Fitbit announce next generation Fitbit Alta HR with optical heart rate tracker

The device will be available in retail stores and Fitbit’s website starting in April (it’s now in presale online) for a base price of $149.95, with additional charges for the specialty band designs. It still has a water-resistant central unit with an OLED screen that can display basic fitness stats and smartphone notifications, and can be paired with existing Fitbit Alta wristbands. Collaborations with fashion designers like Tory Burch and PUBLIC SCHOOL followed, giving the Alta an extra aesthetic boost and its wearers more options to accessorize their device.

Sleep Stages will be available for Fitbit devices that feature PurePulse (meaning the Alta HR, Blaze, and Charge 2), while Sleep Insights will be available for all devices capable of tracking of sleep.

The activity tracker looks just like a bracelet and there is no change to it except for the fact that now using the Alta HR, you can check the heart rate.

Fitbit launched the original Alta past year as a stylish alternative to regular lineup of chunky trackers, with fashionable interchangeable bands to boot. It can track one’s sleep and also provide an insight on how to improve the sleep quality.

Today Fitbit, best known for its pioneering work in consumer fitness trackers, took the wraps off some new products.

Fitbit hopes to help you get a better night’s sleep with these new features.

The Alta HR will be the first Fitbit device that is able to tell you which stage of sleep you now are in. Having a heart rate sensor on your activity tracker really does make a world of difference.

You can pick up the Fitbit Alta HR from March 13 here in the UK.

Fitbit Alta HR vs Flex 2 vs Charge 2: We compare the new Fitbit Alta HR, Fitbit’s first fitness tracker of 2017, with the Flex 2 wrist band and Charge 2 tracker. For the Alta 2, Fitbit has developed a new PurePulse chip that reduces the number of necessary components, ultimately making the Alta 2 25% smaller than the Fitbit Charge 2.

Sleep Stages and Sleep Insights will roll out later via an update to the Fitbit app sometime this spring.

The Alta HR is claimed to have a seven day battery life however, while the Charge 2 offers five.

The new Fitbit Alta HR features a heart rate monitor, however, without any substantial bumps and weight.

Ultimately, San Francisco-based Fitbit hopes to personalize recommendations on how much sleep you need rather than rely on general guidelines from studies, said Shelten Yuen, Fitbit’s vice president of research and development.

Similarly, it has Sleep Insights which uses the whole of your Fitbit data to provide personalised guidance on how to improve your sleep for better overall health.