New Fitbit Sense will help “manage stress”

Fitbit has today launched a new smartwatch, the Fitbit Sense, that it claims will help users “manage stress” – more on this below.

In fact, Fitbit launched three new devices: the Fitbit Sense (NZ$579.95), Fitbit Versa 3 (NZ$449.95) and Fitbit Inspire 2 (NZ$199.95). 

How does Fitbit Sense “help manage stress”?

The Fitbit Sense is the star of the show, with Fitbit crowning the smartwatch its “most advanced health smartwatch” to date. This, Fitbit tells us, is the world’s first smartwatch with an electrodermal activity (EDA) sensor – which allows the Sense to help “manage stress”.

How does it do this? Good question. I’m not 100 on the science here so let me pass on what Fitbit says, verbatim

The new EDA sensor on Fitbit Sense measures electrodermal activity responses. Using the EDA Scan app, place your palm over the face of the device to detect small electrical changes in the sweat level of your skin. Measuring your EDA responses can help you understand your body’s response to stressors and help you manage your stress. You can do a quick EDA Scan session on device to see your responses, or pair it with guided mindfulness sessions in the Fitbit app to see how your body responds during meditation or relaxation. At the end of your session, you will see an EDA response graph on-device and in the mobile app to gauge your progress over time and reflect on how you feel emotionally. 

Fitbit’s new Stress Management Score calculates how your body is responding to stress based on your heart rate, sleep and activity level data. Available with Fitbit Sense, it can be found in the new stress management tile in the Fitbit app. Ranging from 1-100, with a higher score indicating your body is showing fewer physical signs of stress, the score is coupled with recommendations to better manage stress, like breathing exercises and other mindfulness tools. Fitbit Premium members will get a detailed breakdown on how the score is calculated, which consists of over 10 biometric inputs, including exertion balance (impact of activity), responsiveness (heart rate, heart rate variability and electrodermal activity from the EDA Scan app), and sleep patterns (sleep quality).

Make sense? Good.

James Park, co-founder and CEO, Fitbit explains “Our mission to make everyone in the world healthier has never been more important than it is today. COVID-19 has shown us all how critical it is to take care of both our physical and mental health and wellbeing,”

“Our new products and services are our most innovative yet, coupling our most advanced sensor technology and algorithms to unlock more information about our bodies and our health so you can be in control. We are breaking new ground with our wearables, helping you better understand and manage your stress and heart health, and pulling your key health metrics together in a simple and digestible way to track things like skin temperature, heart rate variability and SpO2 so you can see how it’s all connected.

“Most importantly, we are making health accessible, surfacing new data that you may only get once or twice a year at the doctor’s office that you can use to focus on your holistic health and wellness, at a time when it’s needed most.”

Looks interesting.

Don’t forget about the Fitbit Versa 3 and Fitbit Inspire 2!

The Fitbit Versa 3 and Fitbit Inspire 2 are more traditional, affordable, and less interesting launces. They do, however, posses desirable specs for users looking for a more traditional, er, Fitbit-y smartwatch.

The Fitbit Versa 3 boasts the following specs: On-device GPS; an In-app workout intensity map; a built-in speaker and microphone; access to a choice of voice assistants (Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa); and Fitbit Pay.

The Fitbit Inspire 2 is a step down again. With specs and feature set similar to the original Fitbit smartwatches. Heart-rate trackers, step counts and 10-hour battery life is all you’re getting here.

Fitbit Sense, Fitbit Versa 3 and Fitbit Inspire 2 release date and price…

…and where to buy in NZ!

The Fitbit Sense, Fitbit Versa 3 and Fitbit Inspire 2 are available today for pre-order on Fitbit.com and online at select retailers including JB Hi-Fi, Harvey Norman and Noel Leeming, with broad worldwide availability starting in late September.

Smartwatch market share 2020

Fitbit will be hoping these new launches improve its place in the smartwatch industry. Once a market leader, Fitbit now only has a 2.4 per cent share of current smartwatch revenues according to data by Counterpoint Research. Interestingly, the same data also shows Apple has increased its share of the smartwatch market in the first half of 2020 – growing to a 51.4% share of all smartwatch revenue, up from 43.2% in the first half of 2019.

Apple 51.4%
Garmin 9.4%
Huawei 8.3%
Samsung 7.2%
iMoo 5.1%
Amazfit 2.4%
Fitbit 2.4%
Fossil 2.1%
(Others) 11.8%

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