Fitbit hopes built-in GPS on the new Charge 4 will keep the tracker market alive

You can pick up a half-decent smartwatch for pretty cheap these days, and most smartwatches do fitness tracking. But Fitbit insists that there remains a market for its trackers, and the new Fitbit Charge 4 fixes our biggest gripe with the Charge 3 (and all previous Fitbit trackers), that is the lack of proper on-board GPS. You can now accurately track your runs without the need for your phone, propelled along the tarmac by your favourite running playlists on Spotify, which is also now built-in. The other new feature is called Active Zone Minutes, a new personalised standard based on your resting heart rate and age that tracks any workout that gets your heart going, from indoor biking to yoga, measuring the time you spend in each heart rate zone toward a weekly goal of 150 minutes. Otherwise it’s pretty much business as usual here: touchscreen navigation, sleep tracking, waterproofing, heart rate tracking, Fitbit Pay support and up to seven days of battery life. The £130 Fitbit Charge 4 will be available to buy from April 15. Review incoming.

Matt Tate Contributor

About

I'm fascinated by all things tech, but if you were going to leave me on a desert island, I'd probably ask for my Nintendo Switch, a drone, and a pair of noise-cancelling cans to block out the relentless seagull racket. When I'm not on Stuff duty you'll probably find me subscribing to too many podcasts, playing too many video games, or telling anyone who will listen that Spurs are going to win a trophy this season.

Areas of expertise

Video games, VR, smartwatches, headphones, smart speakers, bizarre Kickstarter campaigns