It’s been a minute since we saw the release of a genuinely impressive fitness tracker for under $100, but it looks like Fitbit has filled this gap with the announcement of the new Inspire 3 fitness tracker.
The Fitbit Inspire 3 will replace the Fitbit Inspire 2 in the brand’s line-up. But for the first time, the affordable tracker will get a face lift, with one impressive feature usually reserved for some of the more expensive best Fitbits.
At $99.95 (AU$$179.95), the Inspire 3 is the most affordable fitness tracker from Fitbit. Unlike the Fitbit Inspire 2, the third iteration of the inconspicuous tracker will have a bright AMOLED color display, the same as that used on the Fitbit Charge 5, released last year.
This is the first time we’ve seen a color screen on the affordable tracker, and although we’re yet to see it on the wrist, at a glance, it does make the $99 wearable look more premium. One of the biggest drawbacks of the Inspire 2 was its display, which felt a little ‘meh’ compared to some of the other cheap fitness trackers on the market, so this is an exciting update from the brand.
Under the hood, the Inspire 3 has a lot of the tech features of the Inspire 2 — it’ll still count your steps, calories, Active Zone Minutes, and heart rate. It’ll also remind you to move if you’ve spent too much time sitting on the couch, and you can set up AFib alerts, which will tell you if your heart rate goes above or below your usual rhythm at rest. One notable difference, however, is that the Inspire 3 has the ability to track SpO2 — blood oxygen saturation. It’s still lacking built-in GPS and EDA sensors (which monitor stress), but as basic fitness trackers go, it’s impressive.
Here’s what we know about the Fitbit Inspire 3, and when you’ll be able to get your hands on it.
Fitbit Inspire 3 price and release date
The Fitbit Inspire 3 will cost $99.95 (AU$$179.95), which is the same price as the Fitbit Inspire 2 when it was released. It’s a lot cheaper than the Fitbit Charge 5, which does have built-in GPS and EDA sensors but costs $179.95 (AU$199.95).
The cost of the Inspire 3 includes a six-month Fitbit Premium membership. Fitbit Premium is Fitbit's advanced health-monitoring platform, which included deeper sleep insights, Fitbit's Daily Readiness Score and fitness programming. Fitbit Premium normally costs $9.99 (AU$14.99) per month, or $80 (AU$129.99) per year. We've chewed over whether Fitbit Premium worth it.
Fitbit has not yet announced an official release date, though the device is available for pre-order starting August 24 and will release in the fall (or spring in the Southern Hemisphere).
Alongside the Fitbit Sense 2, Fitbit announced two additional devices: the Fitbit Versa 4 and Fitbit Sense 2, follow-ups to the Fitbit Versa 3 and Fitbit Sense respectively.
Fitbit Inspire 3 design
As mentioned above, the Fitbit Inspire 3 has a few design improvements, most notably the bright AMOLED color display.
The display has an always-on display function for the first time, allowing you to check your exercise progress at a glance — handy when you’re mid-exercise and don’t want to have to put your dumbbells down to check your progress.
The tracker itself is thinner and lighter than previous iterations. It’s waterproof up to 50 meters, so you can wear it in the pool and in the shower without worrying.
The tracker comes in three different colors — pink, yellow, and black, but there are a number of different accessories on offer for further customization, including metal bands, and a clip, that allows you to wear the tracker on your sports bra or clipped onto your sports shorts.
Fitbit Inspire 3 battery life
Fitbit says even with the color screen, the battery life of 10 days remains the same, although we’re yet to test this.
Using the always-on display is also likely to reduce this number.
Fitbit Inspire 3 outlook
While we’re yet to get our hands on the Fitbit Inspire 3 to test, from the demo, we’d say this is an exciting update for a super-affordable fitness tracker.
For most people taking their first steps into fitness, the Inspire is a fantastic wearable to have on the wrist — it’ll easily give you enough information to get a better understanding of your overall health, and with the addition of a brighter, color screen, this watch feels more premium without the price tag.
Whether the new screen is enough to persuade you to buy the tracker over the (now discounted) Fitbit Inspire 2 remains to be seen. Stay tuned for full reviews of all of Fitbit's new devices.
