New Delhi, India: Fitness bands are aiming to cram as many helpful capabilities as possible onto them, as the category is no longer restricted to just heart rate monitoring and step counting. The onset of the coronavirus pandemic altered our perceptions of fitness bands and their health monitoring capabilities, as well as popularising them to the point where India’s smartwatch market accounted for 10% of the global market in 2021, up from 3% YoY growth in 2020, when the coronavirus pandemic struck.
Fitbit, which is owned by Google, is a reputable name in health tracking, and the firm is known for not flooding the market with a dizzying number of launches while yet providing solid wearables. While we felt the Fitbit Charge 4 was the most capable fitness band on the market, the Fitbit Charge 5 arrived, with a higher price tag but a plethora of improvements over the previous-gen Charge 4.
The Fitbit Charge 5 improves on the Charge 4 in a number of ways, the most notable of which are the color display, magnetic charging, and the addition of some capabilities from the more expensive Fitbit Sense. In India, the Fitbit Charge 5 comes in three colors. I tested the Charge 5 for a few days and gave it a positive evaluation.
Fitbit Charge 5 Design, Display, Appearance, And Construction
The Fitbit Charge 5 has the most significant display change, with a 1.04-inch color AMOLED display that is sharp and bright, and easy to watch in direct sunlight if the brightness is set to mode. The AMOLED display has an always-on mode, which is quite handy, and the pixel density is 326 PPI, which ensures that you see vibrant colors. The screen is also protected from scratches by a layer of Corning Gorilla Glass 3. Please keep in mind that the battery will be severely depleted by the always-on display. Fitbit has eliminated physical buttons for good, and the touchscreen responds to touch quite quickly. Sweaty workout sessions, on the other hand, will make taps and sweeps difficult to navigate.
The Charge 5 has a luxury appearance and feel to it, with a thin profile. The case has a matte, polished aluminum finish that isn’t overly flashy. Unlike the previous-generation Charge 4, the Charge 5 has no sharp edges. There is no Fitbit branding and the edges are curled and softer. Black/Graphite Stainless Steel, Lunar White/Soft Gold Stainless Steel, and Steel Blue/Platinum Stainless Steel are the three color options for the gadget. If you want to look sophisticated, go for the black model; otherwise, the lunar white and steel blue will suffice. The Charge 5 weighs only 29 grams because of its slim profile, making it exceptionally light and suitable for everyday use. Despite the fact that I have sensitive skin, I was able to wear it to bed with comfort because of the lightweight construction.
Features, Battery, and Performance of the Fitbit Charge 5
Those who have used Fitbit smartwatches or trackers are familiar with the sleep analysis options available, and the Charge 5 takes it a step further. The sleep tracking and analysis are excellent, with detailed information on sleep stages such as REM sleep, deep sleep, light sleep, and awake time. The estimated low and high oxygen fluctuations are included with these details. However, Fitbit Premium subscription unlocks features like sleeping heart rate, and restlessness. The Fitbit Charge 5’s sleep tracking feature and data are fantastic and are normally only seen in devices twice their price. You can greatly improve their sleep pattern and quality of sleep by using its sleep tracking.
EDA, or electrodermal activity scan, is a feature that allows you to better monitor your stress levels by using two sensor strips on either side of the tracker. To use it, gently hold both sides of the tracker with your forefinger and thumb and follow the breathing prompts that appear on the display. Despite how nice it sounds, the EDA function in the tracker is unnecessary. Also, properly holding the sides with the thumb and forefinger for the scan is a challenge, and Charge 5 kept pausing and requesting me to “hold sides to resume,” which was quite annoying. Only after several attempts was I able to get the reading.
Aside from these, the Fitbit Charge 5 has a number of pre-installed workout tracking options, including run, treadmill, swim, bike, and weights. The Fitbit app allows you to effortlessly change the workout modes and choose the exercise that best suits you. On the Charge 5, though, you can only have six workout-tracking shortcuts at a time, which is a bummer. The Redmi Smart Band Pro, for example, is substantially less expensive and comes with 15 workout-tracking shortcuts by default, with the ability to add more.
Aside from that, the Fitbit Charge 5 can track 20 different workouts, which is rather impressive. The Charge 5 also includes a menstrual health tracking tool that, when used on a regular basis, can reveal any recurring anomalies. It can also assist you in determining menstrual patterns that are linked to daily activities such as sleep and exercise. In addition, the tracker has the capacity to recognize workouts automatically. Fitbit’s step monitoring beats out the competition since it doesn’t count false steps while I’m driving, riding a scooter, or just sitting at my desk typing.
The Fitbit Charge 5’s battery life is advertised as being 7 days on a single charge, but in my testing, it lasted a little longer than 6 days. The battery will be depleted significantly faster if you use GPS a lot and have the display on all the time. The addition of the new charging dongle, which features a magnet, ensures that the Fitbit Charge 5 adheres to it tightly and is easy to activate and charge, which is a significant boost over the previous-generation Charge 4. The Fitbit app is simple to use and works on both Android and iOS.
It delivers extensive data that is presented in an easy-to-read and understandable format, which makes it even better. The lack of Spotify is one feature that feels like a step backward from the Charge 4. I intended to use it to control music playback on my smartphone while walking or working out.
Fitbit Charge 5 Final Verdict
The Fitbit Charge 5 is a fantastic fitness tracker, but it is not inexpensive. At Rs 14,999, it’s a bit costly, but it includes a host of health and sleeps monitoring features, as well as menstrual health tracking and an inbuilt GPS. The Fitbit Charge 5 is without a doubt the greatest fitness tracker Fitbit has ever made, with several advancements over the Charge 4. Many fitness bands from brands like Honor, OnePlus, Redmi, and Xiaomi, on the other hand, provide important functionality without burning a hole in your wallet.
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