At CES 2017, Fitbit has announced a load of new features coming to its app in the next few months that should make using its trackers a much more personal experience. On deck is an all-new social experience, along with new personal goal setting features and more.
Perhaps the biggest changes are in the revamped social experience, which will come in the form of a new Community section of the app. In the Community section, you'll be able to check out a social feed where you can connect with friends and family and do everything from sharing your achievements to discovering new workouts. Think of it like a sort of Facebook feed specifically for fitness. The Community section also makes it easy to see how your friends are doing at a glance and even discover communities to join from a dedicated Groups portion.
If you're one for setting goals and sticking to them, Fitbit's new personal goal setting features should be a delight too. Here's a look at what to expect:
- Personal Goal Setting in the Fitbit app provides a step-by-step guided process to help create achievable goals based on insights from your data and health and fitness objectives.
- Define your health and fitness objectives by identifying your focus areas like steps, exercise, sleep, nutrition, or weight, and answering questions that help establish the motivation behind your goals.
- Get personalized recommendations based on your objectives and historical Fitbit data. For example, if your motivation is to get more fit and your data shows you walk an average of 9,200 steps per day, Fitbit may recommend setting a higher goal of 10,000 steps per day.
Finally, a new firmware update will be making its way to the Fitbit Blaze, adding some nifty new stuff to check out. Once it lands, you'll be able to use your Blaze to check out your cardio fitness level, based on your VO2 max. The update will also bring guided breathing sessions, a feature that's also available on the Fitbit Charge 2.
As for availability, the Community tab is set to hit the Fitbit app in March, while Personal Goal Setting should arrive for existing users sometime in January. Meanwhile, the Fitbit Blaze firmware update is set to land in February. It's also worth noting that Fitbit today released a redesigned version of its Fitstar Personal Trainer app. Although it's not available for Windows or Windows Phone devices, it is still accessible online.
