Fitbit has a new fitness tracker, but you can't actually buy it

Fitbit has pushed out a new fitness tracker model, it's emerged, but it's not one you can actually buy – the new Fitbit Inspire is aimed at businesses and insurance companies rather than the consumer market.

In other words, you might get given one by your boss, or when you renew your health insurance, but you can't order it straight from the Fitbit website. While there's no price listed, TechCrunch reports its Fitbit's cheapest tracker yet.

And the feature list does seem to back that up: you get the basics in terms of fitness tracking, with an optional heart rate monitor, and the design is pretty ordinary too (you can wear it as a wristband or clip it to your clothing).

The Inspire can track sleep, however, and is advanced enough to show alerts like calls and texts as they come through from your phone. There's a small touchscreen that displays the time and other information.

Fitbit spreads its reach

While the Fitbit Inspire might not be the most innovative tracker that the company has ever put out, it could be important for the future of Fitbit: company orders could make up a significant chunk of future income as consumer sales tail off.

Some insurance firms already offer an Apple Watch to keep tabs on your health and exercise routine so Fitbit obviously wants to get into the same market and get its products on more wrists.

The idea makes sense for employers as well as insurance companies, enabling them to encourage healthier living amongst staff – even though they might not all appreciate having their daily step count reported back to their bosses.

For now the Fitbit Inspire seems to be exclusive to the US, but you might soon see it offered by your insurance company or your place of work.



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February 10, 2019 at 03:41PM