When it comes to picking out a smartwatch, you would likely lean towards the Apple Watch. The very first Apple Watch was released in 2015, meaning they have had three years to make their smartwatch perfect. Apple has not had much competition in the realm of smartwatches, until now. As of October 2018, Fitbit is now a competitor with the release of their very first smartwatch, the Fitbit Iconic. Fitbit has been the leading producer of fitness trackers for many years and they finally decided to try creating a smartwatch that is also a fitness tracker. With the release of the Fitbit Iconic, it is now a close call to see which smartwatch is better. Below you will find an in-depth look into each device to help you determine which smartwatch is for you.
Apple Watch Series 4:
In September 2018, Apple welcomed the edition of their newest Apple Watch, the Series 4. The Series 4 ranges in price from $399 to $799 depending on the features you want your watch to have. It may seem pricey, but it definitely comes with abilities you won’t want to miss out on. The Series 4 presents the largest display yet. Apple cut down on the size of the borders which allowed the screen to be over 30% larger. Even though the screen is bigger, you can still get through the day on a single charge. The bigger screen has also allowed the entire interface to gain a new design. The interface is now providing more information in greater detail than before.
Another aspect of this watch that makes it so appealing is the built in health tracker. It can help you live a healthier life through managing your everyday stress and tracking calories burned. It also tracks your heart rate. With the improved system, this Apple Watch will now alert you if your heart rate is abnormal. You can even sync your watch with an app to record an electrocardiogram. The new Apple Watch also comes equipped with fall detection and Emergency SOS. If you fall while you are by yourself, you will now have the ability to call for help if you need it. You can easily access all of your health data in your iPhone Health App. With this app, you can see your daily activity, nutrition, mindfulness, and sleep. You can manage your stress through the Breathe app. When you access this app, it will lead you through a series of breathing exercises to help calm you down.
The Apple Watch Series 4 also shows improvements in the workout app. The Workout App is accessible on your smartwatch and allows you to set individual goals, measure your calories burned, and track your progress over time in the Activity app on you iPhone. The Workout App will also automatically recognize when you have started an activity and will ask you if you want to record it. If you’re a runner then you will definitely be happy with Apple’s new addition. When you are on a run, your watch will now send you pace alerts to notify you if you are ahead of or behind your previous pace. There is also a new cadence metric which allows you to see your steps per minute. Another incredible feature of the Apple Watch is the ability to sync with compatible gym equipment. The Series 4 is also water resistant to 50 meters meaning it will track your pool and open-water workouts.
The new Apple Watch will now display your daily movement in three different categories: Move, Exercise, and Stand. These categories will be broken down into your Activity rings that are visible on the screen. Your goal is to close each ring every day. The Move ring tracks the active calories you burn each day. The Exercise ring tracks how long you participate in a workout or move at a fast pace throughout the day. The Stand ring tracks how long you stand throughout the day and motivates you to get moving. With the Activity app, you can also challenge a friend to a seven-day contest to see who completes the most activities in that time period. Your watch will also send you notifications that tell you if you are ahead of your competition or behind. At the end of each day, your watch will also nudge you if you still need to attain your activity goals.
Fitbit Iconic:
The very first smartwatch introduced by Fitbit is $299.95 and is available in three different colors. Like most Fitbit trackers, the Iconic will track your steps, distance covered, calories burned, floors climbed, active minutes, hourly activity, and stationary time. When it tracks your sleep, you can access the Fitbit app to get an in-depth look at your different sleep stages and personalized insights. With the ability to track your heart rate, the Iconic will help you reach your weight goals, optimize your exercise, track your health and fitness, and help you manage your stress. The Iconic comes fully equipped with guided breathing exercises to help you lower your stress and anxiety when you need it most.
When you are ready for your workout, you can automatically track your activity through the use of the multi-sports mode. You can track your running, biking, or weight lifting as your exercise to get access to statistics and workout summaries. The Iconic also has SmartTrack which is the ability to automatically track whenever you begin your exercise like running, biking, and walking. This smartwatch is also water resistant up to 50 meters which allows you to wear your watch in the pool to track your swim workouts. You will also have access to coaching right on your wrist. You can start dynamic personal coaching to help you get through every move and routine.
Your Fitbit Iconic will also automatically sync wirelessly to computers and devices that run on either iOS, Android, or Windows. Since the Iconic will connect to your phone, this means you will get smartphone notifications on your watch. When someone calls or texts you, their information will show up on the watch screen so you can see who is trying to reach you. You will also be able to fully read what the text says. Since you have the ability to sync to other devices, this means you will be able to sync to Bluetooth headphones. This will allow you to play music or podcasts straight from your watch.
You will also be able to make payments with your Fitbit Iconic. With a built-in NFC chip, you can use your credit or debit cards at checkout simply by swiping your watch over the card reader. You can also choose apps that are popular to you to show up on the watch’s home screen. This will give you instant access to any information from your favorite apps. With the Fitbit Iconic you will also gain the ability to go five days without charging your smartwatch.
Now you are fully aware about each little detail there is to know about the Apple Watch Series 4 and the Fitbit Iconic. With all of this new information you can choose which smartwatch will suit your needs the best.
Written by: Megan Williams
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