The new Fitbit Charge 5 is an impressive fitness tracker, but the Charge 4 is still well worth your consideration.
If you’re looking for a new fitness tracker, both the Fitbit Charge 4 and the new Fitbit Charge 5 deserve your consideration – but which is the best Fitbit for you? The Charge series has always been workout-focused, and the Fitbit Charge 4 was a real game-changer when it arrived in 2020 thanks to its on-board GPS, which allowed wearers to track runs, walks and bike rides without carrying their phone. It wasn’t the first Fitbit with a GPS chip (the Fitbit Surge and Ionic also had their own), but it was by far the slimmest and lightest, making it a great choice for anyone starting to get serious about their running. It was a tough act to follow, but the Fitbit Charge 5 has even more to offer. Not only does it keep the GPS chip (packed into a case that’s 10% thinner), it also has an EDA (electrodermal activity) stress monitor, as seen in the Fitbit Sense, plus an ECG (electrocardiogram) sensor for checking your heart health. There’s also a new bright color AMOLED screen in place of the Charge 4’s monochrome display, plus a smart new design that replaces the older watch’s hard angles with smoother lines. That doesn’t necessarily mean that the Charge 5 is the best choice for everyone, though. Read on to find out all the key differences between the two fitness tracker s, and choose the right one for you. The Fitbit Charge 4 launched on 15 April 2020, priced at $149.95 / £129.99 / AU$229.95 (the same as the Charge 3 ‘s launch price). It can now be found much more cheaply though, particularly during sales events like Amazon Prime Day and Black Friday. The Fitbit Charge 5 is currently available to pre-order, and Fitbit says it expects to begin shipping « in the fall » – which we expect will mean between September and November 2021. It’s priced at $179.95 / £169.99 / AU$269.95, and we’re not likely to see any discounts for quite a while yet. In short, if you’re on a tight budget, the Charge 4 is the cheaper option, and that’s unlikely to change soon.
