Comparing Apple Watch Breathe app and Fitbit Charge 2's Relax mode Fitbit and Apple recently added tools to their wearables that help users take a few minutes each day for guided breathing exercises. How to download the Fitbit Connect app for Mac Fitbit has an app known as Fitbit Connect, which allows you pair and sync your Fitbit tracker with your Mac, using the handy wireless USB dongle. First, download the free Fitbit Connect app. However, when you open the Fitbit smartphone app to browse the apps to install, you find that every available app is already on the device. Whether Fitbit will add more compatible apps to the Charge 3 in the future remains to be seen. The Fitbit Connect (App) (Mac) is used: To sync the tracker; To add a tracker on the account; To update the tracker; Data is available online on the account (computer - fitbit.com) or when using a phone (with the Fitbit App for the phone) (iOS, Android, Windows Phones). Get started with your new Fitbit tracker or scale by setting up your device and downloading and installing our free software.
Pros
✓Lightweight and comfortable for 24 hour wear
✓Long battery life
✓Detailed sleep and heart rate data
✓Fitbit ecosystem well supported
The Apple Watch Series 4 has dominated the wearable news wires for the past few weeks, but according to Fitbit's research 42 percent of adults planning to purchase a wearable are looking for an activity tracker, compared to 36 percent looking for a smartwatch. The new Fitbit Charge 3 is clearly aimed at this segment of the wearable market and does everything you want from a tracker.
After testing many wearables over the years I have learned that getting the core experience right and having a battery that lets you get through at least a weekend are keys to satisfaction. The Fitbit Charge 3 provides the key essentials, has a week long battery life, and seems to just disappear while mounted on your wrist.
Specifications
Display: 1.57 inch grayscale touchscreen OLED
Materials: Glass and aluminum body with durable material band and an aluminum buckle
Wireless: Bluetooth 4.0, NFC (special edition only)
Water resistance: Up to 50 meters and sweat, rain, and splash proof
Dimensions: 28.8 mm long by 11.8 mm wide by 2.47 mm thick with a weight of just 30 grams
Hardware
While I use a smartwatch or a GPS sports watch all the time, it has been a bit refreshing to use the Fitbit Charge 3. I started using activity tracking bands years ago and their functionality and capability has come a long ways since then. Honestly, there hasn't been a ton I've been missing with the Fitbit Charge 3 on my wrist instead of a smartwatch.
The Charge 3 itself is an attractive piece of aluminum and glass with a grayscale OLED touchscreen display. At first I was confused since there is no button on the Charge 3 and in its place is a notch cut out of the left side that indicates where you should touch and activate the capacitive button.
While the capacitive button is unique, having it on the left side is awkward. Most smart watches have buttons on the right side which makes sense when you wear the device on your left wrist and reach over to manipulate it. It's a bit difficult to reach over with your index finger or under with your thumb to hit this area on the Charge 3 when mounting on your left wrist.
The Charge 3 retail package comes with small and large rubber flexible bands. The outside of the band has a cool pattern shape and easily clips off and on the Charge 3 body. The band has an aluminum clasp too. The included band is very comfortable and well built.
Fitbit Charge Hr App For Mac
Top ZDNET Reviews
Our verdict of the Fitbit Charge 3: Fitbit's Charge 3 is an iterative update to their best and most-loved activity tracker, bringing some popular smartwatch features in tow. 810
At work, school, and out on the streets you’ll see plenty of people with fitness trackers attached to their wrists, mulling over plans to hit their daily 10,000 steps. The wearable’s popularity is mostly thanks to Fitbit.
In late 2016, the company acquired the popular smartwatch manufacturer, Pebble. They released two smartwatches, the Ionic and the Versa, in quick succession. Now, Fitbit is back with the Charge 3, which promises to bring smartwatch features to their most popular fitness tracker.
Read on to find out what we thought of the Fitbit Charge 3, and at the end of this review, we’re giving one away to one lucky reader!
Specifications
Connectivity: Bluetooth 4.0, NFC (Charge 3 Special Edition only)
The Charge 3 has also undergone some subtle design changes since the Charge 2 in 2016. The monochrome OLED display remains physically the same size, but benefits from an increase in screen real estate. The display is backlit and can adjust to lighting conditions, so no more squinting to see the screen in direct sunlight.
The new inductive button is a first for a fitness tracker, and combined with the streamlined rear-side are part of a more significant effort to waterproof the device. This makes the Charge 3 the first Fitbit fitness tracker to support full immersion in water up to 50 meters so you can wear it in both the pool and the shower.
In the box, you’ll find both a small and large strap made of a flexible elastomer. These types of watch strap are relatively standard for fitness trackers. They are interchangeable though, and Fitbit sells a variety of different colors and styles to suit your preferences. However, if you do a bit of searching around online, you’ll likely find some similar straps by third parties for a fraction of the cost.
Download Fitbit App For Mac
On the underside of the Charge 3, you’ll find the optical heart rate sensor and charging pins. Like most smartwatches and activity trackers, the Charge 3 comes with a proprietary charger. There is no charging dock included, unlike the Versa, but the cable and attachment do just fine. Frustratingly, the Charge 3 has a different charger from its predecessors, although this is likely to accommodate the new waterproof design.
Features
Continuous heart rate measurement and automatic sleep tracking continue to augment the all-important pedometer. The Automatic Exercise Recognition feature means there’s no time-consuming set up before starting your workout, and you can now set goals directly on the device.
Fitbit’s Ionic and Versa smartwatchesFitbit Versa Review: Fitbit's Best Wearable Yet?Fitbit Versa Review: Fitbit's Best Wearable Yet?Read More included SpO2 sensors, but the Charge 3 is the first tracker to feature the sensor. The sensor should mean that the tracker can estimate your blood oxygen levels. However, Fitbit hasn’t confirmed when they’ll enable this feature. In the future though, it could be used to determine if you suffer from sleep apnea or other health issues.
Previous Fitbit trackers have teased notification support, but it has never been a smooth experience. The Charge 3 imports some of the Versa’s notification handling so that you can now view call, calendar, and app notifications all from your wrist. Android users will even be able to use custom quick replies once Fitbit enables the feature. Fitbit Pay, the company’s contactless payment system, is available too, but only on the Charge 3 Special Edition, which will set you back an additional $20.
One of the most notable features is that the Charge 3 is Fitbit’s first waterproof activity tracker. Not only will this stop you having to pocket your device every time it starts raining, but it allows for a newly trackable activity: swimming.
The Charge 3 also comes equipped with a Timers app, where you can either run a stopwatch or countdown timer. This may seem trivial, but its the kind of thing most people do on their phone while exercising. The deceptively simple feature is a welcome addition, especially for those wishing to leave their phones at home while out exercising.
Interface
The Charge 3 comes pre-loaded with “apps”, although you probably wouldn’t call them that. These apps are some of the standard features of a Fitbit like Exercise tracking and Alarms. The newly-named app/features are another import from the company’s smartwatches. However, when you open the Fitbit smartphone app to browse the apps to install, you find that every available app is already on the device. Whether Fitbit will add more compatible apps to the Charge 3 in the future remains to be seen.
There is a weather app installed, and unlike the Ionic and Versa before, this worked during testing. As with previous Fitbit iterations, the Relax app makes an appearance here too. A simple guided breathing exercise, it is a small but effective way to bring some calm into your day.
Once the display is on, swipe down to see notifications, up to see daily stats, and left to scroll through your installed apps. The daily stats area has undergone a redesign too. On previous trackers, your step count was the primary focus. The Charge 3 takes cues from the Apple Watch and has introduced a step goal circle that fills in as you go through the day. The actual number is only a swipe away though in the daily stats, which now also includes female health tracking if you’ve previously set that up.
Hardware And Battery Life
The Charge 3 sports a slightly different, more touchscreen-focused design. There is less reliance on buttons and more swiping to navigate around. If you press and hold the inductive touch button, it’ll bring up Quick Settings which allows you to toggle notifications and screen wake on and off.
Those of you holding out hope for inbuilt GPS will be disappointed as the only GPS tracking available is through your connected phone. If in-built GPS is an essential feature for you, then it may be worth considering the Fitbit Ionic smartwatchFitbit Ionic Review: Great Fitness Tracker, Rubbish SmartwatchFitbit Ionic Review: Great Fitness Tracker, Rubbish SmartwatchFitbit's third smartwatch struggles to find a reason to exist beyond fitness tracking and excellent battery life. It offers a tantalising glimpse into the future of Fitbit but, for now, the Ionic feels half baked.Read More instead. Fitbit estimates that the Charge 3 will last seven days on a single charge. During testing, the device managed eight.
Hardware Issues, and Fitbit’s (Lack of) Customer Service
One of the downsides for early adopters is that you run the risk of uncovering a bug or hardware flaw. Such was the case with the Charge 3. Our device refused to turn on when taken off the charger, rendering it useless. This was only two days after launch, but there were already others with the same issue. There were so many Fitbit forum threads about this issue that the moderators grouped them all into one mega thread.
The advice was to contact Fitbit support. Their response to the issue was:
“We have received some reports of devices that are no longer responsive after they are unplugged from the cable. We’re currently working to resolve it and hope to have a fix soon. Be sure to keep your Fitbit device and app up-to-date to ensure you receive the quickest resolution.”
Despite these assurances, after ten days they hadn’t got back in touch, so I had to email them to prompt a response. In the end, their solution was to replace the device. The replacement worked perfectly. Having used many Fitbit devices in the past, it was disappointing that the Charge 3 had a hardware issue. However, it was Fitbit’s inadequate response to multiple reports of broken devices that seems so disheartening.
Is The Charge 3 a Worthwhile Upgrade?
The Charge 3 is an iterative update of earlier devices, but one which brings some of the most useful smartwatch features in tow. While most of the updates made between the Charge 2 and Charge 3 seem relatively modest, the waterproofing alone may make it worth the money for some. The feature-packed device is priced at $149.95 and undercuts the Versa by $60, making it one of the best value Fitbit devices available today.
But if you’re not particularly tied to Fitbit, and just want something basic, you can’t go wrong with the $30 MiBandMi Band 3: Don't Buy a Fitbit Until You've Seen ThisMi Band 3: Don't Buy a Fitbit Until You've Seen ThisThe finest budget fitness tracker around. Long battery life, waterproof, and phone notifications make this a bargain for those with basic fitness tracking needs.Read More.