Fitbit has officially announced the Charge 4, the new successor to one of their most popular wearable, the Charge 3. The Charge 4 isn’t so outstanding in design and otherwise despite the acquisition by Google which many of us believed will usher in better design and all, but it comes with few upgrades like inbuilt GPS and music control which sets it apart from it’s predecessor. In this post, we look at the difference between the Fitbit Charge 3 vs 4.

Fitbit Charge 3 vs 4 Specs Compared

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Fitbit Charge 3 vs 4 – The Differences

The difference between the Charge 3 and Charge 4 is that the latter comes with an inbuilt GPS, music control, has more activity-tracking features and NFC is now available in all models, unlike the Charge 3 which has NFC in only the Special Edition.

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• Design


Nothing much has changed in the design section, the Charge 4 looks similar to the Charge 3. The display is still the same monochrome OLED which is easy to read outdoors. Navigation is still via touch-screen support, while the Charge 4 weighs just 27g compared to 30g of Charge 3. These two are still very lightweight, just that the Charge 4 is lighter.

The display size is still 1.57 inches for both devices even though the Charge 4 is a little thicker by 1.1mm.
The case of the Charge 4 is made of plastic resin material just like the Charge 3, while Corning Gorilla Glass 3 still protects the display on both devices. The straps of the Charge 4 are made of soft fluoroelastomer material just like the Charge 3. And like the Charge 3, the special edition of the Charge 4 features woven polyester straps that’ll cost you more.

• Activity Tracking

Like Charge 3, the Charge 4 is also fitness-focused only that it’s a more comprehensive activity tracker. The additional fitness tracking features are,

1. The Charge 4 has inbuilt GPS which now allows you to track routes, distance, real-time pace and more with your phone at home while you go out for outdoor sports, while with the Charge 3, you’ll have to carry your phone along.
2. Secondly, there’s now the Active Zone Minutes that allows you to set your target heart rate which upon reaching the set goal, you get alerted. A great way to manage the intensity of your training.
3. Thirdly, while the Charge 3 features 15 preloaded sport modes, the Charge 4 features 20 preloaded sport modes.

Beyond this, each of these two will track your heart rate continuously, calories, complete sleep cycle which includes REM, deep and light stages, and time spent in each. Each of these two will also track floors climbed, automatic exercise recognition, menstrual cycle logging, blood oxygen saturation via the SpO2 sensor and fitness level.

• Battery Life

The battery life of Charge 4 and 3 remain about the same as Fitbit has stated that Charge 4 will last up to 7 days with mixed usage which same as Charge 3. Meanwhile, with continuous GPS tracking, Charge 4 is expected to last up to 5 hours. This is quite impressive.
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Verdict

No doubt each of these two is clearly an outstanding wearable and activity tracker. Both are lightweight, sleek, easy to read outdoors, have long battery life, and are loaded with lots of activity tracking features.

However, Charge 4 is clearly a better smartwatch than Charge 3. It’s more comprehensive for the following reasons.

• There’s inbuilt GPS that allow you track outdoor activities without carrying your phone along.
• The Charge 4 can control music on your phone.
• It has a lot more activity tracking features.
• NFC that allows you make payments on the go from this device is now available on all models unlike the Charge 3 where it is reserved only to the special edition.