For someone who wants to take advantage of recent innovations in technology without having to be fully immersed in it, the Fitbit Charge 4 advanced fitness tracker is the perfect companion. If you want your smartwatch to replace your smartphone and allow calling features altogether, this is not the watch for you. On the other hand, if you are someone like me, who wants to use the watch as a subsidiary to an actual phone, primarily for fitness tracking and timekeeping, Charge 4 could be just the device you need. 

Build

At thirty grams, the watch is lightweight and easy to strap on. The tracker comes in black and rosewood, while the straps, in addition to the two-tracker colours, also come in storm blue and granite. The one-inch-long screen size makes it feel more like a wristband than a smartwatch. However, it is big enough to display time, notifications and a tonne of other cool features.

If you are looking for a colourful user interface, you will be disappointed on that front. The Charge 4 has a purely monochrome display. The interface is simple, and navigation is based on simple touch gestures. The home display usually remains dark and requires a wrist motion to activate.

Battery life

By far, the biggest asset of the fitness tracker is its battery life. Once fully charged, I could use it for five days straight, with the watch strapped on for fourteen to fifteen hours daily. I made use of its in-built GPS, alarm system, heartbeat tracker, and built-in exercises. For someone, who hates having to charge their multiple smart devices daily, Charge 4 will come as a relief. No longer will you find yourself isolated on the streets with no watch to keep track of time just because you forgot to plug in your watch the night before.

App support

Today smart devices tend to be bombarded with apps and features, most of which are unnecessary and effectively serve to drain your battery. The Charge 4 solves this by focusing on its core services. The Fitbit device only supports the apps that it comes bundled with and provides no option for integrating extra ones. For someone looking to use it as an exercise companion, the watch has everything you need.

In addition to tracking all the necessary health indicators – heart rate, calorie count, number of steps and running distance, among others – the watch provides guided breathing sessions and reminders to move. The watch allows you to control Spotify and make payments when debit and credit cards are added to the wallet in its companion phone app. It goes without mentioning that this Fitbit is a cross-platform device.

Sleep tracking

One of the Charge 4's unique selling point is its sleep tracking and analysis capability. The device tracks both times slept and 'trying to sleep'. Every morning, a Sleep Score is provided to the user based on duration, heart rate and variations in blood oxygen levels. This information can be viewed on the companion app, but oxygen level data breakdown requires a premium subscription. The device also provides suggestions to improve the score.

Verdict

Starting at USD 149.49, around BDT 12500, the Fitbit Charge 4 is cheaper and more focused than its one-size-fits-all competitors. The waterproof tracker is a good value for money and the perfect smart device for its health-conscious customers.

Photos: Ariff Ahmed