Fitbit released a pair of updates today designed to make its fitness trackers more appealing at a time when the company faces increased pressure from competitors, including the upcoming Apple Watch.
First up: Fitbit Surge, the company’s $250 GPS-enabled watch, is getting support for tracking bike rides. With the new feature, cyclists can take advantage of all the sensors packed into the Surge, with metrics specific to riding a bike. As they’re biking, users can see their distance, duration, average speed, heart rate and calories burned. On the desktop, users can see a map of their route, and compare the stats from past rides to see how they’re doing over time.
It’s part of a broader move in fitness tracking to cater to the needs of cyclists, expanding beyond core features for running and walking. Microsoft, for example, recently released a cycling update for its Microsoft Band wearable device. Fitbit says bike tracking was in high demand among its users.
Fitbit also announced support for multiple devices, so that users can switch from one Fitbit device to another based on what works for their given situation.
Users can also fall back to the Fitbit app’s MobileTrack activity tracking system to keep up with their steps in the event they forget their tracker hardware at home. While this new feature isn’t the flashiest, it’s a way for longtime Fitbit owners to get more value out of owning multiple trackers and more reliably track their activity on a regular basis.
Case in point: people who usually wear the larger Surge device may not want to have it on for an important business meeting or family get-together. In that case, they can rely on their phone, or clip a Fitbit One somewhere unobtrusive where it can continue tracking them.
Adding features like these is important for Fitbit, since the company is facing increased competition from the smartwatch market. Devices like the Apple Watch often incorporate fitness tracking capabilities on top of whatever other integrations they have to offer, which means that dedicated fitness trackers will need to stand out to compete.
Privately held Fitbit is based in San Francisco, backed by Foundry Group, Qualcomm Ventures, Sapphire Ventures, Softbank Capital, SoftTech VC and True Ventures.
