The Fitbit Alta HR is the second version of this particular tracker that Fitbit has brought to the market. Positioned as the more fashionable activity tracker in the range, the Fitbit Alta HR manages to find that perfect balance between style and functionality with added features like touch sensitive display, silent alarms, automatic sleep and exercise tracking to get you up and about.
This version has some definite improvements over its predecessor. Unlike the previous one, this has a buckle on the strap which made me feel more secure and relieved while wearing it. The screen is also more responsive. Let's take a look at some of the new features that it brings to the table.
Heart Rate Monitor
We have to give a shout out to the newest and biggest feature of the Fitbit Alta HR, the heart rate monitor. Powered by PurePulse, it lets you check your current heart rate at any time on the display or inside the app. You can see a daily graph of your HR variations, the evolution of your resting heart rate, and the number of minutes you spent each day in Fat Burn, Cardio and Peak heart rate zones.
Sleep Tracker
The Fitbit Alta HR also tracks your sleep using Fitbit’s Sleep Stages technology, which is designed to be more accurate and uses your heart rate to help keep a tab on your movement between light, deep and REM sleep. You’ll need the app to track all this info, of course.
It works on both iOS and Android, connecting through Bluetooth and syncing in the background at regular intervals. The app on your smartphone lets you see how many steps you’ve taken, your active minutes (10 minutes or more of moderate activity), your calorie burn, plus time you spent in each sleep stage and how much time you were awake during the night, all this in a nice colour coded chart. However, it's worth noting that it doesn't work for short 1-2 hour naps; they default to the old stats.
7-Day battery life
If you ask me, this is by far one of the best features of the Alta HR. Most recent Fitbit trackers hover between 3 and 5 days of battery life, which is very annoying. I've often found myself with a near-empty Charge 2 or Flex 2 and no access to a charger for several hours by which point the battery would just die.
That's not the case with the Alta HR. Even after I get the low battery notification, I can squeeze out several hours, maybe even a day of battery life — more than enough to get me to where the charger is. And if I'm about to leave for the weekend with 50% of battery, I don't have to rush to charge it fearing it would give up before I come back. It can easily last a few days without a top-up.
This means that I no longer feel the need to babysit my tracker and set reminders every 3-4 days to recharge it.
Durability
I’ve only been wearing my Fitbit for a month so far. There are a couple of small scratches on the face if I look carefully, but you can buy screen protectors. Otherwise, the casing and the strap are still as good as new. To clean it, you just wipe it with a damp cloth. You also have the option to purchase and customize the band according to your liking.
Alerts
Silent alerts is a new way this device communicates with you. You have the option to make it buzz to let you know you have a phone call (the screen will show the name or number of the caller) or a SMS or calendar appointment. It will also buzz to remind you to get up and move if you’ve been sitting still for too long, and will give an extra long buzz (with fireworks on the screen) when you reach your daily fitness goal. All the buzzing sometimes makes me look sharply to my wrist in irritation. But, it’s also tremendously useful, so I don’t plan to turn it off.
Overall, I think it’s a fashionable yet highly effective device, but priced slightly on the higher side. Having said that, it's certainly worth buying for its features and battery life. You can get it on Amazon for Rs.14,999.
-By Nishant M
This version has some definite improvements over its predecessor. Unlike the previous one, this has a buckle on the strap which made me feel more secure and relieved while wearing it. The screen is also more responsive. Let's take a look at some of the new features that it brings to the table.
Heart Rate Monitor
We have to give a shout out to the newest and biggest feature of the Fitbit Alta HR, the heart rate monitor. Powered by PurePulse, it lets you check your current heart rate at any time on the display or inside the app. You can see a daily graph of your HR variations, the evolution of your resting heart rate, and the number of minutes you spent each day in Fat Burn, Cardio and Peak heart rate zones.
Sleep Tracker
The Fitbit Alta HR also tracks your sleep using Fitbit’s Sleep Stages technology, which is designed to be more accurate and uses your heart rate to help keep a tab on your movement between light, deep and REM sleep. You’ll need the app to track all this info, of course.
It works on both iOS and Android, connecting through Bluetooth and syncing in the background at regular intervals. The app on your smartphone lets you see how many steps you’ve taken, your active minutes (10 minutes or more of moderate activity), your calorie burn, plus time you spent in each sleep stage and how much time you were awake during the night, all this in a nice colour coded chart. However, it's worth noting that it doesn't work for short 1-2 hour naps; they default to the old stats.
7-Day battery life
If you ask me, this is by far one of the best features of the Alta HR. Most recent Fitbit trackers hover between 3 and 5 days of battery life, which is very annoying. I've often found myself with a near-empty Charge 2 or Flex 2 and no access to a charger for several hours by which point the battery would just die.
That's not the case with the Alta HR. Even after I get the low battery notification, I can squeeze out several hours, maybe even a day of battery life — more than enough to get me to where the charger is. And if I'm about to leave for the weekend with 50% of battery, I don't have to rush to charge it fearing it would give up before I come back. It can easily last a few days without a top-up.
This means that I no longer feel the need to babysit my tracker and set reminders every 3-4 days to recharge it.
Durability
I’ve only been wearing my Fitbit for a month so far. There are a couple of small scratches on the face if I look carefully, but you can buy screen protectors. Otherwise, the casing and the strap are still as good as new. To clean it, you just wipe it with a damp cloth. You also have the option to purchase and customize the band according to your liking.
Alerts
Silent alerts is a new way this device communicates with you. You have the option to make it buzz to let you know you have a phone call (the screen will show the name or number of the caller) or a SMS or calendar appointment. It will also buzz to remind you to get up and move if you’ve been sitting still for too long, and will give an extra long buzz (with fireworks on the screen) when you reach your daily fitness goal. All the buzzing sometimes makes me look sharply to my wrist in irritation. But, it’s also tremendously useful, so I don’t plan to turn it off.
Overall, I think it’s a fashionable yet highly effective device, but priced slightly on the higher side. Having said that, it's certainly worth buying for its features and battery life. You can get it on Amazon for Rs.14,999.
-By Nishant M
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