Considering that the Ionic will be available for purchase in October, deciding which fitness device from Fitbit to buy is becoming increasingly tough. The overall number of products that the company sells has increased to twelve, although some of the older models have been replaced by updated variants.
The Fitbit Ionic is by far the most advanced wearable product that Fitbit has released to date. It comes with a variety of sensors, the ability to make payments using contactless technology, local storage for music, smartphone notifications, and plenty more. However, a significant number of customers have inquiries concerning how it stacks up against competing products.
The Blaze activity tracker is the only product that Fitbit has produced that even comes close to resembling a smartwatch. However, the Blaze does not support any third-party apps, despite the fact that it offers many of the functions that you would find on a smartwatch. It is more appropriately described as a fitness gadget than a smartwatch. However, Ionic is as well.
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The Blaze and the most recent product offering from Fitbit both track steps, but how do they differ?
The Fitbit Ionic or Fitbit Blaze: The design of the Ionic is remarkably similar to that of the Blaze. In fact, they are so similar to one another that it can be impossible to tell them apart at first glance. But there are a few key distinctions between the two.
The Blaze is the brand’s first significant attempt at producing a Smartwatche that can be worn on a daily basis. It is also the first wearable device from Fitbit to feature a color touch screen, which shows the clock as well as other information regarding your activity throughout the day. The housing of the device is made of stainless steel and features a hexagonal face. There is a selection of bands available in a variety of hues and made from a variety of materials, such as elastomer, leather, or stainless steel. They are easily interchangeable thanks to fast release spring bars, and the tracker module may be removed by simply popping it out.
Although there are some small alterations, such as more rounded corners, the Ionic watch continues to have the same square unisex design with interchangeable bands. Aluminum of the 6000 series, which is aerospace-grade, is used in the construction of its core unit, which makes it both sturdy and lightweight. In spite of the fact that it is heavier (50 grammes as opposed to 43 grammes), it is slightly narrower than the Blaze (38 millimeters) (40 millimeters). On the sides of each of these two devices are three physical buttons, with one located on the left and two on the right. You are able to navigate across the display by using this in conjunction with the touch-screen. You’ll soon be able to breeze through the statistics after putting in some practise time.
The display is where the most significant differences can be found. Fitbit has improved the screen in order to compete with the Apple watch by increasing the number of pixels and bringing the maximum brightness up to 1000 nits. In terms of its technical specifications, the Ionic has a high-resolution LCD touchscreen with a resolution of 348 by 250 pixels and a size of 29 x 21 millimeters. The LCD touchscreen on the Blaze has a resolution of 240 by 180 pixels, which is lower than that of the touchscreen on the Charge. In addition to this, its dimensions are 25 x 19 millimeters.
There are a few further significant distinctions that are hidden beneath the hood. Both of these trackers have an optical heart rate monitor, a vibration motor, an altimeter, an accelerometer with three axes, and a gyroscope. They also have an ambient light sensor. But in addition to that, the Ionic comes with a heart rate sensor that has been updated, a digital compass, and something that Fitbit refers to as a relative SpO2 sensor. This determines the amount of oxygen in the blood and has the potential to be used in the future to diagnose sleep apnea.
Most notably, the Ionic has a built-in GPS system already installed. This implies that you do not need to bring your phone with you on your runs in order to track and map them. On the other hand, the Blaze is equipped with something that Fitbit refers to as connected-GPS. This is merely a euphemistic word for the capability of the tracker to tap into the GPS readings of your smartphone.
Which Fitbit model is better, the Ionic or the Blaze? Battery life and resistance to water
Both of the clocks include a lithium battery that can be recharged. The Ionic comes in second place behind the Blaze on this metric because of its higher overall specifications. It has a battery life of around 10 hours while the GPS is turned on, making the total battery life approximately 4 days. Despite that, this is still really fantastic and gives Apple something to strive for in the future. The Blaze features a battery that can function on a single charge for around five days.
Which of Fitbit’s fitness-oriented watches, the Ionic or the Blaze, should you buy?
Water resistance is a crucial component for any fitness tracker that aspires to become a real 24/7 fitness tracker. Ionic easily satisfies this need thanks to its remarkable water resistance rating of 5 ATM, which is equivalent to 50 meters. You will, however, need to remove Blaze before entering the pool because it is only resistant to perspiration, rain, and splashes.
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Features of the Fitbit Ionic or Blaze
The area of fitness tracking is where Fitbit shines, and both the Ionic and the Blaze are excellent options when it comes to monitoring your activity levels. Both of these options provide you with the fundamentals, in addition to inactivity reminders and automatic activity identification. The accompanying smartphone app will provide you with in-depth information regarding REM, light, and deep sleep when you wake up in the morning. You will also receive an evaluation of your cardiovascular fitness level (VO2Max), and there is a cardio-friendly exercise called Relax that will help you remain calm.
Which of Fitbit’s fitness-oriented watches, the Ionic or the Blaze, should you buy?
The Purepulse heart rate sensor on the Fitbit stores data on the wearer’s heart rate at intervals of 1 second during exercise tracking and at intervals of 5 seconds during all other times. During your workout, you will receive real-time information on the various heart rate zones, and in the morning, you will receive information on your resting heart rate. Because the sensor on the Ionic has been improved by the manufacturer, the device’s accuracy—which already wasn’t terrible for a wrist wearable to begin with—should be even better now.
As was previously said, Fitbit’s first wristwatch also allows users to exercise without the need for their phones. When you use the built-in GPS to track your outdoor fitness, it will keep track of your pace, distance traveled, elevation gained, and split times. It will also keep track of your swimming workouts, including the total number of laps, the length of time spent swimming, and the number of calories burned. You will need to rely on the GPS capabilities of your phone in order to record a map of your route and view real-time information such as your pace and distance while using the Blaze.
Which of Fitbit’s fitness-oriented watches, the Ionic or the Blaze, should you buy?
Additionally, the Ionic has included a brand new sensor that can read SP02 levels. This determines the level of oxygenation in your blood, or how efficiently oxygen is delivered to areas of your body that are located at a distance from your heart (such as arms and legs). This sensor has the potential to be used one day in the diagnosis of sleep apnea. James Park, the CEO of Fitbit, stated that he is also hopeful that the Ionic will be able to identify atrial fibrillation. According to their tests, it has an accuracy record of 98 percent in detecting the ailment, with only 1 percent of the positive results being false positives.
Which of Fitbit’s fitness-oriented watches, the AD Ionic or the Blaze, should you buy?
When it comes to functions that are not related to fitness, both of these gadgets display notifications (such as calls, texts, calendar events, and push notifications from your favorite apps) and have the ability to manage music. Ionic, on the other hand, also includes a storage capacity of 2.5 gigabytes for music, the capability to run applications developed by third parties, and an NFC chip for making contactless payments.Fitbit’s initial smartwatch does not really have a chance to compete with the Apple Watch in this regard; however, it does have an app store with a few native apps and an open software development kit (SDK) for third-party developers to use. The development of this, on the other hand, will take some time, but there is huge promise farther down the road.
Read this important article to find out whether you should acquire a Fitbit Ionic or an Apple watch.
The Ionic includes on-board storage for up to 300 songs and Bluetooth compatibility for cordless headphones, allowing you to be fully liberated from your tethered relationship to your phone. You guessed correctly: Fitbit now offers a selection of wireless headphones compatible with the Bluetooth standard. On the other hand, the Blaze does not have the ability to play music or connect to headphones.
Another first for Fitbit, the Ionic comes equipped with a near-field communication (NFC) chip that can save your credit card information, allowing you to leave your wallet at home. Because of this, you will now be able to pay for your coffee directly from your wrist. American Express cards, as well as certain Visa and Mastercards issued by supported financial institutions, will be accepted via Fitbit Pay. At launch, there will be support for over ten markets located all over the world, and there are plans to add more nations and banks in the near future.
The choice between the Fitbit Ionic and the Blaze
Both the Blaze and the Ionic are exceptional choices that perform admirably with regard to the fundamentals of health and wellbeing in general. Both in terms of their design and their specifications, the two share quite a few similarities. Nevertheless, there are also a few key distinctions between the two.
This entails the presence of a built-in GPS system as well as waterproofing, both of which are exclusive to the Ionic and absent from the Blaze. The sensor that monitors your heart rate has been improved, and it can now also determine the amount of oxygen in your blood. Fitbit’s first wristwatch comes with built-in memory for music, as well as a better display, wireless payments, and a store for third-party applications. This allows users to have a truly phone-free experience with their smartwatch.
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Which of Fitbit’s fitness-oriented watches, the Ionic or the Blaze, should you buy?
The cost is yet another point of differentiation. It shouldn’t come as a surprise to you that the Ionic is more expensive than the Blaze because it crosses into the domain of smartwatches. But should you spend the additional money on it?
It most likely is, particularly if you are an active swimmer or a runner who takes their sport very seriously. If not, and you want to spend that money on something else, the Blaze is still a good option for someone who is after a fitness device that can be worn around the clock, as well as for someone who does the occasional run here and there. On the other hand, if you are searching for a wristwatch first and a fitness tracker second, our recommendation is that you purchase an Apple Watch.
