The Fitbit Charge 4, when it arrives, will be Fitbit’s next top-end fitness tracker. It’s not been announced yet, but we can make some educated predictions about which features it’ll bring to our wrists when it eventually arrives.
The arrival of the Fitbit Charge 5 in September 2021 gave us some hints about where the company might be taking its watches over the coming years, but now that Google owns Fitbit, it’s possible that the Charge 4 could be something different entirely.
We’ll keep this guide updated with new news and rumors as soon as they arrive, so keep it bookmarked and check back regularly for the latest info.
Cut to the chase
- What is it? A fitness-focused GPS smartwatch
- When is it out? Possibly around August 2022
- What will it cost? Probably about $229.95 / $199.99 / AU$399.95
Fitbit Versa 4 news and leaks
News about the Fitbit Versa 4 has yet to start filtering through, but the company has made some interesting announcements recently that have us excited about what the next-generation smartwatch could be.
In January 2021, Google finalized its acquisition of Fitbit, despite concerns from industry watchdogs about the two companies’ potential to stifle competition. Things then went quiet for a few months, but at the 2021 Google IO event in May, we learned that Fitbit is working on a premium fitness tracker running Google’s smartwatch operating system, Wear OS.
That’s big news, and could mean that the Fitbit Versa 4 is drastically different to previous watches in the series. Until now, all Fitbit wearables have used the company’s own proprietary operating system, Fitbit OS. As you’d expect, this operating system is focused almost entirely on fitness tracking, and only supports a small handful of third-party apps (most of which are relatively simple workout trackers and timers).
A Fitbit running Wear OS would be capable of so much more. Not only would it be able to track steps, activities, heart rate, and all the other metrics you’d expect from a typical fitness tracker, it would also integrate with all of Google’s other tools (Gmail, Google Maps, Google Pay etc), and give you access to a huge array of music streaming, social media, news, health and organization apps from Google Play.
There’s no guarantee that this premium Fitbit will be the Versa 4, but it seems more likely than it being the Google Pixel Watch, which is said to be in development by a completely separate team.
What we’re expecting
Fitbit devices typically follow a two-year release cycle. The Fitbit Versa 3 was released in August 2020, so we’re therefore hoping to get our first glimpse of the Versa 4 in August 2022.
The company usually keeps its cards close to its chest, and we rarely get an early peek at watches before they’re released, but it’s still possible. Images of the Fitbit Luxe leaked a few days ahead of its official launch, it’s not beyond the realms of possibility that we might get an early peek.
It’s also possible that we may get an early insight into the Versa 4’s specifications through an accidental leak In 2021 a 3D render appeared online, reported to be a new Fitbit device codenamed ‘Morgan’. This proved to be our first look at the Fitbit Charge 5.
The same source may release a similar image of the Versa 4 nearer its launch date. We’ll be keeping our ears open and eyes peeled.
Design
Fitbit’s latest watches (including the Charge 5, Sense, Versa 3, Inspire 2, and Luxe) all share a similar style, with rounded edges and smooth lines. This is a result of what Fitbit calls its Biologic Industrial Design Language, which is designed to work with the shape of the human body, making devices that are comfortable and ergonomic.
Colors are muted (shades of black, cream, soft pink and midnight blue dominate the palette) and metal cases have a brushed finish. It’s a style the company seems committed to, so we’re expecting the Versa 4 to stick with the same look.
We’re also expecting it to have a familiar shape; watches in the Versa series have always had square faces with rounded edges, so we’re not anticipating a switch to round or rectangular face.
We’re also expecting it to stick with AMOLED screen technology, though we’d like to see a boost in resolution – particularly if the Versa 4 turns out to be Fitbit’s first WEar OS smartwatch. The Versa 3 has a resolution of 336 x 336 pixels, but a boost to 454 x 454 (the same as the superb TicWatch Pro 3) would be a real boon for apps like Gmail and Google Maps.
Fitness features
The Fitbit Versa 3 does a great job of bridging the gap between fitness trackers and smartwatches, but it’s not without its flaws. Almost all of these would be solved automatically if the Versa 4 turns out to be the rumored premium Wear OS device (with access to all the accompanying apps) but even if it’s another FitbitOS watch, there are some tweaks that we’d like to see.
One thing we’re definitely expecting is on-board GPS for tracking walks, runs, and bike rides. This is something that’s been part of the Versa line for some time now, and it allows the watch to accurately track your speed and distance without the need to carry your smartphone.
On the subject of phone-free use, we’d appreciate more offline music options. While the Versa 3 supports Spotify and Pandora, you can only add playlists for offline listening via Deezer. We’re not going to hold out breath, though. When the Fitbit Charge 5 arrived on the scene, it packed lots of new health sensors into a tiny package, but lost the music streaming capabilities of the Charge 4.
We’d also like to see the Fitbit Versa 4 borrow a few features from the Fitbit Sense. When the Fitbit Charge 5 arrived, it brought with it the Sense’s stress monitoring EDA (electrodermal activity) sensor, plus its ECG (electrocardiogram) sensor to check for signs of atrial fibrillation. If these can be packed into a device as compact as the Charge 5, we’d be surprised if they weren’t integrated into the Versa 4.
Improved battery capacity would also be a win. The Versa 3 can run for up to six days between charges (an improvement from three to four days for the Versa 2) so ideally we’d like to see the Versa 4 last a full week. Battery life drops significantly when using on-board GPS, and the addition of offline music storage and playback would cut it further, so a larger capacity may be a necessity.
A higher resolution display would also be a bonus. An upgraded screen would allow Fitbit to follow in the footsteps of Garmin, which has introduced on-screen yoga and Pilates workouts to many of its latest devices so you can follow along without using your phone. It would be a natural addition for Fitbit devices, and could be made available as a bonus for Fitbit Premium subscribers.
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