HomeiOSiPhone Accessories Worthy heir to the Fitbit dynasty, which for a long time made the fortune of the brand and for long stretches became its symbol, the new Fitbit Charge 5 offers the best you can have today on an activity tracker.
The step compared to the previous version is important, thanks to the color display, but everything works better: despite the small price increase, the change is worthwhile even if you have the Charge 4.
28 grams
A few months after the launch of the Fitbit Luxe, to which this model is clearly inspired, Fitbit Charge 5 arrives in the classic and sober Fitbit box, with the activity tracker inside, alongside a part of the strap in the largest size, the power cable. refill (as always owner, damn it) and a small manual, mostly useless because everything is done from the App.
A Sport strap has also arrived in the editorial office, in black velvety soft leather, which we immediately liked more than the original Fitbit one.
Fitbit Charge 5, here with sport strap, which we liked it much more than the original one The gearbox immediately highlighted the work done by the technicians, making it even simpler than in model 4, and also feasible with one hand.
The silicone band accompanies the body of the Fitbit Charge 5, which is made of aluminum, with the glass front (Corning Gorilla Glass 3).
The design is very interesting, without protruding parts and with that mix of materials that offers a glance of prestige: the weight, just 28 grams (including the Sport strap), asks little on the wrist, and in some cases it seems not to have it.
Installation and first approach
Fitbit's activity tracker arrives with half a charge in tow, so if you want you can wear it right away, or charge via USB, which takes about two hours to unload.
Once worn, just download the Fitbit App for iOS (works both on iPhone and iPad or even iPod) or for Android, and let yourself be guided by the procedures that are very simple.
If you have never used a Fitbit product you need to register, with the insertion of personal physical data, otherwise the operation lasts no more than a minute and you are immediately operational.
The installation phase, fast and simple, through a series of guided steps. Finally, the possibility of changing the dial, among many very beautiful ones: it's a pity there isn't one without the time
Color
The first thing you notice is the color: the high-contrast AMOLED touch display is twice as bright as the old Fitbit Charge 4 and offers a noticeable glance.
Color offers many alternatives, especially in the design of the dials, which in fact are much more beautiful and lively than the previous versions, although in fact, as far as usability is concerned, greater brightness is the most important element, far more than color.
What is most surprising, and pleasing, is the quality of the animations and the fluidity in the scroll, which is much better than the previous models and the whole Fitbit line, or at least this is our impression (even of the Fitbit Sense, which however has a much larger display and therefore a different power dosage).
The display, which measures 21.93 x 14.75 mm (inside a much larger case) is able to offer a lot of information, such as the main data of the day, the time, notifications, the identification in calls ( to which you can answer or decline, but not having a microphone to talk, you always need to use your smartphone), the alarm clock and the main data.
Not having a return button, everything is done through simple gestures that can be learned in a few seconds and, in any case, for those who have a smartphone without a central button, the situation will be completely normal.
Functionality
In addition to the renewed beauty of the animations, the difference between the Fitbit Charge 5 and the Fitbit Charge 4 is very large, abysmal if you think only of the Fitbit Charge 3 due to the integrated functions (in addition to the much more modern design).
Taking a look at our Fitbit App, after a couple of weeks of use, we can see how the Fitbit Charge 5 silently monitored our respiratory rate, heart rate variability (HRV), skin temperature and oxygen saturation ( SpO2), all during the night and providing interesting data both numerically and with advice on the matter.
In addition to this, the variability of the heartbeat at rest (RHR), an interesting indication, also considering that the bracelet warns when the heartbeat is above or below the parameters set in the App (to us some warning of excessive heartbeat has arrived , probably due to stress, writing for Macitynet is a good experience but sometimes more complex than it seems).
Incredible work the Charge 5 does while we sleep: it basically listens to everything, from heart rate to skin temperature, from breathing to how deep it is our sleep. The quality of the measurements during sleep has always been Fitbit's workhorse and offers the best answer to this need, given the long battery life (about 7 days tests in hand, without activating the GPS).
The survey is very rich: it not only measures the trend during the night (useful for understanding the reason for certain tiredness in the morning) but also offers a score, measured on the average of the huge Fitbit database, which offers an objective comparison on the 'actual sleep pattern, and the consequent state of health.
But not only that: the sensors also measure the management of stress, and physical activity (in addition to sports, which is more important) and finally, for the pink quota, also the menstrual cycle, providing forecasts, statistics and warning the date. start of each cycle.
At the time of doing the review, the EGC App was not yet available (but will be soon, says Fitbit), which will allow you to carry out tests on the electrical activity of the heart.
Attention to all data is not left to chance, and indeed much of the value of this smart bracelet lies in the App and in the service offered by Fitbit: in the image, the App (but also the bracelet) warns that the heart rate detected is high, so you need to understand why
On the wrist
As we said, the Fitbit Charge 5 on the wrist is very light and does a huge job, in full synergy with the App: the bracelet's memory keeps 7 days, so even if you want, your smartphone does not need to be always within Bluetooth reach.
During the day the display is convenient for viewing the notifications of all the Apps, as if it were a second smartphone display, even if it is not possible to answer, and if you want you can also use it always on (but pay attention to the battery).
There is the reminder of the movement, which can be deactivated, which reminds us that it is not good to sit for too many hours, and invites us to take at least 250 steps per hour. All the warnings on the display are accompanied by a small vibration: the vibration can also be used as an alarm clock, to remind us that it is time to get up, but at the same time without disturbing the companion who sleeps next door.
In the image, the difference between the Charge 5 and the Fitbit Luxe, different twins each for their own type of user and price range The App checks the status of the movement and motivates the user when he wins the daily challenges (which can be modulated as desired) and the weekly ones, often ending up in each screen with advice always based on the database average.
Sports activity is present with different types (running, swimming, weights, bikes, treadmills, weights and steps), even if this is not a bracelet for those who do sport seriously, but more for a healthy daily activity.
For those who, like the writer, are a little inattentive to statistics, above-average activities are recorded automatically: the GPS turns on only on certain types of sports and allows you to leave your smartphone at home.
Fitbit Charge 5 allows it to be used even in water without problems, although the parent company recommends cleaning the bracelet after each sport session, to remove traces of chlorine or salt water that could, in the long run, damage the silicone of the strap.
The thickness of the Charge is not super-thin, but at the moment it could not be less due to the high number of sensors inside it, but the absence of a side button avoids the problem of activating an unwanted function when folding the wrist.
Lights and shadows
Is everything perfect then? The bracelet is very nice, with a capable display and a number of sensors and a collaboration with the beautiful App really efficient, but we see some improvements anyway.
For example, we would have liked a function that turns off the bracelet display at night, perhaps by programming the time, in order to save battery (even if the sensors remain on).
Likewise, it lacks a flashlight function, which while minute might help find the lamp button near the nightstand when in the hotel at night.
We would have liked (and we say so from different versions) to have a dial without the time, which becomes redundant if we wear the Charge on the right wrist while leaving a classic watch on the left wrist (come on Fitbit, it's not difficult).
We don't like having to change the power cable with each version (and we would have liked to have an induction one), besides the fact that the socket is always USB-A, in a world that is inexorably moving towards USB-C as a connector. .
Considerations
Despite these objections, which are however marginal, it is undeniable that Fitbit Charge 5 is an (almost) perfect activity tracker, as well as according to the modest judgment of the writer (which however includes several experiences on the market) without a doubt the best available today considering both the hardware and the software part, Fitbit's true workhorse ever.
An activity tracker that lasts up to a week, with a very bright color display and that constantly monitors a huge amount of personal variables, thanks to very sophisticated sensors.
Although not a bracelet designed for those who play competitive sports, Charge 5 lends itself well to daily physical activity for those who want to stay healthy, monitoring all activities a little but also proposing itself for some specifics An Activity tracker that has become the icon of the sector over the years, even if in e ffetti requires an admission price that is certainly not popular, but at the same time offers a user experience certainly better than the competition, comparable only to high-end smart watches (although it is not a smartwatch in the strict sense, albeit for many verses you can think of it in that sense).
It is clear that it was very much liked here, and despite having a high-end access price, it is fully justified by the quality of the hardware and service that Fitbit offers, with or without Premium service (choice that is up to the user, even if with the purchase you have six months of free Premium).
The Charge line, which has always been at the top in the sector, has found a new point of comparison, to which all others will have to look, whatever their price line.
For those who do not likes to check the status every morning, there is a weekly email that summarizes the trend of a few days
Pros:
• Excellent design • Integrated GPS • App keeps improving • Very smooth animations
Cons:
• The price is important • A dial is missing without the time • The power cord is proprietary
Price:
• € 179.99 (Fitbit Charge 5) • € 29.99 (Sport band)
Fitbit Charge 5 is available in stores suggested by the Italian website in Black / Graphite Stainless Steel, Blue Gray / Platinum Gray Stainless Steel or Moon White / Light Gold Stainless Steel versions, but readers can also find it starting from the Amazon.co.uk pages. .
Various accessories are already available such as the protective film, alternative or non-original original straps.
