Fitbit is doing what it can to outfox its competition or at least keep up with it.
The Fitbit Surge will start rolling out updates on its $250 smart fitness watch, beginning Wednesday (September 23), CNet.com is reporting.
The improvements include a new feature called Run Cues, which hits users with automatic alerts based on when they reach predetermined time or distance during runs. Essentially, when a runner hits a one-mile mark, for example, he or she will receive a notification, reportedly including everything from average heart rate, number of laps, lap pace and distance traveled.
The other significant improvement? A boosted battery life, which will give users 10 hours with an enabled GPS signal and heart-rate sensor. That's double its previous life of five hours and comparable to the Garmin Forerunner 225's battery life. How's that for pulling neck-and-neck with the competition?
A timer and stopwatch function have also been added to the Surge. The device will also offer the capability of displaying text-message notifications from your iPhone or Android device, as well as music control from the smart watch itself.
Overall, these updates figure to help Fitbit compete with respective running smart watches from Garmin and Polar. Whether it allows it to Surge ahead, though, remains to be seen. There's no doubt that the updated features are welcomed—and were needed.
The extended battery life, in particular, might even be enough of a tipping point for potential customers to opt for the Fitbit Surge over Garmin and Polar.
