For IFA 2022, Fitbit brought along its upcoming hardware, showcasing its latest and greatest smartwatches and fitness trackers before they’re launched later in fall this year. We’ve had the chance to take a first glimpse at what the hardware will feel and look like, but that’s not all. The company also offered a sneak peek at a redesigned Fitbit app, complete with Material You-inspired iconography. The new app is slated to launch alongside the new hardware.
We have only gotten a short glimpse of the new Fitbit app as part of a sneak preview of what’s coming in fall, but it’s a clear indication of how Fitbit and Google are growing closer together. The animation we’ve seen prominently shows a new bottom navigation bar that looks right in line with Google’s recently redesigned apps like Gmail, Photos, Maps, and Clock. The currently selected section is highlighted with a pill-shaped background, and the whole bar is higher than it previously was.
The app bar looks something like this, minus the Material You colors
It looks like Fitbit might not use Material You’s dynamic wallpaper-based colors just yet, though. The animation that we have seen doesn’t show any of the characteristic muted colors, instead it’s just plain black and white.
Unfortunately, we weren't allowed to take a picture of the work in progress, so you will have to use your imagination for the time being.
Even in its current state, the Fitbit app offers first glimpse at Material Design 3 elements, which Material You is only one part of. The app has gradually become cleaner, with a switch to a more black and white interface and more elements with rounded corners, such as your stats in the Today tab or the challenges and reports in the Discover section.
Note that the final hardware will not have any serial numbers etched into the hardware like this model here
As for the new Fitbit lineup, we’ve had the chance to look at the three new devices. The new Sense 2 and Versa 4 look to be iterative upgrades over their predecessors, but the hardware refinements are much appreciated.
Both watches have become thinner and lighter, and they both have physical buttons again. Both the Versa 3 and the first Sense came with pressure-sensitive solid-state buttons, but Fitbit says its customers made clear they prefer real physical buttons, so that’s what we’re at from now on again. The buttons themselves feel clicky and responsive, and I think they make for a more distinct experience than the pressure-sensitive solution that could feel mushy and unresponsive at times.
The rest of the hardware also feels more refined. The bottom of the Sense 2 is now fully made of glass, with the sensors still neatly integrated in the middle. The original Sense still had a plastic rim around the sensor glass.
Unfortunately, we haven’t been able to go hands-on with Google Maps and Google Wallet on the devices showcased at the IFA floor just yet. There is a reason why the devices will only launch in fall — the software simply isn’t finalized. For what it's worth, all of the usual Fitbit features you would except are already there and look to be as reliable as we know Fitbit to be. The new watches also bring 20 more workout modes to the table, raising the total number of different activities you can track to over 40.
The Sense 2 will retail for $300 while the Versa 4 will go for $230. The Inspire 3 will cost $100. You can pre-order all of the new devices from Fitbit already. All devices come with six months of free Fitbit Premium, too.
