LAS VEGAS, CES 2013 – FitBit – the OG fitness-tracking dongle – has gone toe-to-toe with the Nike Fuelband and Jawbone’s Up. Or maybe that should be “wrist-to-wrist,” as the new FitBit Flex is a tracker which wraps around your arm.
The Flex consists of a silicone strap and a little plastic brain with a row of LED lights which pulse in the Standard KITT Rhythm. It tracks almost exactly what the other FitBits track – steps, sleep, calories – but adds in a new concept called Active Minutes and drops support for counting the stairs you climb (the altimeter function). Active minutes seem to be some kind of made-up metric to gauge your activity.
And like the newest mini FitBit, the Flex has low-power Bluetooth 4 for syncing direct with your late-model iPhone or iPad, and soon with Android handsets.
You can pre-order now for $99.
