitbit OS very much on the Versa and the Versa 2. They make plenty of sense with big icons occupying the display as you scroll through the interface. Looking at notification is as straightforward as pulling the display down as well, very sensible. While scrolling from bottom to up gives you up to date information from weather, to your heart rate and what not. On the left of the watch face screen is your quick settings like sleep mode or Always-on Display mode.
Everything is where they are meant to be and very intuitive after the first minutes of use. The icons are big and easy to read on the tiny display that is the smartwatch. What we find very annoying on most smartwatches is that the icons for apps or functions are very small on the display. That also means that you need a high degree of precision to make the watch work. Fitbit’s OS only allows you to display four app icons on one menu scree, which also means that you most likely will get the right apps to launch the first touch. Even the quick settings menu only has six big buttons on the screen. The only issue then is that you have to do a bit more scrolling that usual. Not a deal breaker still.
The UI can lag a little sometimes. We actually hoped that Fitbit improved their OS a little bit or put something a little more powerful to accommodate the sensors and make the UI feel a little smoother. Instead, the same lag when you input and when changing screen that the Versa 2 had can also be seen here. Even opening apps can be quite slow with the Fitbt Sense. There is just no sense of consistency in that too, one app opens in an instant, and another app takes forever to open and load.
Still, at least the app layout looks consistent most of the time. There are plenty of blacks that is used on the UI, which is also good because it makes the whole top looks like the display. Of course, the information screen is shown in a certain area of the display with quite large bezels (for smartwatches).
Most of Fitbit’s app screens has a center background glow too to add some flair and visual drama to the app. When the app is open, the app is laid out like a list, which also makes plenty of sense. It helps you comb through all the important information quickly and makes everything looks bigger and more accessible. The only issue is that scrolling through can be a bit of a pain sometimes because the display registers your touch as a press rather than scroll from time to time. So, you need to be a bit more precise here.
Navigating through the watch is also easy enough. You click to open an app, you click through again to access a specific information, and you press the single button on the side to get it out to the home screen. To go back to the previous screen, simply swipe from the left to right of the display. The button can also have a programmable long-press function. We set ours to launch Music, but you can easily set it to do other things like launch an app on your Fitbit Sense.
Yes, you can control the music app on your smartphone with the watch as well. With the Spotify app you can control Spotify on any device that is playing music with your Spotify account. But the Music app allows you to control the music that you play through your Bluetooth paired smartphone device regardless of the app you use (Tidal is not on Fitbit’s app store). Of course, to enable this you would have to dig into the settings a little bit and allow Sense Control under Music Control. This is a definite improvement over the previous Versa 2 and Versa music control. We also find the Spotify App to be a little finnicky for our liking, working 80% of the time and not working for the remainder of the time because it cannot detect any devices playing on your device for some reason.
You can easily load up music into the device too though via the app if you have Deezer. We do not have Deezer, which also means that it is quite pointless for us to try connecting our Bluetooth earphones to Fitbit Sense also at this point. Fitbit says that the Sense can connect up to eight Bluetooth devices, including a Bluetooth speaker. Still, if you have Deezer, you might want to do that so that you do not have to bring your smartphone out for a quick run.
There are also plenty of watch faces you can choose from in their app market too. While you cannot find the same faces as the Apple Watch or Samsung’s Galaxy Watch, or even stuff from Android Wear, there are plenty of selections from Fitbit’s app market that you will not be bored with the watch face. Either that, or you will find one that suits you in terms of visuals and information load.
Exercise mode
According to Fitbit’s website, the Fitbit Sense has over 20 exercise modes with SmartTrack. You can set your own exercises and set your own goals based on all the exercises. You can go as basic as a simple running, bikes, circuit training, hiking, HIIT, Golf, and even martial arts. Kickboxing is even put into its own category here. The only thing we have done with the watch is go for a quick run though (I am not very fit).
In some of these exercise modes, like running and bike mode, the Fitbit Sense is connected to GPS to track your location and creates a pathway. Of course, the GPS data is also used to measure the distance you have travelled, and even your pace. You can refer to all these data collected on your Fitbit app too, to make life easier.
Of course, like any other modern Fitbit devices, the Fitbit Sense also automatically jumps into exercise mode when it detects your heart rate spiking above a certain rate for a prolonged period. In that sense, you do not need to go into individual exercise modes all the time just to get your Fitbit to log data. The only issue is, it might not detect the sport that accurately, which also means you might need to go back into the watch to get it into the correct mode.
However, it does not contain all the right exercise modes too. One of the most popular past-times or sport in Malaysia is Badminton, which also happens to be my game of choice. That also means that the only mode I can set the Fitbit Sense to, in this sense, is either Tennis, or just let it go to regular sport mode, like I have done on the Fitbit Versa 2.
In those modes it accurately tracks your heart rate and puts it in a nice chart for you to look at after your exercise. It even tells you when your heart rate is at a fat burning stage and what not. Thankfully, in regular sport mode, not much information is hidden behind Fitbit’s Paywall.
Most of the exercise modes can also be tweaked a little bit before you set off on your exercises. You can set them to collect all sorts of data like lap times, number of steps, average speeds, calories burnt, target heart rate, target time, and what not. All the exercise mode can have largely the same data sets too. Of course, not all the data that is being collected are useful to the exercise you are doing at that time. For example, lap times and lap count data are a little pointless in Tennis.
Battery Life
We touched a little bit on the new fast-charging dock. We touched a little bit also on how fast it charges. In all our tests, the Fitbit Sense charges in about an hour if you plug it to the right power source. Of course, Fitbit does not include their own power brick for the charger. They only give the dock with an open USB Type-A end.
This practice is not new for Fitbit though. They have never (in our knowledge) included a power brick to charge your device with. While it is quite unthinkable, it is not such a crazy idea. When you have decided to buy a Fitbit device today, you would already be using a smartphone that comes with a power brick with a USB Type-A port to charge your smartphones. If not, you would also have an extra OEM power brick lying somewhere. If you do not even have that you can plug your charging dock into a PC’s USB port, and it will still charge the Fitbit Sense with a slightly lower charge speed, but it will still charge.
While observing its charge speed (yes, we actually put a stopwatch while watching the charge on the Fitbit Sense go up), we found that the Fitbit Sense will charge fully in about an hour no matter the charge state of the battery. The Fitbit Sense will charge very quickly when there is little to no charge in the Fitbit Sense (with a dedicated charger). The charging speed slows down after a while though, we suspect to extend the battery shelf life. But we also notice that fast charging the device accumulates a heap of heat on the Fitbit Sense, which might not be too comfortable on your wrist right after the charge.
That also means that charges will take about an hour or so before the display lights up to tell you that it is fully charged. Once charged, the Fitbit Sense is quoted to last about 6 full days (a full day for their claim is 24 hours). Keep in mind that the quoted battery life does not consider Always-on Display, which we are using. In our use case we get about four to five days in battery life. It also depends if the watch is constantly on your wrist all-day. A typical use case in my personal experience is wearing the watch only when I am going to bed, heading out, or going for an exercise (at home or out).
Of course, you could save battery by turning off Always-on Display. Your choice of watch face could also dramatically affect its battery life. More blacks, for example, on your watch face uses less resources on the display and therefore consumes less battery life.
While we never got six days out of the Fitbit Sense, it does not mean that the battery life is less than average. The last time we got battery life longer than the Fitbit Sense was from a Garmin smartwatch without a touch sensitive LCD as its main interaction interface. To be fair, those Garmin devices are in their own class as adventure and fitness focused smartwatches.
That said though, even 4 days in battery life is already at least twice or three times more than what you can get from an Apple Watch and most Android Wear devices these days. The Samsung Galaxy Watch 3 could hold itself up to about 3 days at a maximum with all its function on. In that sense, for something that you rely on inside and outside your house, 4 days in battery life is nothing short of amazing and something anyone can appreciate. Of course, Fitbit devices have always been known to have an exceptionally long battery life from a package no bigger than your automatic watch at home.
We also appreciate how small and compact the charging dock is. We mentioned this earlier, we know, but bear with us a little bit here. The charger can be easily packed into my electronics pouch for a quick trip to a foreign land; Singapore let us say. The charger could be easily left at home though if I am only abroad for two nights since the battery holds a charge for about four days for me. Packing the charger for a ‘just-in-case’ situation though is easy enough and does not add bulk and weight to our bags. We like this even better than the older clamp style charging dock that does not sit properly anywhere.
The Fitbit Sense – Sensible All-Rounder
The Fitbit Sense is not just a small improvement over the older Versa line-up though. It is not a Versa+, not really. It may look and feel similar, but I think that it sits in a slightly different category. It technically is a more premium Fitbit Versa 3 in a sense, I admit. But the whole form factor and functionality is a big improvement over the Versa 2. The newer ergonomics slightly more rounded and softer shape of the Fitbit Sense makes it look more modern, more ‘stealth’. It looks like it belongs on the wrist as a fashion item now. It is stylish.
Then there is the same great UI that we are very easily used to from the Versa series. The OLED display makes everything looks sharper than before and better. We may not agree too much with their shift to a proprietary strap lugs, but it is much easier to work with compared the Versa 2. In that sense, it is a big sensible upgrade.
All these things are packaged in a body that holds a speaker and mic that can theoretically work with phone calls, and even Google Assistant. It already works with Amazon’s Alexa, so the other two should work nicely too. Inside the body is also a potentially game changing feature that is disabled only because of regulation irregularities in the country. Once it is available though, it would be an especially important feature.
You also get more than 2 days of battery life with it, which also means you need not worry about its charge or whether or not it will faithfully serve you through the day without dying. You do not need to carry its charger everywhere you go to0, you do not even need to take it off at work. Even if you need to carry its charger, it is so small and light that you can throw it in your gear bag quickly without adding bulk.
We admit though that we are not in total agreement of the paywall that Fitbit puts up for certain extra information from their trackers. You are already paying a premium for these items. The Fitbit Sense will set you back MYR 1,498, more expensive than any other Fitbit that you can buy today. The most expensive Fitbit in the range of Fitbit fitness trackers only comes with 6 months of Fitbit Premium trial, not even one year. We think that this is a little ridiculous given the timing of its launch too.
The Fitbit Sense is an MYR 350 premium over the Fitbit Versa 3, though. In a lot of sense, they are the same sort of smartwatches with one or two differences in material choice and sensors packed in. They offer the same battery life too, with also over 20 exercise modes. The display is technically similar, alongside the very familiar UI from Fitbit. That also means you can get the same watch faces.
At this point, because the Fitbit Sense is a little crippled by certain restrictions, the Fitbit Versa 3 would seem like a better buy since it is cheaper. We agree with that too. You get a less flashy matte finish case too, which contributes to the ‘stealth’ look better. You do not get unnecessary functions with the Versa 3 too, so that is that. With those out of the way, it should be quite a straightforward choice for you at this point.
Fitbit is a name that comes to mind when you’re thinking of wearables which put fitness at the forefront. The company has been actively developing a platform that gives users actionable data on their health. What’s more, Fitbit has even taken steps to help their community better cope with these unprecedented times.
Malaysia is the latest country getting an infusion of Fitbit. The company has announced the local availability of its three new wearables: the Fitbit Sense, the Fitbit Versa 3 and the Fitbit Inspire 2. The three new devices mark the start of a new generation of wearables for Fitbit featuring new technology that gives users even more actionable health data. It is excited to see what is inside about it. Some call the app “ECG” and it allows users to gain insight into their heart performance and possible conditions, like irregular or erratic heartbeats.
The Fitbit Sense made its debut in August as the company’s new flagship smartwatch with brand new technology which allows users to monitor their heart’s rhythm via an ECG monitor. The Fitbit Sense is currently the most advanced health smartwatch available in the market for only RM1,498 with 6-months complementary access to Fitbit Premium. The Sense also features the world’s first electrodermal activity(EDA) sensor on a smartwatch to help users monitor stress levels. The Sense touts up to 7 days battery life depending on how you use it.
From the cutting edge to the accessible, Fitbit isn’t leaving anyone behind. The Fitbit Inspire 2 joins the foray with a price tag of only MYR498. It is designed to be slim and comes with a brighter screen and the longest battery life of any Fitbit device at 10 days. Purchases of the FitBit Inspire 2 also comes with a one year free trial of Fitbit Premium.
Together with the Sense and Inspire 2, Fitbit is also bringing the updated Versa 3. The Versa line up is their first smartwatch line up which marries Fitbit technology with the growing demand for smartwatches. The Versa 3 brings enhanced features including GPD tracking, wireless music and more. However, pricing and availability for the Versa 3 will be announced at a later date.
Apple’s highly anticipated September 2020 event just happened last night. Of course, like everything else these days, it happened virtually. If you watched it, it is still pre-recorded, clearly.
The event did not bring a new iPhone though, to Apple iPhone enthusiast’s dismay. Instead the event brought out two stars of the show. The first is what we all saw coming all along – the Apple Watch Series 6.
Apple Watch Series 6
Source: Apple
The Apple Watch Series 6 is, as we all know, is Apple’s latest and greatest in smartwatch technology. For the first time ever, you do not need an Apple iPhon4 smartphone to use and fully work with the Apple Watch. Actually, more about that later.
The new Apple Watch Series 6 comes in three colours, for now. There is the usual Stainless Steel variant, that was so popular since its introduction. There is now a Red and Blue variant to the Apple Watch Series 6. They are made of aluminium of course.
There is a new health sensor too boot as well with the Apple Watch Series 6. It still has an ECG sensor that was hyped about with the Series 5. Additionally, there is a new blood Oxygen sensor that is more accurate than ever. It only takes 15 seconds for you to see what your blood oxygen level looks like. It is a clever little system that analyses the colour of your blood.
Source: Apple
Even when you sleep, the watch is still active. It tracks your sleep data or whatever data it collects anyway and stores it within the fitness app. No it does not send data and exchange its data with a central server. You can be sure that your sleep and fitness data is private. Even if you do not wear it to sleep, it measures data at intervals and stores them within the app for you to view later anyway.
But it is not just on the surface that the Apple Watch gets an upgrade. Within its svelte body is an S6 processing chip that is based on the powerful A13 Bionic architecture. That also means that the Apple Watch is quite a bit more powerful than ever before.
The new processor allows the Apple Watch Series 6 to pack a brighter display on the device while boasting improved battery life performance. The display is now 2.5x brighter than before too, which means there is no need to squint under bright sunlight.
Source: Apple
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The added brightness and outdoor visibility benefit the Always On display function too. The always-on function can now display the alti-meter on full time for you to track your hikes. On top of that, the Apple Watch Series 6 has added fitness functions and cleverer fitness detection. We will talk about that later though.
Apple Watch SE – Still an Apple Watch, but More Affordable
Apple Watch Series 6 too rich for your blood? Do not want a Series 3 either? Then there is the Apple Watch SE.
The Apple Watch SE is everything that the Apple Watch Series 6 is. It is more affordable that the Apple Watch Series 6. That does not mean that you are getting a sub-par product though. You get the same bright display as the Series 6, the same sizes, and the same fittings and finishes. You even get the Apple WatchOS 7 that is supposed to be loaded on the Apple Watch Series 6.
Source: Apple
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There are a few differences still though. You do not get the EKG sensor that was introduced on the Apple Watch Series 5. It packs a similar chipset with the Apple Watch Series 5 though. You also do not get the blood oxygen sensor that the Apple Watch Series 6 gets.
Apple Fitness+
In that front, Apple introduced their new Fitness+ service. The Fitness+ app can be accessed via Apple’s Fitness app. It is technically an additional subscription service for Apple Watch users.
The Fitness+ service is a new service that makes use of your Apple Watch with the rest of your Apple devices. You could make do just with an iPhone and the Apple Watch though, with the Apple Fitness+. You do not even need to be at home to take advantage of Fitness+.
As a subscriber to Fitness+, users gets access to various trainers and exercises virtually. You get new workout challenges, schedules, and even types every week too. Every week you also can get access to new trainers. The trainers and workout types are also recommended based on the data collected by your Apple Watch.
Source: Apple
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The Apple Fitness+ Fitness app service is available now to any Apple iPhone users. The subscription starts from US$ 9.99 a month. If you go for a yearly subscription, you are paying US$ 79.99 a year.
Apple Watch Family
With the new Apple WatchOS 7, Apple Watch users does not have to have their own iPhone anymore. Before you get overly excited though, it does not mean that the Apple Watch is compatible with Android devices though. It just means that you do not need your own Apple iPhone to work with an Apple Watch.
What that means is that you can now connect a few Apple Watch devices to a single Apple iPhone device. That also means that you can connect your kids’ and parents’ Apple Watch devices to your Fitness app. Through the app you have full control over monitoring the locations and activities of the other Apple Watch users in your family.
Availability and Pricing
The Apple WatchOS 7 will be available for mot Apple Watch devices from the series 3 onward by the 17th September 2020. The Apple Watch Series 6 is available in the United States this Friday onward for US$ 399, no word on availability in Malaysia. Prices will start at MYR 1,749 though for Malaysia. The Apple Watch SE is available this Friday in the United States too this Friday onward for US$ 279. No official word on Malaysia’s availability just yet, but it will be priced at MYR 1,199. The Apple Watch Series 3 is also now priced at MYR 849.
The new Apple Watch Series 6 and Apple Watch SE will also be available with some new strap selections for the Apple Watch. The most interesting strap option they have with the new Watch, to us, is the Solo Loop Strap. The Solo Loop Strap effectively makes your Apple Watch into a slip-on bracelet type fitness tracker. It is available in 7 different colours and two different material types. If also comes in various strap sizes to properly fit differing strap sizes.
Fitness is a journey of a thousand steps and it usually begins with the first one. If you’re like me, that journey usually gets started and then quickly falls by the sidelines when visible results begin to plateau. I was pretty adamant in losing weight this round and then came a little angel who told me to try using the new Fitbit Charge 4 and passed me one for review.
The Fitbit Charge 4 was released not too long ago and comes with a very minor, but significant update to the Charge 3 – GPS tracking. This isn’t the first time I was using fitness bands or smartwatches; in fact, I use a Galaxy Watch daily and was using the Charge 3 before. But after a while, they became watches more than fitness trackers; a problem I’m pretty sure many others face. That brings up the question – why not buy a regular analogue watch? So, this time, I decided to pay closer attention to the features that the Fitbit Charge 4 offers and figure out how to effectively use them to help achieve my goals.
Setting up the Fitbit Charge 4 & Making Sense of Metrics
As always, the first thing you do with a new fitness tracker is to pair it with your phone. Like all other Fitbit devices, I plugged in the Charge 4 to get things powered up and started. I was pleasantly greeted by a smile and a prompt to continue the setup process on my smartphone – a Galaxy S20 Ultra 5G. The setup process was pretty straight forward but I was more impressed with the ease of setup. In the past, with the Charge 3 and even the Versa before, the setup process was rather painful with the devices not being detected and even disconnecting midway. The Charge 4 was a breeze, no issues at all.
Once it was setup, I glanced through the app looking at the many features which come in the Charge 4. You’ve got everything from the basic tracking of steps to sleep tracking and even GPS tracking. Fitbit has put a lot into making sure that you have everything you need to quantify your fitness journey in the Charge 4. However, it was quite daunting to be facing metric after metric after metric after metric. It wouldn’t be too farfetched to say that many people wouldn’t be able to make heads or tail of the many metrics that the Charge 4 can track. After some research and looking into the metrics, I realised that the biggest challenge any fitness newbie would face is the eventual plateau which I mentioned in the beginning. So, looking at the metrics that the Charge 4 could give me, I decided that the best thing to do is work towards overcoming that plateau.
The Charge 4 is able to track sleep, steps taken, distance travelled while walking, heart rate, calories burnt and a new metric called the Active Zone minutes. Other metrics such as weight, calories consumed, and hydration can also be measured but involve manually inputting the data into the app. With all of these available, I looked into creating a baseline for myself before I decide to make changes. After monitoring my metrics for about three days, I realised that I may not need to use all the metrics available – at least not initially. I looked at which areas I need to improve and realised that, for me at least, I needed to start looking into getting better sleep, being less sedentary and getting enough hydration.
The Fitbit App’s heart rate monitor screen helps you monitor your fitness level with you resting heart rate
Fitbit’s new Active Zone minutes feature allows you to set how many active minutes you want to cover a day
The Fitbit App also gives you weekly summaries and suggestions which can help you do better
This narrowed down my focus to three main metrics: sleep, steps taken or active zone and hydration. With my main focus set, I had the trusty Charge 4 to help me make small changes that can help me with my fitness.
Using the Charge 4 to Make Small, Meaningful Changes for Better Health
Using the Fitbit Charge 4 to track your steps, sleep and active zone is pretty straight forward – just wear the Fitbit. So, wear the Charge 4 I did. Keeping up with the metrics is a lot of work. You have to open the app to check up on yourself on a daily basis. However, the array of widgets that the Fitbit app helps ever so much in helping you keep track and making changes.
Setting Goals within the app will help with making meaningful changes to help you achieve your fitness goals
The multiple widgets on my home screen for Fitbit’s app. There isn’t a compact, integrated one. You have to place each toggle on its own.
For me, because one of my goals was to get enough sleep, the daily reminders and nudges to prepare for bed were a godsend. It has allowed me to get into a wind-down routine and put away my tech when the nudges come. This has actually translated into better sleep overall. However, – and this is a BIG one – the sleep tracking has been hit or miss for me. So, I’ve been using my smartwatch to get a more accurate picture of how I’ve been sleeping on a daily basis.
The Fitbit Charge 4 has also been breaking up my daily 10,000 steps into smaller, more achievable goals throughout the day. To help me achieve this goal, it nudges me every hour to get up and get some steps in. Believe it or not? This small adjustment also helps me get more productive throughout the day. I’ve been able to get more done in a day than before without feeling drained midway.
Fitbit’s sleep monitoring screen gives you a lot of useful information when it works. Otherwise it’s just a missed opportunity
Monitoring is easy with the overview the app gives you but you have to open the app to get it.
The hardest adjustment for me is the monitoring of my water intake. Since it’s done manually, I have to remember to turn on the phone and record the amount of water I’m consuming. As you can tell, this also means that I might miss recording a few glasses of water here and there. But, more hydration is a good thing.
Fitness Isn’t Just about the Aesthetics
Overall, my first week with the Charge 4 has thought me one big lesson – fitness isn’t just about looking good. It’s about the small changes that eventually lead to being more “fit” overall; aesthetics is just a result of you feeling better about yourself and overall, your body coping better with the stresses you face on a day to day basis. As the Malay saying goes, “sikit-sikit, lama-lama menjadi bukit” ; roughly translated: bit by bit, over time it will become a hill.
While the Charge 4 isn’t a magically genie that grants wishes, it’s given a health-science degree holding, obese person a new, quantifiable approach to dealing with the extra kilos. If you’re looking at the scale continuously, you’ll get demotivated over time especially when the reading starts to nag the same digits over and over again. Start with small changes like getting enough sleep and drinking enough water – the rest will come naturally. Getting the Charge 4 or something similar that fits your needs and budget will also help you get there.
IoT was the keyword of last year. That does not mean that IoT is an outdated concept though. It is still a big thing as we are going into the 5G era. But IoT is also not a new concept even coming into 2019. Our smartwatches are considered IoT devices. These smartwatches have existed for several years now.
Of course, ever since we saw the first smartwatch, everyone wants to be a part of that smart wearable market. The accessories market, after all, is one of the most profitable. realme, being on of the major players in the smartphone market is one of those companies that has delved into the IoT product market. In fact, they have been one of the fastest growing manufacturers in the segment.
Their growth rate is nothing curious though. The brand has been offering very compelling products at extremely attractive and accessible prices. Think about it, would you buy a TWS earbuds for MYR 599 or MYR 199 when they do the same things? The only real difference is probably in the branding. Okay, to be fair, there are some differences here and there in different aspects. But hey, the better accessibility also means that you can sell more of it since it is less painful to your pockets.
With the kind of success they enjoy, they are going to expand on other wearable and smart living products. It is quite inevitable too; everyone is getting into the wearable game that was conquered by the likes of Samsung. So, in addition to their previously launched realme Buds TWS earbuds, they launched even more products today.
realme Buds Air Neo
Source: realme
Source: realme
Source: realme
Firstly, they launched a new and improved TWS earbuds. They call it the realme Buds Air Neo. No, it does not come with noise cancelling technology. But it is an all-around better product with a slightly larger drivers at 13mm. They come with 17 hours of battery life too in total too. Also, it is a Bluetooth 5.0 device. Now also, you can wear it to the gym with zero worries since it is an IPX4 device. You might be able to wear it in the showers too. Just make sure it does not go into the drain.
realme Buds Q
Source: realme
Source: realme
Source: realme
They also launched another TWS earbuds. They launched the realme Buds Q that is supposed to have even more battery life at up to 20 hours of music playback time. Instead of the Apple Earpods-esque design, this is a more conventional design that we are used to. It has the usual silicon eartips that fit into your ears and seal the sounds in for a passive noise cancelling. Even with a smaller 10mm drivers, you should not lose too much performance on the earbuds. Still, because of the smaller drivers, it is light too at 3.9g each side
It comes with its own set of touch sensitive controls for a seamless design. The charging and storage case is also different with a pebble like design for a better looking fit and feel in the hands. It feels more natural. Of course, that is to be expected when they engaged Hermés’ designer josé Lévy.
realme watch
Source: realme
Then there is the realme watch. The realme watch is realme’s answer to the Fitbit Versa, HUAWEI Watch GT, Samsung Galaxy Watch, and even the Apple Watch. At first glances, it looks more like the Fitbit Versa and Apple Watch combined. The rotating crown and button combination of the Apple Watch is nowehere to be found. In their place is a Fitbit Versa-eque button but in the wrong place.
Greeting you from your wrist is a 1.4-inch touch sensitive display that is quite a staple for plenty of smartwatches these days. Like any respectable smartwatches too the realme watch has all the right sensors including a full-time heart rate sensor. It is also made to be water resistant with IP68 so you can wear it to the gym, or even in the showers with no fuss.
The realme watch does not look like it is running on Google Wear though. Instead realme builds their own version of a wearable operating system that fits the squared face better. Of course, it comes with multiple watchfaces that you can swap to anytime you like. The watch that has 14 sports modes will connect with your smartphones via the realme proprietary Link Smart App for all the health data and additional settings to be controlled on your smartphone.
realme Band
Source: realme
Source: realme
Source: realme
If you are not looking for something as complex as a smartwatch though, you have the realme Band. While it looks like just any other smart fitness tracker band thing that you can get from the likes of Samsung and even Fitibit, it is a little bit more special. You do not need any USB docks or wires to charge the device. No, it is not wireless charging in a sense, it is still docked charging, just that you do not need anything other than the watch itself to charge. Simply remove the bottom part of the strap and plug it into your PC or power bank or wall charger via USB port to start charging it.
You get 0.95-inch of colours from the watchface with a full-time heart rate sensor. You also get to track your daily activities with the built-in 9 modes. It is also IP68 rated so you still can take it from the gym to the showers with zero concerns over your device dying on you.
Power Banks
Of course, everyone is in extended power game now. Realme has their own attractive looking, striking coloured realme Power Bank line-up too. They introduced their new Power Bank 2 with multiple charging ports that supports up to 18W power output with USB Type-C two-way charging. This is a 10,000 mAh power pack, which also means it can charge most of your smartphones twice over
They also launched another variant of their Power Bank – the realme 30W Dart Charge Power Bank. As its name suggest, this power pack charges devices at up to 30W to drain its 10,000mAh capacity in no time. Yes, it charges multiple devices at one go too.
Price and Availability
The realme Buds Air Neo will be available in three colours – Pop White, Punk Green, and Rock Red. It will be available on the 22nd of June onward exclusively on Shopee at this time for MYR 199. If you do go on Shoppe to buy the TWS earbuds on the 22nd and 23rd of June, on the realme exclusive flash sales on Shopee though, you can get your Buds Air Neo at MYR 79.
The pretty looking realme Buds Q will be available in either Yellow, Pure white, or Black colour options. You are looking at July if you want your hands on one. There are no prices announced yet for this one, so stay tune to realme’s website or Facebook page.
realme’s watch will be available in Black, but you can interchange your strap to different colours. That will also be available with realme watch on the 12th June onward for MYR 299. If you get it on realme’s exclusive flash sales on Shopee though, you can get your hands on one for MYR 249 only.
The realme Band will also only be available later from 22nd June onward. It will be available in three colours variants – Yellow, Black and Green. On 22nd and 23rd realme exclusive flash sales on Shopee, you can get your hands on the realme Band at MYR 79 instead of its full retail price of MYR 129.
The Power Banks that realme introduced today will be available in two colour options – Yellow and Black. The Power Bank 2 with 18W charging will be available on the 12th June 2020 onward. On that day’s exclusive flash sales on Shopeee, you can get the Power Bank 2 for MYR 99 instead of MYR 129. The Dart Charge Power Bank will only be available somewhere in July with no announced price tag just yet. For more information on all their launched products, you can head over to their website.
