About a week ago it was leaked that Fitbit had a new fitness tracker in the works called the Fitbit Alta HR. Basically this seemed to be a slightly upgraded version of the current Fitbit Alta and the “HR” designation indication that it would come with a heart rate monitor, a feature that was missing in the previous version.
Turns out the leaks were right because Fitbit has officially announced the tracker. The Alta HR will maintain the slim form factor found in the original Alta, and it will also pack a heart rate monitor that uses a specially-designed chip that helps keep the device thin. The company is also claiming that this new chip will also provide more accurate measurements when it comes to estimating calories burned when doing exercises that don’t involve steps, such as yoga or using the stationary bike.
There are also new sleep tracking features that are enabled thanks to the new heart rate monitor. It will be capable of detecting when you’re in light sleep, deep sleep, and REM sleep, and can even offer users advice on how to get better rest. However just like its predecessor, the Alta HR works on automatic exercise detection so there might be some activities that don’t make it so ideal.
It isn’t waterproof either but it is sweat and shower-resistant, so you can get it a bit wet but you probably don’t want to go swimming with it. It is priced at $149.95 which makes it $20 more expensive than the regular Alta, and is expected to begin shipping out to customers early April.