Fitbit is releasing a new wearable this year and alleged images of the upcoming smartwatch have been leaked online.
Yahoo! Finance revealed photos of the new device earlier this week and if the rumors are proven true, the 2017 Fitbit smartwatch will look very familiar. The device appears to have a similar design with the Fitbit's $150 Blaze fitness watch — the firm's first smartwatch which received a lukewarm reception from consumers.
Code-named "Higgs," the device will reportedly make touchless payments. It also promises to make storing and playing music a breeze through Pandora. Although Fitbit has encountered its fair share of software troubles in the past, the upcoming smartwatch will still have a software interface that matches the one on Blaze.
Digital Trends reports that the new smartwatch will address one of the biggest issues with the Blazer: the lack of the Global Positioning System (GPS). Similar to the Apple Watch Series 2, Fitbit's new wearable is poised to track a person's cycling, jogging, and walking routes on a map. In addition, the device is said to feature a color display that boasts 1,000 nits of brightness and a heart-rate monitoring chip.
Fitbit continues to be the leading company for fitness trackers in the United States, but there is no denying that Apple offers more advanced smartwatches. If Apple were to continue selling approximately millions of watches every quarter, analysts claim that Fitbit will have a greater problem on its hands. One of the best aspects of the Apple Watch Series 2 is its waterproof feature, which Fitbit has yet to develop. Sources say that one of Fitbit's struggles with building its new watch has been related to waterproofing.
During a recent earnings call, Fitbit reported that the quarterly revenue was above its own forecast. The firm's shares are up 7.2 percent in after-market trading and projects lined up for this year are on track. "As we enter the smartwatch category, I think that will be a catalyst for growth," said Chief Executive Officer James Park on Wednesday.
A release date for the 2017 Fitbit smartwatch has yet to be announced.
