When will the Fitbit Charge 5 be released?
Up until recently, Fitbit has been on a pretty regular cycle when it comes to updating the Charge line, but this may have changed, based on its 2020 release pattern.
It makes predicting the Charge 5’s arrival something of a challenge. You can see what we mean by looking at when the previous models appeared:
- Fitbit Charge – November 2014
- Fitbit Charge 2 – September 2016
- Fitbit Charge 3 – October 2018
- Fitbit Charge 4 – March 2020
Initially, Fitbit used roughly a two-year cycle of updating the Charge devices but that changed in 2020, with the Fitbit Charge 4 debuting only a year and a half after the Charge 3. Could this mean that Fitbit is stepping up its design and production schedule to ensure it doesn’t get overtaken by the swathe of cheaper models? Quite possibly.
If the pattern is true, then expect to see the Fitbit Charge 5 make its debut in September 2021. In the meantime, you can familiarise yourself with the current model, by reading our Fitbit Charge 4 review.
How much will the Fitbit Charge 5 cost?
Again, this remains entirely speculative at the moment, as Fitbit has yet to even confirm the existence of the Charge 5. To find a figure we can use the pricing of past Charges as a guide.
- Fitbit Charge 2 – £139.99/US$149.95
- Fitbit Charge 3 – £129.99/US$149.95
- Fitbit Charge 4 – £129.99/US$149.95
There’s more predictability on pricing when you see how Fitbit has placed previous Charge models over the past few years. Now, of course, these are far more expensive than the £50/$50 mark that the likes of the Amazfit Band 5 and Mi Band 5 occupy, but this is mainly because Fitbit has its own cheaper models, in the form of the Inspire 2, Inspire HR and original Inspire.
At the time of writing, the Fitbit Inspire 2 cost £89.99/US$99.95, which is still more than the rivals we’ve mentioned, so it could be that a newer Inspire model arrives at a lower price point to help the company’s trackers better compete.
Going on the history we have, though, it looks likely that the Fitbit Charge 5 will come with around a £129.99/US$149.95 price.
What new features will we see in the Fitbit Charge 5?
The Fitbit Charge 4 introduced features like built-in GPS and Active Zone Minutes, the latter of which tailors activity tracking to your age and resting heart rate.
As we’ve mentioned above, nothing has been officially confirmed regarding the Fitbit Charge 5 as of yet, but that hasn’t stopped leaks from slipping out.
Here’s the Fitbit ‘Morgan,’ a possible Charge 5 with color display and new design https://t.co/YJhqs4GRku by @technacity pic.twitter.com/5I34sLsnGE
— 9to5Google.com (@9to5Google) July 26, 2021
Back in July, 9to5Google was sent an image of an unfamiliar Fitbit tracker, attached to the codename ‘Morgan’. If it’s to be believed that this is our first glimpse of the Charge 5, the most obvious alteration – compared to 2020’s Charge 4 – is the inclusion of a colour display.
Like Fitbit’s other recent trackers – such as the Sense, Inspire 2, Versa 3 and Luxe – the ‘Morgan’ exhibits softer forms compared to the straight-sided Charge 4, drawing on what the company calls its ‘Biologic Industrial Design Language.’
The source of this initial leaked image also confirmed that the ‘Morgan’ would support NFC and, as a result, Fitbit Pay.
— Evan (@evleaks) August 14, 2021
More recently, prolific leaker Evan Blass served up a smattering of additional images that again featured what looked like the same leaked tracker with the caption ‘Fitbit Charge 5’, rendered in three colours; all displaying the same colour-filled watch face.
There was some thought that the date displayed on Blass’s imagery (23 October) would also serve as the tracker’s potential launch date, however, the fact that such a launch would land on a Saturday has led many to assume that this isn’t likely to be the case.
Beyond what little information surrounding the Charge 5 has already surfaced, we can also speculate about potential features it might offer based on the rest of Fitbit’s current portfolio and the most like-minded trackers that would serve as obvious rivals to the Charge 5.
Blood Oxygen Monitoring
The Apple Watch 6 went big on Blood Oxygen Saturation monitoring (or SpO2) when it launched. This isn’t new, though: it’s a feature that’s available in the Fitbit Versa 3 and Fitbit Sense (pictured below).
You may have noticed that these are all smartwatches rather than activity trackers, but there are some who suggest that if the price of the Fitbit Charge 5 remains as high as its predecessors, it will need a feature like this to justify such a lofty amount.
We did see partial use of this technology in the Fitbit Charge 4 – as part of its sleep monitoring abilities – but a fully-fledged version would be a serious upgrade.
EDA stress monitoring
Another feature that already resides within Fitbit’s wheelhouse is stress monitoring by way of EDA (electrodermal activity). The Charge 4 (and many other rival trackers) monitor stress by using heart rate variation, however, the Sense introduced more reliable/accurate EDA stress monitoring.
Bringing such a feature to the Charge 5 would be the first time we’ve seen it on one of Fitbit’s tracker-style wearables (as opposed to its smartwatch-style ones), and would give the 5 a notable edge, as a result.
Music controls for more services
The Fitbit Charge 4 introduced music controls (hooray!) but only for Spotify Premium subscribers (boo!). It would make sense to see this capability opened up to the likes of Apple Music, Deezer, Amazon Music and others.
More banks
Fitbit Pay is handy, but with so many of us now using Apple Pay and/or Google Pay, it would again make sense to see the selection of banks and services available for this feature increased.
We’ll keep you updated as more information about the Fitbit Charge 5 comes to light, but in the meantime take a look at our guides to the best Fitbit, best Fitbit deals and best fitness trackers.