Fitbit's Best-Selling Tracker Just Got Even Better

Fitbit's latest release, the Charge 3, was redesigned for more activities and maximum battery life.

Fitbit will expand its offerings this fall with an updated version of its best-selling Charge fitness tracker, complete with a bigger battery, enhanced design, and new features.

The $150 Charge 3 represents the latest step in Fitbit's evolution. The last time the Charge line was updated, back in 2016, the company mostly made narrowly-focused activity trackers. Two years and two smartwatches later, Fitbit offers a more comprehensive set of lifestyle options across its product portfolio, with increased emphasis on wear outside of the gym and a robust selection of sleep tracking and general health features.

The new version of the Charge embodies this shift. The tracker boasts a slim profile with a newly improved touchscreen, which the company claims is 40 percent larger and brighter than the Charge 2's. For the first time, the Charge line will be able to accept or reject calls and view smartphone notifications on-device. A new band attachment mechanism makes it easier to swap between workout and lifestyle options, while an inductive button makes the design even sleeker.

The biggest changes for the Charge 3 are focused on performance. The device is now water resistant up to 50 meters, which opens up the tracker to aquatic activities like swimming. The newly-redesigned touchscreen allows wearers to create a personalized dashboard that displays daily stats directly on the wrist, so wearers can spend less time swiping through menus.

Under the hood, there's a heart rate tracker and, for the first time in a Fitbit device that's not a smartwatch, a relative SpO2 sensor, which is used for tracking blood oxygen level. Most importantly for wearers, Fitbit overhauled the Charge 3's battery. Since the new inductive button takes up less space than previous designs, the tracker crams in a power source the company claims will be able to last for up to a full week between charges.

Fitbit's app will also introduce some new features alongside the upgraded Charge 3 device. A Sleep Score beta program will give wearers more general insights on their rest using a nightly rating, which will be calculated by assessing factors like sleep phases, breathing disruptions, and unexpected wakeups. The app will also roll out a new feature that provides wearers correlated insights about their activities, similar to the current Sleep Insights.