Fitbit announces new Charge trackers and Surge fitness 'superwatch'

By Joseph Keller
published

As teased earlier with an app update, Fitbit has announced three new fitness wearables today, the Charge, Charge HR, and Surge. All three devices will track your steps, sleep and more. The Charge is available today, while the Charge HR and Surge will both be available in early 2015.

All three devices will get support for Windows Phone and Windows 8.1 as announced earlier this morning.

The Charge and Charge HR sport similar designs to the Fitbit Force. They have all-new, textured bands, and use OLED displays to show you the time of day and your stats. The Charge HR will also track your heart rate throughout the day. The Charge should get up to seven days of battery life, while Fitbit says that the Charge HR should get up to five.

The Fitbit Surge is the real star of the show here. It combines the abilities of the Charge and Charge HR, and adds new functionalities, like you'd find in a smartwatch. The Surge comes with a GPS built in, letting you track where your workouts take you. It also has an LCD touch screen, and the ability to show you call and text alerts, as well as let you control your music. It comes with eight sensors built in, including accelerometers, a gyroscope, and a compass. Fitbit says the Surge can get up to seven days of battery life.

The Fitbit Charge is available today from Fitbit's website (opens in new tab) and in store for $129. The Charge HR and Surge will be available in early 2015, and cost $149 and $249, respectively. Check out videos covering the Charge and Charge HR below.

What do you think of Fitbit's new trackers? Leave your thoughts with us in the comments.

Source: Fitbit

Joseph Keller
Joseph Keller
116 Comments
  • Buying the surge if Microsoft's is a bust
  • Same. This is the first smartwatch that has actually interested me. I would rather have MS' since it "should" have better support, but the surge will be a nice alternative.
  • Agreed.
  • Its not really a smartwatch though?
  • Ios and Android will probably get exclusives first the way they've been doing things... Hope not this time, I'd imagine thigh their have to iPhone their Bluetooth
  • I think fitbit is taking the Microsoft path and making their software available basically as a service on all platforms no matter what the hardware is.This is how you stay relavent today, or else you go the way of Blackberry and Nokia with the exception of Apple.
  • Agree
  • Exactly my thoughts. I hope the MS one is good. But Fitbit has been good at supporting WP, so if MS fails, I'd totally rock a Fitbit Surge.
  • Meh. Don't like stuff on my hands or wrists so I'll keep rockin' my Fitbit One.
  • I said the same thing to the police when they handcuffed me...
  • I would probably go with Surge if the features are comparable between the two.  Surge has 7 days battery life while the MS's offereing would last only two days as reported.  MS is closely working with Fitbit to develope their products, so the support won't be an issue.
  • So say we all...
  • Are these compatible with WP? Apologies if I missed that...
  • Yes.
  • Wonder if it can show the call and text alerts on WP, is there any other wearable capable of that today?
  • According to the information sheets, the Fitbit WP app can not do that. Android or iOS is required for that.
  • Really? That's definitely a deal breaker for me then.
  • GDR1 introduced a privallages access API for accessories that allows a device to recieve notifications, accept/reject calls and : http://www.windowscentral.com/smartwatch-support-windows-phone-81-found-...  
  • "These APIs are not yet defined in the SDK for public developers. Instead, they are for OEMs and hardware manufacturers e.g. if a company like Pebble wanted to make an app for Windows Phone they now have the tools to do so."
    Let's hope that Fitbit has this included in the app then, even though their own information sheets specifically says WP can't do this. Since GDR1 (WP 8.1 Update) as far as I know is only available on new devices such as the M8 there is no way for the vast majority of users to take advantage of this functionality right now even if it's in the app. Hoping that this update will be released at least for AT&T sometime. Verizon and T-Mobile seem to be lost causes.
  • Thanks Daniel. Will have to see what MS release now (if they do) and compare...
  • Fit bit site is not even updated yet...lol
  • Yes, see the WC story just a couple of slots down. :)
  • Yes. Unless you have Verizon.
  • The fact that we have to wait for early 2015 to get the charge HR or surge is really disappointing.
  • Waaaaaaaaaaaa
  • I Agree. Missing Christmas doesn't seem like the best way to sell a bunch of them!
  • Agreed. Hope they get 'em out before the apple watch - that thing will cut the market open, even if it's not justified. And the fact that fitbit isn't in Apple stores is also an issue, for Christmas and going forward.
  • If the specs are true it's very functional, I am getting the surge
  • What if i told you the fitbit surge WAS MS's smartwatch???? Ajhhhhhhhhh lol
  • That's what I was thinking. There is no peep about MS watch except for the patent filing. If MS has their own watch coming out why are they putting emphasis on FitBit and bundle then with their phones? I really hope they come out with their own product vs piggy backing with FitBit. Or are they buying FitBit?? :)
  • Well they could have used all three :P that would be the easiest and simplest way to go about it.
  • Microsoft: We aren't going well with (insert company name).
    CEO: Buy them.
  • Tom Warren confirmed this is not the MS smartwatch.
  • I think aquiring would have made sense. Oh well, they will be supporting conflicting devices if that is indeed the case. Although I can't wait to see what Microsoft has up their sleeves. If its something like Surface I think my wallet is going to go online and order it. Else Fitbit Surge looks pretty awesome. $150-$200 is a sweet spot for the price but if MS can bundle them with any Windows Phone for $99 that would be awesome.
  • I was thinking the same. It seems to match up with the specs mostly and Cortana integration is definitely an exclusive feature that Microsoft had a hand in, so I'd bet it is. But I'd probably lose...
  • Wish they had used a Lumia phone in at least one of the promo videos.. :P Well, even Android did not get a nod so I guess can't complain too much. The Surge does look nice.
  • I was thinking the same thing! They had the chance to be edgy and show it with a WP, but no...they had to go with the iPhone. Oh, well, WP support is good enough for me.
  • Yeah, especially since Apple is said to pull Fitbit from its stores.. but I gather the videos were made before that plus in business they just need to keep a level head - iPhones in the US are still considered the "coolest" by the market at large and command a huge market share.
  • They couldn't show the WP version because it has no caller ID/notification functions, which all videos showed.
  • Perhaps they figured ios uses would be those to most likely buy it. Wait, how much is the Apple Watch?
  • A million dollars more...
  • I'm getting the Surge for me and my wife. Waiting sucks though.
  • This is what we do best. You know our turn is coming when apple and Android get the app and a couple updates to make it perfect. We get the sloppy seconds/thirds
  • Just wanted to state, I love that the article image has no background, so that on the windows phone app it looks awesome. Nice touch windows central!
  • Didn't notice that, but you're right. Its quite nice.
  • Looks very beautiful on the OLED display of my Lumia 1020... :)
  • Why is there no one on Google+ page
  • Google plus is Google's Windows phone.
  • Blah, blah, blah... VERIZON.
  • Exactly. Anyone who buys this then realizes that they don't have 8.1 is going to crap all over MS/WP and not VZ for screwing the end users.
  • Verizon just responded to a tweet and asked what was wrong with my Windows device. Oblivious.
  • Has anyone seen any info on the level of water resistance offered by these? Also, whether or not they track swimming activity.
  • Product pages are up now at fitbit's site.  Looks like Charge and Charge HR are 1 ATM resistant while Surge is 5 ATM.  So basically only Surge supports swimming.  No mention of whether or not it accurately tracks swimming activity, however. Also, Surge shows 5 hours of battery on their site where 7 has been reported by several outlets. 
  • 5 days, as opposed to the others who last about 7 days.
  • Would make sense with 5 days considering the extra functionality...
  • I like what Fitbit is doing for heath and fitness and I especially like its contribution to the ecosystem. I getting the Charge to support them.  Microsoft's watch, is probably going to be for the $250.00 - 450.00 class of buyers like Rubino and the rest of MobileNations. Nothing wrong with that since I live through their videos of stull I'll never own anyway.  :)
  • Same here. I'm going to buy one just to support them.
  • I highly doubt Microsoft's is going to be any more than $250. Otherwise they won't sell any.
  • Depends on how much tech they squeeze into them. That and compatibility...
  • I suspect they will be substantially higher than $250. Probably closer to the price of a really nice Invicta wrist watch. In which case, I'd get the Invicta and keep using my 99 dollar Fitbit.
  • This will be amazing for the new year planning. Shit, now I want to get active. Next year though, thanks for the launch date Fitbit.
  • New Year's Resolution present to yourself. Sounds like a good plan to me. I might have to steal it. Lol.
  • MSFT now needs to truly bring something amazing. Otherwise the surge will be the device for me.
  • The Surge sounds interesting, but not if it looks anything like that horror pictured in the beginning of the article... Edit: Right, that IS the Surge pictured. Oh well, guess I'm crossing my fingers for the MS watch, 'cause that thing is not going on my wrist!
  • I want to see what MS designers come up with. So far, no one has a clue what it will look like, functionality, form factor, battery life etc. There is no doubt they will be able to produce a good watch but its sure as hell not going to be affordable. At least not for me.
  • MS's version 1.00 products usually aren't that good.  It takes them one or two iterations. The Fitbit Surge looks interesting but what will be really really interesting is if the Surge can last an entire day with the heart rate monitor and gps features running along with all the usual functions of a Fitbit wearable.  And at a price of $249! (as noted in the Windows Central blog post yesterday)   If the Surge reveal isn't just hype and the watch performs well, Garmin and Polar are going to compete like crazy.  Maybe $229 or $199 price point by Christmas 2015?  I don't think Apple needs to worry about the Apple Watch.  Apple fanatics will buy the Apple Watch even at $349 just to show off.
  • My Zune 30 worked good.
  • I wish people wouldn't refer to them as "fanatics" when it is just that they have a thriving ecosystem and they communicate and collaborate. I wish we had something even close to that with Windows Phones.  We don't have much of one to speak of and when we do collaborate, it usually involves a lot of name calling. But the Apple Watch will probably price near where Microsoft will price their Surface Watch both of which will be too damn expensive for my gadget budget.
  • Idc about this just gimme the Lumia watch. ! Or whatever it'll be named ...
  • I have some inquiries... When is the MS Watch supposed to be released? .. And what better features will it have from the Fitbit Surge one? .. I waiting to buy one smartwatch, if the MS one comes with more "smart" features (notifications from more Apps for example), apart from the fitness features, I can be inclined to buy the MS's.
  • We don't know to both of those questions. I just hope MS can get it together.
  • Interesting... The link above (http://www.windowscentral.com/ext?link=http2F2...) is a 404 Not Found now...
  • It's up now.
  • Hmmm, the Surge seems to "fit" the rumored MS band pretty closely.  Is there a deeper, unannounced partnership here?  
  • Are any of these water proof?  I like where these are going, but for someone who swims, bikes and runs, having someting that is sweatproof and ideally water proof would be great!
  • I doubt it.  Pictures I saw on The Verge showed exposed metal contacts on the back.  They're probably sweat resistant.  I backed The Dash on Kickstarter.  Their ear pods will be silicone injected making them water proof, have internal memory for music, heart rate tracking, take calls, and more.  They might work best for you, and the stretch goal of fully supporting Windows Phone was reached too.
  • The Dash looks cool, but I can't help wondering about how those earbuds are going to stay put while running... I have three in-ear headphones, and only one pair has a chance of staying in my ear for a 5 km run. And I wouldn't trust them without the cord!
  • In a video on BMW's YouTube page their CEO puts them into his ear, and it looks like the Dash fits within the crest/ridge inside the ear.  It looks similar to how Jaybird's bluebud X (my current headphone) has a silicone hook to hold it in place.  One of the Dash YouTube videos shows what they're calling a tether to connect them and clip them to you if you're being very active or want to play it safe.  I'm going to try using them without it for at least a month.  They will also provide 3 silicone shells so you can choose the one that fits your ear the best.  I'm still a bit skeptical of how they're going to fit everything into such a small size, but they've been very open about the process they're going through and even making upgrades from their initial pitch.
     
  • Resistant, but not water proof. In order to do flights of stairs it has little holes to measure air pressure. At least, that's what I was told before.
  • According to their site, the Surge is 5 ATM water resistant so you could swim with it. The others only 1 ATM so no.
  • Anyone want to buy a less than 2 week old Fitbit One? The never ending saga of tech buyers remorse.
  • Fitbit has a 45 day return policy.  If you don't want it, then you should be able to return it.
  • If you really want to use it for keeping track of steps/activity, your One will do the job just fine. :) And really, with WP you only really get sync with the Charge (the only one currently available). All the other cell-phone assisted functions are iOS/Android only. Might as well wear a cheap wristwatch and your One.
  • Link is broken. I guess WC got the webpage before Fitbit :P   I hope WP won't be an after-thought.. as was the case with Fitbit One. It took them a couple of years to get an app developed.
  • It looks like the app is already updated: http://www.windowscentral.com/fitbit-windows-phone-grabs-background-sync...  
  • Do you need a Lumia for these to work? I was thinking about getting an M8 next month but I also am thinking about getting a Surge.
  • It works with any phone with 8.1
  • Nope. I have a fitbit flex and mine syncs with my HTC 8x. It just requires Bluetooth 4.0 le, which the One has.
  • Microsoft, Just buy Fitbit!
  • Microsoft strategy right there :P
  • I'll wait for surge if I like it I'll buy it
  • UK release?
  • Casio pathfinders and above are badass watches. If the surge was water resistant and had time sync and solar charge that would rule. I'm hoping Casio makes one.
  • This is why Apple pulled Fitbit from their stores. To much competition. Big apple babies
  • At this price I think I can probably get a new windows phone.... Lol
  • Take My Money... Difference maker for me is the Surge with the built-in GPS. Wahoo!!!
  • The surge is too much money for me.  I'd rather wait for the Microsoft smartwatch.  If that disappoints too, then I'll get the Charge HR and continue to use my phone for GPS since I'll still have it with me for music anyway.
  • So Microsoft watch is officially doomed.... Why they decided to focus on fitness and not an gear/iwatch killer is beyond me.
  • Typical "sky is falling" WP comment, haven't seen the device yet its "doomed" already. Must be a prophet...../s
  • I hope Microsoft invests time and money in establishing a true partnership with Fitbit for building a smartwatch instead of MS doing it on its own. Fitbit has a great infrastructure in the fitness sector that would benefit Windows / Phone users in ways MS could never match.
  • The new will integrate with the windows phone, but not all functions. From the fitbit website: https://www.fitbit.com/content/assets/onezip/images/devices/Fitbit_Suppo... The following functions are listeded Synching MobileTrack MobileRun Call Notification Text (Surge only) Music Control(Surge only) Barcode Scanning Challenges Only Syncinbg and Challenges work now, and on some phone (730, 735, 830, 930, Icon and 1520) soon will be able to MoblieTrack.  So presumably that means the windows integration will not include: Call Notification Text Music Control Barcode Scanning      
  • Good find.  That means the the MS smart watch is still very much needed.  lack of music control is a deal killer.
  • Correct. See the list of the features I linked below. WP is once again the redheaded step child. And this is supposedly after Microsoft worked with FitBit.
  • With an early 2015 release date, I'm still looking at the Basis Peak (Nov. 10th release) and whatever MS releases for holiday 2014.
  • My flex stopped working and I was hoping to have something soon. The Surge looks great just not sure if I can wait.
  • Compare the features of each OS and phone: WP: https://www.windowscentral.com/e?link=https2F2F... iOS: https://www.windowscentral.com/e?link=https2F2F... Android: https://www.windowscentral.com/e?link=https2F2F...   WP has by far the least amount of features (the ones Android is missing compared to iOS are listed as "coming soon" for Android, but no such indication for WP), and requires WP 8.1 which many devices (ahem, Icon) don't even have. We'll have to be happy with table scraps as usual.
  • Looks like a solid execution. Better to wait than deliver a half-baked product. HR monitoring is what the iwatch wont do without another device like a Polar or other bra d hr monitor.
  • Still waiting on Microsoft's watch
  • Wait, is there still an OS limitation in handling call/text notification through the watch?
  • Accoarding to what fitbit has published, the watches will not handle Call/Text/Music.  See the link posted above
  • I know the watch will not handle those thats why I'm wondering if its still an OS limitation with WP8.1.
  • As soon as my phone get's its firmware updated, I'm buying 2...one for me, another for my wife for Christmas...com'on HTC, get the lead out.
  • Does the app in any way sync with healthVault? I would love to have the fitness info sync to that, as the Health and Fitness app is broken now.... I know they're not supporting Apple's HealthKit any time soon.
  • does it track activities such as swimming? surfing?
  • Hey Daniel, do you guys think it's possible that the 830/Fitibt bundle you posted on a while back may in fact be a Surge and not the Flex?  Just curious, as I didn't see a source in the other article.  I will be very interested in the deal either way... http://www.windowscentral.com/att-lumia-830-get-special-fitbit-flex-promo-through-microsoft
  • Nice thinking about a surge. Lets see Microsoft watch first