Fitbit Finally Starts Shipping The Charge HR And Surge Smartwatch

Fitbit announced its latest and greatest fitness trackers back in October and the company announced today at CES that the devices finally shipping. The Charge HR retails for $150 while the Surge smartwatch commands $250.

These are the models to carry Fitbit into 2015 and beyond. The company carved out a dominate place in the fitness market despite suffering a major recall in early 2014.

The Charge HR builds on the success (and failure) of the Fitbit Force but adds heartrate monitoring capability.

The Surge is big addition for Fibit. It’s more smartwatch than activity tracker and is clearly designed to appeal to fitness fanatics. The Surge also has a heart-rate monitor and built-in GPS capabilities that can track pace, distance, and elevation.

The watch’s large LCD face is customizable and can display Caller ID, text alerts and media playback. But at $249, Fitbit is competing with a different set of players including Samsung and Garmin. While Fitbit might rule the inexpensive activity tracker field, the brand could face hesitation from buyers looking for a premium product.

The two fitness trackers are now available on Fitbit.com and will hit retailers in the coming weeks with international shipping expected in early February.

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