New $250 Fitbit Surge to be Company’s First “Superwatch”

Yesterday, the Verge reported that Fitbit – the makers of the fitness-focused health trackers of the same name – will soon be releasing a new device that will square off against gadgets from some of the biggest names in tech, ranging from Samsung, to Google, to Apple.

The Fitbit Surge, says the post, will cost $250 and will be more than a mere fitness tracker, but rather will be a “superwatch.” It’ll feature built-in GPS tracking – a feature left out of many of the current generation of smartwatches – which will include elevation and pace information for those who take their workouts on the road. It’ll also include constant heart rate tracking through a new feature called PurePulse, as well as the usual amount of Fitbit features like a pedometer, sleep tracker, calories burned, and all the rest of what you’d expect.

The Fitbit Surge doesn’t stop there, though. The leaked press materials (reproduced at the top of this post, also via the Verge) show a device with a relatively full-sized watchface display. Additionally, the materials explain that the device will also offer users some of the same kinds of functions found on more robust smartwatches, including synced notifications from your smartphone about calls and texts, as well as giving users the ability to control music playback. In short, it’s a relatively affordable and fully functional digital watch that also happens to pull off many of the same tricks as most fitness bands and smartwatches. And chances seem good it’ll be compatible with any smartphone OS you might be running – and that’s something that no other smartwatch can boast at the moment.

We’ll supposedly hear more about the Fitbit Surge – as well as the Fitbit Charge and Fitbit Charge HR, which also were revealed via press leaks last week – a little before the coming holiday season. Does this change your plans for your entrance into the wearable world?

[Source: The Verge]