Tested Fitbit Charge 5

Super Charge

Fitbit’s absorption by the Google machine spawns an excellent colour OLED screen debut for the Charge line-up

R4 000 / fitibit.co.za

■ Fitbit’s Charge has been a stalwart of the company’s fitness line-up for ages for good reason, but the company’s recent acquisition by Google has turned up its best one yet. The Charge 5 is the first in the range to include a gorgeous colour OLED screen along with its usual run of GPS and tracking features.

■ There’s also ECG tracking for a more accurate heart rate (but this wasn’t available at launch), the ability to track SpO2 (just bear in mind that this isn’t medical grade). Plus, there’s all the movement tracking you’re used to from the Charge. Not much has changed on that front. The Charge 5 works best picking up walks and runs, but it’ll also handle weights, swims, bicycle sessions and even interval training – with varying degrees of success.

■ Stress tracking is present in the Charge 5, giving you EDA tracking at a fraction of the price of the Fitbit Sense. It’s a decent little feature, but it does make the Sense a very expensive white elephant.

■ Aside from fitness features, there are also on-wrist notifications. The screen isn’t suitable for replying and this isn’t a smartwatch replacement, but you’ll always know what’s happening on your smartphone, if that’s your thing.

■ Fitbit’s app is great about providing all sorts of insights, but the really deep data is locked behind a Premium subscription. Access will cost you about R155 a month.

Tech specs

Display 1.04in colour AMOLED Sensors ECG, SpO2, ambient light, optical heart rate Connectivity Bluetooth 4.0, GPS+GLONASS Battery Life 7 days Waterproofing 50m (5ATM) Weight 28g ■ Under the skin

Fitbit includes an EDA (electrodermal activity) sensor in the Charge 5, a feature previously reserved for the R8 000 Fitbit Sense. Just grip your fingers on either side of the band’s face and run the EDA Scan app.

Paying a Premium The Charge 5 comes with 6 months of Fitbit Premium, which conceals the tracker’s best stats. However, it wants your credit card number before the freebie starts.

One work week Fitbit promises a week of battery life, but we’ve found it lasting closer to ten days with moderate GPS usage. Talk about underpromising.

■ (Don’t) get physical

There are no buttons on the Charge 5 at all. That takes some getting used to. Navigation is all touch, with directional swipes handling most functions. A double tap on the screen works as your back button.

STUFF SAYS Come for the new screen, stay for the excellent tracking ★★★★✩

Fitbit is Charging what the market will bear

This is Fitbit’s best-looking Charge yet. The colour OLED is an excellent addition, with the option to set it to always-on or lift-to-wake. We preferred the latter, for the battery extension. Then there’s the heart-rate tracker, which is top-notch. The sports tracking could use a little work, but that’s normal for the Charge range. It’s a stylish, lightweight, and versatile tracker that’ll give you enough stats to get your fitness journey started.