Photos of the first real smartwatch by Fitbit leaked to the internet today and based on the teaser images, Apple doesn’t have much to worry about.
Fitbit is supposedly planning to launch its proper smartwatch this fall along with a pair of Bluetooth earbuds. The company originally planned to unveil the products this spring to get a head start on Apple, but it looks like they could use some more development.
Take a closer look:
Photo: Yahoo
If the images are legit, the Fitbit smartwatch will look similar to the company’s Blaze fitness tracker. Several employees who saw the design reportedly complained about it, according to Yahoo’s sources.
Taking on Apple Watch
Fitbit has allegedly code named the watch “Higgs” internally. While it won’t beat the Apple Watch in the looks department, it will supposedly pack four days of battery life, which could be a huge draw over Apple’s wearable.
Other features on the Higgs watch may include a screen with the same brightness as the Apple Watch Series 2, GPS, heart-rate monitoring and contactless payments. Like Apple Watch, users will be able to change bands.
The company has hit a number of hurdles developing their watch though. Yahoo’s sources claim the company had to completely rebuild the GPS on near-final production models. There have also have had trouble making it waterproof.
With a rumored price tag of $300, the Fitbit watch will have a slight advantage over Apple Watch in terms of affordability. The big question will be whether it can compete in the software arena. Fitbit plans to have an app store for the watch but it allegedly won’t be ready for the fall launch.
