The Fitbit Ionic is available to pre-order from today ahead of a release date in October.
It boasts a lightweight aluminium case, health and fitness features, water resistance up to 50 metres and GPS tracking.
However, unlike last year’s Fitbit Blaze – which skirted the line between smartwatch and fitness band – the Ionic will have a third-party app platform.
The Ionic and the apps will run on the brand new Fitbit OS, an operating system Fitbit have designed for smartwatches that will receive updates.
It will be compatible with a number of new apps, such as the Fitbit Coach – a personal trainer app that offers users tailored video workouts.
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The Fitbit ionic has a price tag of $299 in the US, and £299 in the UK. It is available for presale from the Fitbit website.
James Park, co-founder and CEO of Fitbit, said: “Ten years ago, Fitbit pioneered the wearables category with the introduction of its first health and fitness tracker.
“Since then, we have become the leading global wearables brand, setting the pace of innovation in the category and establishing the largest social fitness network that helps millions of people around the world be healthier.
“With Ionic, we will deliver what consumers have not yet seen in a smartwatch – a health and fitness first platform that combines the power of personalisation and deeper insights with our most advanced technology to date, unlocking opportunities for unprecedented health tracking capabilities in the future.”
Fitbit are entering the smartwatch area after their acquisition of defunct smartwatch manufacturer Pebble last December.
Developers who make apps for the Ionic will have full access to all the sensors on the device, including heart rate, GPS and accelerometer.
Here are some of the other features the Fitbit Ionic boasts:
• Running companion – Automatically track runs with the new Run Detect feature that kicks-in GPS tracking
• New swim exercise mode – Use Ionic in any body of water and see your real-time laps thanks to up to 50 meters water resistance
• Improved heart rate technology
• The relative SpO2 sensor can estimate blood oxygen levels
• Store more than 300 songs on your Fitbit Ionic thanks to 2.5GB of storage
• The Fitbit Pay allows you to make contactless purchases with your watch
• Receive call, text and calendar alerts, as well as notifications from apps on your smartphone like Facebook, Gmail, Instagram, Slack, Snapchat and more
• Fitbit says the Ionic has a battery life of four days plus on a single charge (10 hours with GPS or playing music)
Fitbit have also partnered with Adidas to deliver a Fitbit Ionic special edition in 2018.
The Fitbit Coach app, which is a rebrand of the Fitstar Personal Trainer app, has an introductory price of £7.99 a month.
Fitbit have also announced two other new products – the Fitbit Flyer and the Aria 2 Wi-Fi Smart Scale.
The Fitbit Flyer is Fitbit’s first ever Bluetooth headphones, and is available for resale from today for £109.99.
The Aria 2 Wi-Fi Smart Scale will cost £119.99.