Six Fitbit Charge 2 upgrades no longer under wraps

Your Charge 2 activity tracker is a bit better from today. Fitbit has just released a software upgrade which adds six new features and enhancements. This includes a workout pause function, guided vibration breathing cues, a do not disturb option, improved heart rate zone display, on-device battery life and a new watch face.

First off, the update delivers a useful workout pause function. An important phone call during your run? No problem. Just press the button on the side of the tracker to pause any multi-sport exercise mode. When you are ready to continue, tap the button again.

Charge 2 brought with it a relaxing mindfulness experience that calms your body and mind through personalized deep-breathing sessions called “Relax”. What you get is a choice between a 2 and 5 minute breathing session. If you meditate daily you are probably a fan of this, if you are looking to get into meditation this might ease you in. In addition to visual cues, today’s firmware update allows you to close your eyes or look away from your tracker during the session. A light vibration will signal when you need to inhale and exhale.

Another new feature helping you lead a more stress free life is a ‘do not disturb option’. You now have the ability to turn notifications (calls, text, calendar alerts, reminders to move) on or off directly from your Charge 2. Previously, this was only possible from the smartphone app.

The next few improvements are visual in nature.

First off you get an improved heart rate zone display. This makes it easier to tell at a glance whether you are in the fat burn, cardio or peak zone during your exercise session. Most people will tell you they want to lose weight or simply get fitter. Not many people, however, know what their heart rate is, or where it really should be. All top athlete’s heart rate train, as they know this will help them to reach their top potential in the shortest amount of time possible. Here is our guide on how to work out with heart rate.

Finally, the latest update brings with it the ability to see the percentage of battery life you have left directly on your Charge 2 display, and a new clock face with hours, minutes and seconds.

There are a few other minor tweaks and enhancements that you can read about on Fitbit’s blog. To upgrade, make sure your charged tracker is nearby and open the Fitbit app. You’ll see a pink arrow next to your tracker name. Follow the onscreen instructions. Make sure your Charge 2 remains near your mobile device while it updates. This can take several minutes.

Fitbit Charge 2 is our choice for the best fitness tracker of 2016. The device delivers solid improvements on its predecessors in a few areas, particularly in terms of design. Fitbit likes to think of the Charge 2 for everyday users who want to get fitter and see how they are doing in real time on the wristband and also via the excellent free app and graphics-heavy desktop dashboard. The wearable definitely serves this purpose.

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