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Fitbit Surge — New Smart Features For The Life-changing Fitness ‘Super Watch’

By Sandra Hajda
Published on: 19:13 PST, Dec 22, 2015

Fitbit Surge has landed on top of the heavy.com list of the best fitness watches, beating the Basis Peak Fitness Tracker by Fitbit and the UP4 by Jawbone. The priciest alternative, Fitbit Surge won reviewer approval for its customised fit, reliability, and accurate heart-rate monitoring and GPS capabilities.

It may be one of the most expensive fitness trackers on the market today, but the Fitbit Surge is also one of the few trackers that offers built-in HR monitoring and GPS.

The success of Fitbit Surge was also good news for investors, according to PYMNTS. The brand’s stock rose 3 percent after consumer publications roundly praised the product, and as sales surged in time for Christmas.

Fitbit’s stock sits at $28.50 per share. Analysts at both Erickson and Murphy predict that it will continue to climb, and upper estimates place the stock in the strong 50 to 60 range.

Good reviews are still coming — Gadgets 360 has published an insider view of learning to run a half-marathon with the help of the Fitbit Surge.

Being able to quickly glance at the wrist while running is much more convenient, and the iPhone stays safely stowed away in a pouch, so you can listen to music while you run. At the same time, the Fitbit shows you the average pace and heart rate, so you know you’re getting the results you want.

Fitbit Surge comprehensively logs activity, letting wearers know exactly how much they are achieving and improving as they move towards fitness goals. Essentially, the device allows wearers to avoid the fitness trap of believing you are working out much more than you are. It also prevents you from over-exercising and discourages you from exercising in ways that are not optimal, according to CNET.

New features have been released “just in time to entice holiday shoppers,” according to Engadget. A feature known as SmartTrack automatically recognize activities and uploads your workout information to the Fitbit app. Activities are recorded when you’ve been active for at least 15 minutes, but that default setting can be manually adjusted. Fitbit will activate sooner or later depending on your preference.

SmartTrack is designed to detect a wide range of activities including elliptical, outdoor biking, running, walking, and general aerobic workouts. Fitbit Surge wearers can exclude certain activities from being recognized if they wish.

Critics point out that the Fitbit Surge can be irritating to sensitive skin, with many reporting chafing, inflammation, and serious irritation following extended wear. Some also claim that similar trackers will perform a lot of the Fitbit Surge’s functions for a fraction of the price.

Forbes‘ reviewer claimed that the Apple Watch Sport is actually the better buy.

Fitbit is the leader in in fitness tracking wearables and its top of the line product theFitbit Surge is billed as “the ultimate fitness super watch” and the “#1 selling GPS watch in the US.” Should fit the bill, right? If I were you, I’d look at the Apple Watch Sportinstead.

Techcentral argues that Fitbit’s technology and the sophisticated data interpretation used in their devices is unparalleled and should not be taken for granted – it is this that sets the Surge apart, and one cannot compare devices simply by rattling off a list of features and ticking some boxes.

Fitbit has grasped the concept that at the meeting point between humans and computers, it’s the analytics that enable the interpretation of data sets that deliver the greatest value.

Fitbit Surge is a device that works in tandem with the Internet of Things (IoT), making it a cutting-edge and ever-evolving piece of technology that can be customised, upgraded and integrated seamlessly with the user’s eveyday life.

The Internet of Things has far-reaching applications in many spheres of business and consumer life, including the world of health and fitness. Although many people may simply view the host of fitness and activity trackers as (an increasingly popular) means to record daily activity, or “gamify” exercise, these devices [and] the various other peripherals and apps that collect data and store and share it in the cloud are connecting our physical world with the virtual one created by computer systems.

(Photo by Eric Thayer/Getty Images)

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