As a substitute of doubling down and making an attempt to make the following finest Apple Watch killer, Fitbit is specializing in potential customers and costs. At present, the corporate launched the brand new $159 Versa Lite smartwatch, a pared-down model of the $199 wearable it got here out with final 12 months. It can additionally carry the newly introduced Encourage and Encourage HR health trackers, priced from $69 to $99, to all customers.

The Versa Lite would not look very totally different from the unique $199 Versa, however Fitbit eliminated a couple of options to maintain the gadget’s worth down. The Lite would not have the flexibility to trace flooring climbed, depend swim laps out of your wrist (though it will probably observe swimming exercises), play music, or present on-screen guided exercises.

The Versa Lite additionally would not have onboard Wi-Fi, however it will probably nonetheless obtain smartphone alerts when your smartphone is close by. It additionally has a brand new updates function that may provoke a small replace obtain each time the person syncs the gadget to the Fitbit cell app. The Lite will not be the gadget that retains you within the loop always just like the Apple Watch and even the unique Versa does—nevertheless it nonetheless retains the digital world in your wrist.

These are huge options to go away off a Fitbit OS-device. Nevertheless, Lite will nonetheless be helpful for customers who need an all-day and all-night exercise and sleep tracker that displays coronary heart charge constantly and may connect with the GPS in your telephone to map out of doors exercises. Ever since Fitbit launched its first smartwatch, the Ionic, it has developed a sample of increasing its smartwatch household by making cheaper gadgets. The Versa itself was made to be a extra inexpensive (and classy) model of the Ionic, and now the Versa Lite continues that custom by being an additional simplified model of the Versa.

Not solely does Fitbit need to get prospects onto its platform with inexpensive gadgets, nevertheless it additionally needs to offer prospects extra choices. Representatives emphasised the significance of constructing gadgets for many who have by no means worn a wearable and those that are simply beginning out on their health journeys. That transition could be intimidating, so Fitbit is hoping that the Versa Lite could be a cheaper, extra centered gadget for these customers.

Encourage, Ace, and paid providers

Along with the Versa Lite, Fitbit can also be making the brand new Encourage and Encourage HR out there to all. Introduced a couple of weeks in the past, the Encourage line of health trackers was first made for Fitbit’s healthcare companions—however now, each gadgets will substitute the Zip, Flex 2, and the Alta and Alta HR in Fitbit’s shopper household.

Changing all of these gadgets means the Encourage trackers have to be fairly versatile. Customers can put on the trackers in clips or wristband attachments, and the touchscreen is extra versatile and usable than the previous, tap-only display on the Alta trackers. Each may even have the brand new on-device dashboard that reveals stats like steps, energy, and distance at a look.

Because the identify suggests, the Encourage HR has Fitbit’s steady heart-rate monitoring expertise, and will probably be capable of do a couple of issues the common Encourage cannot: observe sleep levels, observe exercises with greater than 15 on-device train modes, and use Fitbit’s related GPS function.

Fitbit additionally redesigned its Ace health tracker for youths within the new Acer 2 gadget. This time round, the kid-friendly tracker is a bit bulkier, however additionally it is stronger within the face of the inevitable mishandling that comes from youngsters. The gadgets have new animated watch faces and new band colours, each of which can encourage youngsters to put on the gadgets all day lengthy and be lively recurrently because of this.

Fitbit has a couple of new providers within the works to enrich its new gadgets. First, Fitbit is planning a redesign of its cell app for later this 12 months. The purpose is to make all the app extra streamlined, put well being insights (a piece known as Fitbit Focus) entrance and heart, and combine social elements extra elegantly. Second, there’s the Fitbit Rewards beta program that offers customers factors for finishing every day exercise duties like passing a step purpose or clocking in a ample variety of hours of sleep. These factors can be utilized to redeem rewards from partnering corporations reminiscent of Adidas and Deezer.

That is a part of Fitbit’s experiments earlier than it reportedly launches a “paid premium service” later this 12 months. Moreover the rewards program and doable Fitbit Coach (the corporate’s guided train applications that value $39 yearly), it is unclear what that premium service would come with. However like Apple and plenty of different gadget makers, Fitbit seems to be embracing the thought of providers being a predominant income stream going ahead.

You may preorder the $159 Versa Lite, the $69 Encourage, and the $99 Encourage HR from Fitbit’s web site starting immediately. The $69 Ace 2 tracker shall be out there beginning this summer season. Verify again on Ars for our critiques of the Versa Lite and Encourage HR within the coming weeks.

Itemizing picture by Valentina Palladino