The new Fitbit Sense and Fitbit Versa 3 models might be equipped with all the features and sensors in the world but that won't help proud Versa 2 and Charge 3 owners in achieving their fitness goals. This is about to change as Fitbit has started rolling out its Active Zone Minutes system as well as other latest-gen features to Fitbit older models.
According to Wearable, Fitbit has already started updating older models so many Fitbit users can already enjoy tracking their everyday activities through Fitbit's Active Zone Minutes feature. Through Active Zone Minutes, you earn 1 point for a minute spent in the 'fat burning' heart rate zone and 2 points for a minute spent in the 'cardio or peak zone'.
The aim is to collect at least 150 Active Zone Minutes points a week as recommended by the American Heart Association and World Health Organization. I mean, they don't recommend collecting Fitbit points but they recommend at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity or 75 minutes of vigorous activity, or a combination of both, each week.
But that is not all. As well as announcing the new devices, Fitbit has also made an effort in making its Fitbit Premium offering more appealing to users. During the first month of the global lockdown, everyone could sign up for a free 3-month Fitbit Premium trial and possibly through this, Fitbit could gather a lot of useful information health data from its users.
This lead to discoveries such as that Fitbit study showing promising early results in detecting COVID-19 symptoms which was emphasised quite a lot during the announcement of the new heath smartwatch Fitbit Sense. The same Wearable article quoted above suggests that "users of Charge 3/4 , Inspire HR, Versas and Ionics will be able to see heart rate variability (HRV) and breathing rate".
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This feature is part of the advanced Health Metrics Dashboard, accessible in the Fitbit App, but only for people who have Fitbit Premium subscription. The new Fitbit Sense and Versa 3 models come with a free 6-month Fitbit Premium subscription but the new Fitbit Inspire 2 owners can enjoy a whole month of Fitbit Premium for free, included in the price of the already very affordable fitness tracker.
For everyone else, Fitbit Premium costs £79.99 / $79.99 annually (approx. £6.65 / $6.65 a month). On top of being able to access the advanced Health Metrics Dashboard, Premium users can also browse guided programmes, dynamic workouts, Sleep Score breakdown and more.
