Photos of Fitbit's first "proper" smartwatch have leaked. The company is currently developing the follow-up to its Blaze Smart Fitness Watch of yesteryear, and it appears that the said device features a more evolved look of Fitbit's Blaze line.
Fitbit Higgs Specs
Codenamed "Higgs," the watch will reportedly feature specs that can hold a candle to the Apple Watch Series 2.
As per Yahoo Finance, which nabbed the exclusive photos, Fitbit's second-generation Blaze watch will feature a GPS, a heart rate monitor, a payments system enabled by NFC technology, on-board storage for music playback, music streaming via Pandora, and a battery life of up to four days. All this for reportedly $300.
Fitbit Higgs Design
Specs aside, the smartwatch in question doesn't seem to be winning any design points. As Yahoo Finance's report adds, a source close to the matter previously told the publication that "[the watch] was very retro-looking with the lines and stuff — definitely not sexy," and that "[s]everal employees who saw the design complained about it."
Even so, it appears Fitbit has decided to look into its library of previous designs and outfit a semblance of those into its forthcoming smartwatch, most exemplified by the watch's rough edges and shape. Whether or not it looks good is debatable, but it sure does look familiar. Keep in mind, however, that the final design may still change.
Fitbit Higgs Development Problems
In addition to the design woes, Yahoo's sources also claim that the development of Higgs has been mired in troubles. One such problem saw the GPS antenna misplaced, thereby rendering it dysfunctional. This reportedly compelled the team to redesign the watch so the GPS could receive a strong, consistent signal.
Fitbit also ran into problems with making the forthcoming Blaze smartwatch waterproof, a feature most smartwatches already have, and one that's essential since fitness sometimes involves water-related activities. It's unclear whether Fitbit has solved issues with waterproofing. It remains to be determined whether Higgs will feature it when it's released.
Fitbit Higgs Software Problems
Problems weren't exclusive on the hardware side. As Yahoo Finance reports, it appears Pandora wasn't the first choice for the watch's integrated music streaming feature. Spotify was reportedly the first choice, but was ruled out earlier during development, for reasons undisclosed.
Fitbit Bluetooth Headphones
The smartwatch, however, isn't the only product Fitbit is releasing this year. It's also reportedly planning to release a pair of $150 Bluetooth headphones that'll launch the same time as the smartwatch in question. Details about the headphones are slim, although reports say it'll come in two colors.
Hopefully by the time we get an official unveiling at Fitbit's next smartwatch, all the problems will have been fixed by then. Though this leak doesn't feature a winning design, at least when compared to Apple's smartwatch line, Fitbit can still potentially corner the fitness-focused market with its newest device. Time, however, will tell.
Thoughts about Fitbit's next smartwatch? What other feature do you expect on the device? Feel free to sound off in the comments section below!