Charge 2 adds advanced health and fitness features like “Relax” guided breathing and cardio fitness level (estimated VO2 Max); Swim-proof Flex 2 goes ultra-slim, with modern accessories to stay motivated in style
MANILA —Building on the popularity of its groundbreaking wearable devices, Fitbit (NYSE:Building on the popularity of its groundbreaking wearable devices, Fitbit (NYSE: FIT), the leader in the connected health and fitness market, recently introduced two new fitness wristbands – Fitbit Charge 2™ and Fitbit Flex 2™. Charge 2 and Flex 2 effortlessly track your most important health and fitness stats, with new sleek looks and an experience that is even more engaging, motivating and personal to help you reach your goals.
- Fitbit Charge 2: The most popular fitness wristband from Fitbit just got better. In addition to PurePulse® heart rate tracking, it now features an enhanced exercise experience, new health and fitness tools, the smart notifications you need most, and a new design with a larger display and interchangeable bands that easily let you go from a workout to a night out.
- Fitbit Flex 2: Fitbit’s ultra-slim, first-ever swim-proof fitness wristband, features a removable tracker that transforms with classic bands, elegant bangles or pendants, allowing you to effortlessly track all-day activity, exercise and sleep in a style that’s all your own.
“Over the past nine years it has been our ability to innovate on both design and utility, and our deep understanding of what consumers want, that has made us the leading global wearable company[1],” said James Park, co-founder and CEO of Fitbit. “Flex quickly became the best-selling tracker[2] on the market as one of the first wearables to successfully merge fitness and fashion; we’ve revolutionized Flex 2 by making it swim-proof and adding more features in a design that is 30% smaller than the original. We broke new ground with Charge HR by making wrist-based heart rate accessible to millions of users around the world, and we’ve done it again with Charge 2, giving users a snapshot of their cardio fitness based on estimated VO2 Max.”
Make Every Beat Count with Charge 2
Fitbit, the world’s leading wearables company1, has reimagined Fitbit Charge HR™, its most popular fitness wristband that was the first to bring continuous, automatic heart rate to your wrist. With a new, sleek look and an easy-to-read display that is four times larger than its predecessor, Charge 2 brings an experience that is more engaging, motivating and personal to help you reach your goals.
Top features include:
- Innovations from PurePulse: Continuous heart rate tracking makes it easier to maximise workouts, better track calorie burn, and get a picture of your overall health. Charge 2 advances health and fitness tracking with two new impactful features that are powered by your personal heart rate:
- Get a snapshot of your cardio fitness level: Automatically find out how fit you are with a personalised cardio fitness level and score, based on your estimated VO2 Max, that are calculated using your user profile, heart rate and exercise data. Plus, get guidance to take action and improve your score over time by increasing exercise frequency, intensity, or by reaching a healthier weight.
- Relax with guided breathing sessions: Charge 2 offers a relaxing mindfulness experience that calms your body and mind through personalised deep-breathing sessions called “Relax”. Beat-to-beat changes in your heart rate determine your personalised breathing rate. Two-and five-minute sessions display real-time heart rate visualisations, animations and vibrational cues to help you align each inhale and exhale with the guide, and find moments of calm throughout your day. Research has shown that developing a long-term guided breathing practice can have health benefits including reducing stress[3] and anxiety[4], and lowering blood pressure[5].
- Enhanced fitness experience: Get real-time, actionable exercise stats right on the display so you can make instant adjustments during your workouts and improve over time.
- Multi-sport modes: Track specific workouts like runs, bike rides, weights, yoga and more, plus get post-exercise summaries and a detailed report of your activity in the Fitbit® app.
- Connected GPS: Links your fitness wristband with the GPS in your smartphone to provide even more precise and actionable real-time stats, like pace and distance when you’re running, while recording a map of your route in the app.
- Interval workout mode: Guides you in alternating periods of high-intensity exercise and recovery to maximise workouts like circuit training so you can stay focused on your workout.
- Smarter, easier all-day tracking: Advanced sensors make tracking your whole day effortless by automatically capturing all-day activity and sleep. SmartTrack™ automatic exercise recognition records everyday activities like walking, running, elliptical, and more with ease. Reminders to Move motivate you to stay active throughout the day.
- Sleek, new design: The modular design and easy-to-read tap-sensitive display is four-times larger than Charge HR, letting you personalise a look that fits your style with interchangeable bands and clock faces – while keeping you connected with the smart notifications you need most.
“Ever since my days as a competitive athlete, staying healthy and fit has always been a top priority and I’ve built my life around those goals,” said Gabby Reece, athlete, model, mother, fitness leader and Fitbit ambassador. “Fitbit Charge 2 is unique in that it gives me the tools and guidance for both. I not only have continuous visibility into my heart rate which gives me real insight into my overall health including workouts – but Fitbit built on that even further with access to my cardio fitness level. This new feature provides an estimate of my VO2 Max, which is something I only had access to in a lab during my pro days. But its Charge 2’s guided breathing sessions that really resonates with me as one of the most important things I do to improve my health and manage stress.”
Anywhere You Go, Track Your Day in Style with Flex 2
Fitbit has enhanced its iconic and industry-defining tracker, Fitbit Flex®, into an ultra-slim, swim-proof fitness wristband that can transform to fit your personal style with a variety of stylish new accessories. With smarter exercise features, Flex 2 effortlessly tracks your fitness and provides friendly motivation to help you stay active throughout your day.
Top features include:
- Ultra-slim, minimalist design: Now 30% smaller[6], Flex 2 features a removable tracker and interchangeable slim, classic fitness bands in seven colours that are perfect for every day, hitting the gym or going for a swim.
- Premium accessory options: Transform and customise Flex 2 in a variety of Fitbit-designed bracelets and pendants to best suit your style or activity. Choose from a range of luxe, premium mirror-finish bangles in silver stainless steel, and 22k-plated gold or rose gold stainless steel, or elegant lariat-style necklaces in silver stainless steel or 22k-plated gold stainless steel for an elevated look that fits seamlessly into your everyday life – from the office to a night out[7].
- Swim-proof and automatic swim tracking: As Fitbit’s first swim-proof wristband, Flex 2 is water resistant up to 50 metres, whether you’re in the shower, pool or ocean, and automatically tracks your pool swims including laps, duration, and calories burned in the Fitbit App.
- Effortless and automatic: Track your most important health and fitness stats, plus:
- SmartTrack automatic exercise tracking recognises select workouts (walks, runs, rides, elliptical, sports, aerobic workouts, and now swims).
- Reminders to Move help you stay active with friendly reminders to reach mini hourly step goals and reduce stationary time.
- eekly exercise goals to help you embrace a consistent routine and stay motivated.
- Smarter: A simple LED display uses colour-coded lights to show progress toward your daily goal, and keeps you connected with call and text notifications.
“Whether I’m working out, taking a class, rehearsing or running errands I want a device that is small, yet stylish, that I can match to whatever I’m wearing,” said Julianne Hough, dancer, singer, actress and Fitbit Ambassador. “Fitbit Flex 2 helps keep me motivated to hit my health and fitness goals and it’s even swim-proof, so I can truly get credit for everything I do in my day.”
Designer Collections for Flex 2
Fitbit continues to embrace strategic partnerships with fashion designers and brands to offer innovative and exciting designs that empower you to express your personal style while leading a healthy, active life. Designer collections will be available for Flex 2 from the following brands:
- PUBLIC SCHOOL: Blending aspirational runway fashion with edgy, urban street-style looks for approachable luxury accessories in styles that range from high-end bracelets to accessible sports bands that are both contemporary and sophisticated, available in 2017.
- Tory Burch: With classic, bold, everyday pieces featuring Tory Burch’s signature open fretwork, stainless steel detailing and smooth leather straps, this collection will transform your tracker into a chic piece of jewellery, available in 2017.
Pricing and Availability
Fitbit Charge 2 will be available in late October and Flex 2 will be available soon thereafter at major Philippines retailers including Digital Walker, Beyond the Box, select Toby’s stores, iBOOK, iCENTER, Mobile1, Globe, Gadgets in Style, Hivemind, Lazada, Zalora, Timeline, The Inbox Store, iLiberty and Rnnr stores. Prices below are on Fitbit.com, pricing at retailers may vary.
- Fitbit Charge 2 (PHP8,499) tracker with a classic fitness band in black, blue, plum or teal
- Classic fitness accessory bands in four colors, sold separately (PHP1,399)
- Luxe premium leather accessory bands in blush pink, brown, and indigo (PHP3,299)
- Special edition series in gunmetal and rose gold (PHP8,699) (coming soon)
- Fitbit Flex 2 (PHP5,499) tracker with a classic fitness band in black, lavender, magenta or navy
- Classic 3-pack fitness accessory band hues in Pink (blush pink, lavender and magenta) and Sport (gray, navy and yellow) (PHP1,399) (coming soon)
- Bangle accessory in gold, rose gold (PHP4,699) and silver stainless steel (PHP4,299)
- Pendant accessory in gold (PHP4,699) and silver stainless steel (PHP3,799)
Fitbit also recently announced new stylish collections for Fitbit Alta™ and Fitbit Blaze™, as well as Fitbit Adventures – an immersive new Challenge feature within the Fitbit app across the full Fitbit platform of products; see details at www.fitbit.com/press. For more information about Fitbit products and services, please visit www.fitbit.com.
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About Fitbit, Inc. (NYSE: FIT)
Fitbit helps people lead healthier, more active lives by empowering them with data, inspiration and guidance to reach their goals. As the leader in the connected health and fitness category, Fitbit designs products and experiences that track everyday health and fitness. Fitbit’s diverse line of award-winning products includes Fitbit Surge®, Fitbit Blaze™, Fitbit Charge 2™, Fitbit Charge HR™, Alta™, Fitbit Charge™, Fitbit Flex 2™, Fitbit Flex®, Fitbit One® and Fitbit Zip® activity trackers, as well as the Aria® Wi-Fi Smart Scale. Fitbit products are carried in 54,000 retail stores and in 64 countries around the globe. Fitbit Group Health uses the power of the Fitbit activity trackers, software, and services to deliver innovative solutions for corporate wellness, weight management, insurance and clinical research.
Fitbit and the Fitbit logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Fitbit, Inc. in the US and other countries. Additional Fitbit trademarks can be found at www.fitbit.com/legal/trademark-list. Third-party trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
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Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements, within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, that involve risks and uncertainties including, among other things, statements regarding the future retail availability of Fitbit Charge 2 and Fitbit Flex 2, as well as Fitbit and third party accessories, and the availability of product features described in this release. These forward-looking statements are only predictions and may differ materially from actual results due to a variety of factors, including the effects of the highly competitive market in which we operate, including competition from much larger technology companies; any inability to successfully develop and introduce new products, features, and services or enhance existing products and services; product liability issues, security breaches or other defects; and other factors discussed under the heading “Risk Factors” in our most recent report on Form 10-Q filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. All forward-looking statements contained herein are based on information available to us as of the date hereof and we do not assume any obligation to update these statements as a result of new information or future events.
[1] IDC Worldwide Wearable Device Tracker, May 16, 2016, http://www.idc.com/getdoc.jsp?containerId=prUS41284516
[2] The NPD Group, Retail Tracking Service, Apr 2013 – Dec 2014, Digital Fitness Devices, Smart Watches, Units
[3] Relaxation techniques: Breath control helps quell errant stress response, March 2016: http://www.health.harvard.edu/mind-and-mood/relaxation-techniques-breath-control-helps-quell-errant-stress-response
[4] A Longitudinal Study of Students’ Perceptions of Using Deep Breathing Meditation to Reduce Testing Stresses, Nov. 2006: http://transformationalchange.pbworks.com/f/test%2520stress%2520meditation%2520article%2520peer%2520reviewed.pdf
[5] Beyond Medications and Diet: Alternative Approaches to Lowering Blood Pressure, June 2013: http://hyper.ahajournals.org/content/early/2013/04/22/HYP.0b013e318293645f.full.pdf
[6] Comparison reflects Fitbit Flex vs. Fitbit Flex 2 size
[7] Classic bands should be used for swimming and sleeping
