Fitbit Targets New Wearables Demographics with Versa, Ace and Updated OS

Fitbit has unveiled new products and features to better target every kind of demographic.

The wearables and fitness brand has announced the launch of the Versa and the Ace, a new modern smartwatch and an approachable activity tracker for kids, respectively. Fitbit also showed off new updates to their custom Fitbit OS, from an updated dashboard to a health tracker updated specifically for women.

The Versa is the flagship announcement here for Fitbit, as it is a completely redesigned and sleek approach to smartwatches. The company previously had their Ionic watch, which launched last year, and this new version looks to be a more approachable model based on price and ease of use.

It boasts the same kind of features as the Ionic, including heart rate tracking, on-screen workouts, sleep tracking and more. It also has access to the apps anyone would want with a smartwatch, like quick replies through Android and smart wallets, along with music apps of course.

“As the wearables category continues to grow, Fitbit Versa fills a critical need in the market by delivering a beautifully designed, full-featured smartwatch that is easy to use at a very competitive price,” said James Park, co-founder and CEO of Fitbit. “Versa brings consumers the advanced health and fitness features Fitbit is known for, along with broad compatibility across mobile platforms and four-plus days battery life to provide users with a better picture of their overall health, making it stand out from any smartwatch available today.”

The Ace, on the other hand, is an even more stripped down and approachable smartwatch. It is designed specifically for children, which can end up being a difficult task, as many experts wonder what kind of tech should be easily accessible for kids. Fitbit seems to approach the problem by focusing entirely on fitness and activity, using Ace to mainly track steps, active minutes, and sleep, all with a five-day battery life.

Fitbit is playing into the fact that children are less and less active nowadays, and the majority of parents want to see their children get outside and exercise more. Ace will offer reminders and inform parents when their children are active, providing a glimpse into their routine and letting parents know if they need to encourage their kids to get out more.

Ace puts an emphasis on making activity fun through collectable badges and challenges with friends and family to stay active. One thing Fitbit puts extra emphasis on is privacy—there are child view settings to limit what someone can see on their Ace, and phone notifications can be pushed to the watch, ensuring kids are always aware when their parents are reaching out to them.

“As childhood obesity rates continue to rise, it’s more important than ever to empower the entire family to embrace a healthy and more active lifestyle,” said Park. “It can be hard to start and stick to good habits, and we know from our community that network effects are key to getting and keeping people motivated. By bringing that experience to families, it can make healthier habits feel more achievable by making it fun and engaging.”

Guiding all of these changes is the upgraded Fitbit OS 2.0. It was first introduced with the Ionic and is now upgraded to provide what users have wanted most. This includes more personalization as your Fitbit tracks more data, stats at a glance, and guided fitness regiments. When the first Fitbit OS was launched for the Ionic, it came with the Fitbit SDK, a revolutionary way for developers and enthusiasts to customize their own fitness experience. Now Fitbit is building on this offering with the OS 2.0.

The most comprehensive feature is the update to women’s health tracking. Fitbit can now help track menstrual cycles, allowing users to see what’s ahead and when, and have all of their data in one place. Many women already track their cycles, so having the ability to put that information into a wearable just means less to remember and worry about.

These Fitbit updates and new products seem designed to target specific audiences and make wearables more accessible to every kind of user. The updated price points ($249.95 for the Versa and $129,95 for the Ace) are significantly cheaper than leading wearable competitors and give users the option to think about their health—and their children’s health—in new ways.