Fitbit Announces $300 'Ionic' Smartwatch, 'Flyer' Bluetooth Headphones, and Subscription Coach App

Fitbit today announced a collection of all-new products and services, centering upon the company's first smartwatch, the Fitbit Ionic, along with a new subscription coaching service, Fitbit Coach. The Fitbit Ionic includes improved GPS and heart rate tracking, is water resistant up to 50 meters, supports contactless payments, smartphone notifications, on-board music, and more.

Like past Fitbit devices, the Fitbit Ionic includes a variety of fitness-focused features for users to take advantage of, including a "Run Detect" mode that starts workout tracking when the smartwatch notices the user is running. When exercising outside, users can also leave their smartphone behind and track their running data solely using the Fitbit Ionic. In terms of the new water resistance, there's also a swim workout to track laps and calories burned in a pool.

All of the Fitbit Ionic's enhanced sensor-tracking features are fueled by the new relative SpO2 sensor, which can estimate blood oxygen levels and "opens the potential" for tracking even more health metrics. Fitbit said that, in the future, this will include sleep apnea. The smartwatch's new display provides up to 1,000 nits of brightness and is protected by a scratch proof Corning Gorilla Glass 3 touchscreen.

“Ten years ago, Fitbit pioneered the wearables category with the introduction of its first health and fitness tracker. Since then, we have become the leading global wearables brand, setting the pace of innovation in the category and establishing the largest social fitness network that helps millions of people around the world be healthier,” said James Park, co-founder and CEO of Fitbit.

“With Ionic, we will deliver what consumers have not yet seen in a smartwatch – a health and fitness first platform that combines the power of personalization and deeper insights with our most advanced technology to date, unlocking opportunities for unprecedented health tracking capabilities in the future.”

Fitbit Ionic users will be able to pay at any retail store that supports contactless payments thanks to a new "Fitbit Pay" feature. The company said that over the coming months it will introduce support for American Express cards, as well as Mastercard and Visa credit/debit cards that have been issued from ANZ, Banco Santander, Bank of America, Capital One, HSBC, KBC Bank Ireland, OCBC Bank, Royal Bank of Canada, UOB and US Bank. Fitbit Pay will be supported in ten markets globally, with more countries and banks rolling out in the future.

Users will be able to get four full days of charge on their Fitbit Ionic, but GPS or music listening will limit the smartwatch's charge to just about ten hours. When using the device, users will also be able to access the new App Gallery, allowing them to select apps and watch faces to customize their Fitbit Ionic. Major partner apps available at launch include Pandora, Starbucks, Strava, and AccuWeather, and app support will be continuously expanded thanks to a new Fitbit Studio SDK launching for developers in September.

The on-board music storage can hold up to 300 songs on 2.5 GB, and Fitbit has simultaneously announced a new pair of Bluetooth headphones so users can take advantage of music listening on the new smartwatch. Called the Fitbit Flyer Wireless Fitness Headphones, the sweatproof headphones have in-line controls for playback and smartphone interactions, customizable ear tips, multiple sound settings, and six hours of playback. The Fitbit Flyer Headphones can be pre-ordered today for $129.95.

The new Fitbit Coach iOS app will connect with the Fitbit Ionic to provide premium workout training at $7.99/month or $39.99/year. The company said that this training includes personalized workout videos, which adapt to each user's activity data gathered from the Fitbit Ionic's various sensors. Guided Health Programs include a six-week beginner's running course and a four-week crash course on reducing sugar in food consumption, with more fitness, wellness, and even sleep-focused programs launching soon.

The Fitbit Ionic is available for pre-order today on Fitbit.com for $299.95, and will launch for pre-order on select online retailers tomorrow and in stores this October. The device will debut in three color combinations: silver gray tracker and clasp with blue gray band, smoke gray tracker and clasp with charcoal band, and burnt orange tracker and clasp with slate blue band. Optional accessories will be available, including a Sport Band ($29.95), Classic Band ($29.95), and Perforated Leather Band ($59.95).

In addition to all of these announcements, Fitbit also unveiled a new smart scale called the Fitbit Aria 2. Within the Fitbit ecosystem, the Aria 2 talks with the company's other devices to provide a holistic view of a user's health, and Fitbit noted that the scale includes improved accuracy and design, easier set-up, and support for multiple users. The Fitbit Aria 2 is also available for pre-order today at a price of $129.95, and will launch alongside the other products this fall.