At CES 2016, wearable manufacturer Fitbit proved that it won't take the onslaught of competition from Apple Watch and Android Wear sitting down. It announced its latest smartwatch device called Blaze, which offers a ton of fitness features in addition to the call and text notification functionality.
The Blaze sports a color display, in an apparent move to keep up with the decorative and multi-function offerings of its rivals. Also, the watch case design recalls a little bit of the Apple Watch, although the Blaze is more angular with its asymmetrical octagon shape. The device also offers interchangeable bands, with materials ranging from rubber, leather to metal.
The Blaze is targeted towards the core Fitbit users who would want a fitness device that is more sophisticated than what the company is currently offering. It departs from Fitbit's tradition of basic fitness trackers since the device will reportedly be able to run third party applications. The concept in Blaze is to offer a smarter and more stylistic device, according to Tech Insider.
Indeed, this was the argument made by James Park, Fitbit's CEO, in an interview with The Verge. He stated that the fitness watch remains true to the Fitbit "active" tradition, and the "smart" upgrade is only part of the product's development as technology advances.
At this stage, it is difficult to tell whether the new Fitbit wearable is, indeed, smarter. However, Fitbit is under pressure to amp up its game especially when a group of users recently filed a class-action suit with the claim that its devices are inaccurate in monitoring its wearer's biometrics, HNGN previously reported.
The Fitbit Blaze will be sold for $200 and will begin rolling out in March.
