Fitbit’s Blaze wasn’t really a big hit when it was announced at CES a few weeks ago. In contrast to Misfit’s Ray which generally received positive feedback thanks to its jewelry-like design.

Judging by the company’s latest announcement, it seems Fitbit is taking a few pages from Misfit’s playbook with the Fitbit Alta.

Compared to the chunky Blaze, the Alta is now sporting a slimmer profile. Fortunately, Fitbit didn’t really sacrifice a lot when it chose to give the Alta a smaller form factor. For starters, the device sports the same level of activity tracking as seen in other members of the Fitbit family.

These include all-day tracking for your steps, distance covered, calories burned, hours of sleep and active minutes. Fitbit was also generous enough to include new features found in competing products such as reminders to move and a feature called SmartTrack that automatically recognizes and records your exercises for you.

Fitbit is also promising improved notifications (which include notifications for not only calls but also texts and calendar alerts) and longer battery life (up to 5 full days on a single charge).

The Fitbit Alta also allows band interchangeability, allowing users to choose the type of band to use with the device based on their style and of course preference. Types of band for the Alta include metal, leather and even specialized brands from designers such as Tory Burch.

Fitbit is now offering the Alta for pre-orders with a price tag of $129.95.

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While other fitness tracker makers like Fitbit are trying to focus on creating improved version of traditional fitness-focused wearables, Misfit is trying to expand its horizons by creating fitness trackers in a different form factor. In fact, the company has announced two new products at CES last week that somehow deviates from the typical fitness trackers are currently found in the market.

On one hand, we have the Misfit Ray – a wristband fitness tracker that doubles as a fashion accessory. The device features a tube-shaped aluminum where the electronics (Including the LEDs) are housed and a flat band made of rubber or leather.

Just like other products from the manufacturer, the Ray is able to track different data including steps, calories burned, distance, swim laps and sleep patterns. According to Misfit, the device is able to last for up to six months on a single charge and is waterproof up to 50 meters.

The aluminum tube is touch-sensitive which activates the LED display once tapped. The Ray is also able to convey smartphone notifications like incoming calls, messages and reminders using LEDs and a vibration motor.

The Misfit Ray is available in either rose gold or carbon black and can be had with either a rubber band for $99 or a leather one for $120. Just like the Misfit Shine, the Ray can also be worn as a necklace. Misfit is now offering the device for pre-order and will ship in the next couple of months.

Another product that was announced during CES was the Misfit Specter, a pair of activity tracking wireless headphones.

In terms of form factor, the Specter has the same design as most headphones intended for use in the gym. It has a pair of in-ear headphones, a small clip-on base and a cord remote with music playback buttons. The small square contains the sensors and the battery which according to the company can last up to 8 to 10 hours per charge.

Just like the Ray, the Misfit Specter is able to track various activities including steps, activity and even sleep pattern (assuming the device is worn by the user during sleep). The Specter is using audio drivers from Chinese manufacturer 1More, which ensures that they give off quality sound.

There’s no specific date on which the headphones will start shipping but the price is expected to be around $200. 

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Fitness trackers have been getting a lot of attention lately. In fact, sales figures of these devices rose significantly especially during the holidays – most notably those from Fitbit. The fitness tracker maker has introduced a new product this week at CES in Las Vegas – the Fitbit Blaze.

The device is basically a step above your typical fitness tracker, sporting a colored display and a modular design that allows the main tracker unit to be detached from the band.

Fitbit envisions the Blaze as a fitness tracker that you can wear even when you’re not working out. Just like other trackers from the company, the Blaze sports PurePulse heart rate tracking and the company’s SmartTrack auto-exercise recognition system.

The Fitbit Blaze is said to have a 5-day battery life and can sync with various mobile devices including those that run on Android, iOS and Windows Phone. The upcoming fitness tracker is now available for pre-order on the company’s website and will be sold for a little less than $200 for the base version.

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If there’s any chance for other smartwatch brands to keep Apple’s watch at bay, a feature that can’t go missing in their device would have to be a heart rate monitor. Fortunately, Garmin’s new wearable – the Forerunner 225 has just that.

The watch features a 1-inch coloured display with a resolution of 180 x 180 pixels and shows three different user stats including distance, pace and heart rate. It also comes with a built-in accelerometer, a sleep tracker and a slew of pre-programmed features including advanced workouts, pace alerts, interval training and customizable screens.

Battery according to Garmin can last up to four weeks of basic training or around 7-10 hours if you’re constantly using the GPS and heart rate tracker. The device can be submerged up to 50 meters and connects to a smartphone using Bluetooth.

The Garmin Forerunner 225 will be available in the next couple of months for around $299.99

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The competition for fitness trackers are getting more intense as each day progresses In fact, a couple of weeks ago we saw Fitbit unleash a trio of smart bands into the market. And on top of that, even smartphone makers are now jumping into the bandwagon and building their own fitness trackers.

And now another big name in the wearable tech industry, Jawbone is announcing its offerings for this year – the Jawbone UP3 and UP Move.

Between the two, the UP3 packs the most features. The band is made from anodized aluminum and tin coated stainless steel. It connects to a user’s smartphone via Bluetooth v4.0 BTLE and is able to track different stats including heart rate, respiration, Galvanic Skin Response (GSR), skin temperature and ambient temperature.

The UP3 also features Auto Activity Classification that allows the device to learn, recognize and automatically log a user’s activities into Jawbone’s tracking software. On top of that, the device’s built-in accelerometer accurately counts a user’s steps. Calories burned during a workout can also be calculated by the device by establishing the basal metabolic rate (BMR) from a user’s age, weight, height and activity levels using the most updated published medical standards.

Users can also track the quality of their diet and achieve their ideal weight by logging in their meals in the UP app. The device can track the calories and nutrients in one’s diet and even provides a “Food Score” to show a user how healthy are the food they are eating. Moreover the UP3 can track set personalized goals and even recommend certain activities to meet those goals.

According to Jawbone, the UP3 can last up to 7 days on a charge and is water-resistant up to 10 meters. There’s also three single color LEDs that provide easily discernible notifications to users depending on their activity status.

Then there’s the UP Move. In contrast to the band-type UP3, the Move comes in a clip-on form factor and is constructed from anodized aluminum, medical grade rubber and a nylon-like material.

It’s not as powerful as the UP3 but is very capable in tracking a user’s activities including steps made, calories burned, food intake and user goals. Just like its bigger brother, the UP Move connects to a compatible smartphone via Bluetooth v4.0 but has a battery life that can last up to 6 months.

The two devices will be available by the end of the year with the UP3 retailing for $180 while the UP Move will sell for $50.

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Fitbit has just announced three new fitness trackers that should help the company get a wider reach by designing the products to fit different kinds of people.

For the casual fitness buff, there’s the Fitbit Charge that delivers all-day activity tracking and real-time fitness stats. The Charge comes with bright OLED display that shows the user the current time and real-time stats. The device also comes with a caller ID feature that displays the name of the caller on its display when it is synced with a smartphone.

The Charge also tracks a user’s sleep cycle using motion analysis to understand sleep and wake times. It also comes with a silent, vibrating alarm to help users wake up more naturally. The Fitbit Charge is also water-resistant and comes with a new textured wristband design with an improved clasp. Fitbit claims the Charge can last up to 7 days and should now be available on the company’s website for $129.95.

For those who want more features on their smartband, there’s the Fitbit Charge HR. The device offers continuous heart rate monitoring thanks to its PurePulse optical heart rate technology that provides continuous and automatic wrist-based heart rate monitoring.

The Charge HR also offers all-day insights to a user’s overall heart health including resting heart rate and heart rate trends on top of other metrics such as steps, distance, floors climbed, calories and active minutes. However, due to the larger dimensions of the Charge HR, battery life has been reduced to 5 days compared to the basic Charge.

The Fitbit Charge HR will be available by early 2015 for around $149.95 in blue and tangerine colors.

Now for those who want the best in terms of monitoring your fitness activities, then the Fitbit Surge is a viable option. The company has packed the Surge with a number of sensors including 3-axis accelerometers, a gyroscope, a compass, ambient light sensor, GPS and a heart rate monitor.

It also comes with a backlit LCD touchscreen display with customizable watch faces and an easy to navigate interface to view real-time stats, workout apps, sleep and alarms. Information tracked by the device include pace, distance, elevation, split times, route history and workout summaries.

And just like the Charge and Charge HR, the Fitbit Surge comes with a caller ID feature, as well as text alerts and mobile music control so users can stay connected even while doing their workout. The Surge will also get 7 days of battery life and will arrive early 2015 for $249.95 in black, blue and tangerine.

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Lenovo is the latest big name in the tech scene that’s joining the wearable tech race. Just today, the tech giant’s fitness tracker has surfaced at the US Federal Communications Commission with a complete set of documentation including photos and a manual.

The fitness tracker will connect to a smartphone via Bluetooth and monitors a user’s activities through a heart rate monitor and other sensors. The watch features several function modes including a training mode, a sleep mode (for measuring sleep quality) and a heart-rate mode. Moreover, the band is able to show users with various notifications including incoming calls and SMS reminders.

Lenovo is partnering the band with its own app for users to be able to sync their fitness data for better recording and tracking. In terms of OS compatibility, the device will be able to work with Android, iOS and Windows Phone.

There’s no word yet on when Lenovo plans to release the smart band but will keep everyone posted.

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