Fitbit Alta review – convenient smart bracelet, suitable for everyone

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Fitbit is a popular manufacturer of wearable tech and we are not surprised by the great variety of devices that bear this brand. One of the most discussed bracelets is Alta. This is why today’s review is dedicated namely to this model and Fitbit’s mobile app (and the info it provides after you connect it to a smartphone or tablet).

It is a small, thin and light fitness assistant which ties elegantly around your wrist and is there to motivate you for a more active lifestyle. The market of wearable tech is in constant development as smartwatches and bracelets increase sales and become important to more and more users. Fitbit knows this and Alta is one of their successful weapons.

To find out more about price and availability of sizes and colors, you can visit the following link: http://amzn.to/1Xe9INf

Contents


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Design and construction

Fitbit Alta has a metal body and rubber band, which is attached to the main body. It pins on securely and will not fall off for sure, but you may feel a slight wobbling of the metal body. On the inside the band features coarse texture. The band has 11 holes which makes it suitable for every wrist size (the smaller band comes with 9 holes). Additionally, the other end of the band has two metal pins that are a bit difficult to go through the holes even when using both hands (so it’s hard to put it on yourself). We won’t discuss this realatively small problem as you just pin it on and leave it around your wrist (it’s not a smartphone that you pull in and out of your pocket all the time).


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As it was previously mentioned, you can easily exchange the band with another one in different color. You may also use the body alone – by putting it almost anywhere you can receive the needed activity info. It features a curved OLED touch display that wasn’t very responsive at times, which we can be irritating sometimes. On the back there are some product labels and the charging port.


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When around your wrist the bracelet is quite comfortable and you can almost forget it’s there. Furthermore, Fitbit Alta is rather light – only 29 grams (the band being 12 grams and the metal body-17 grams). Another advantage is its resistance against drops, rain and sweat, all of which should be mandatory for every smart bracelet.


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Battery

Fitbit Alta comes with a Lithium polymer battery which is charged from 0 to 100% for about 2 hours. According to the manufacturer, a single charge should provide 5 days of occasional operation, and even though this is very subjected we might agree with Fitbit. The charger is like a clip that holds the body tight, while its other end goes into the USB port of your computer. Thus you can easily charge your device without the use of long cables and complicated procedures.

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Specs sheet


  • Tracks your activity throughout the entire day – it tracks steps, distance, calories burned and active minutes
  • Helps you have a healthier lifestyle by reminding you to be active
  • SmartTrack™ – auto recognition and recording of activities
  • Calls, text and calendar notifications
  • Auto sleep tracking, overview of sleep duration and quality
  • Watch – different modes of displaying time
  • Silent alarm with vibration
  • OLED Tap Display – display activation with a gentle tap
  • 3-axis accelerometer
  • Bluetooth 4.0
  • Battery: lithium polymer battery; 2 hours charging time
  • Big dimensions – 17 – 20.6см
  • 5 days of battery life after a single charge
  • 30 days memory of the activity
  • Rain, sprays and sweat resistance
  • Fitbit app for monitoring of results
  • Automatic and wireless sync with computers and 200+ leading iOS, Android and Windows devices via Bluetooth 4.0
  • Compatibility: Windows Vista, Mac OS X 10.6+, iPhone 4S или по-нов, iPad 3 gen. or newer, leading Android and Windows devices


Fitbit Alta without using the mobile app

When disconnected from your mobile device, the bracelet provides shorter info. You turn the screen on via a double tap. To navigate around different menus you tap once. By saying “tap” we really mean it because any gentle touch may remain unregistered. Any subsequent tap on the screen will direct you to a given menu displaying data about the time and date, steps made, distance covered, consumption of calories, time of your activity and upcoming alarms.


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Fitbit App

To enjoy all functions this device offers, you will have to download the free Fitbit app available for mobile devices and PC. Fitbit brags about the wide variety of supported devices, but to be sure that yours is on the list, type its name here. There is information about which options are compatible with your device. After you download the app, there are a few quick steps to take including the creation of a personal profile with info about your name, age, height and weight. Once you complete this process you will be able to enjoy the statistics and functions of this app.


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The home screen or the so called Dashboard displays basic information. The first menu notifies you if your bracelet is connected to your smartphone and about the last sync between the two. This is where you can enable notifications in case of a phone call or text message – the bracelet will vibrate and display the number that’s calling you. Also, the same will happen in when you receive a text massage or there is an upcoming event. Additionally, there is an option that reminds you to be active. When turned on, it vibrates to remind you that it’s time to go for a walk (at least 250 steps) until the time for the next reminder comes. Furthermore, you can customize the dates and time of day you wish to receive such reminders. There are some other options such as choice of wrist, alarm  set up, tutorial and others.

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Pedometer

The next submenu deals with the amount with steps you make. It includes a graph displaying detailed info about the steps you’ve made and you can trace back your activity from several months ago. Below it there is a table containing more or less the same data plus the exact time of activity.

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Hourly Activity

As we already said, you can set a period for activity reminders and this submenu allows you to check if you have followed the bracelet’s advice. The data is displayed in the same way – via a graph and table.

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Distance

In terms of layout this menu resembles the one of the “steps” section with the difference that the covered distance here is in kilometers.

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Calories

Nothing new here. The app calculates the calories you’ve burned on the basis of the covered distance. Again the presentation is via a graph and table.

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Minutes of activity

We find this function as rather mysterious because the graph sometimes displays results after some movement has been detected, and other times it does not indicate anyhthing, despite the presence of activity.

Track your exercise

The statistics and data provided here are considerably bigger than in other submenus. You can swipe at the top to monitor several graphs with info from the last 30 days. You have the option of choosing the activity type or allowing automatic recognition. If you are using your phone’s GPS, you review the covered distance on the map and access info about duration, steps, calories and other.


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Diet mode

You can create a diet of your own, add the food you eat and its nutritious value. Thus you can monitor the income of calories and the input infor will be processed in a neat table. What is more, you can set goals such as the weight you want to reach and receive reminders from the assistant. Another option that you have to work with is related to the income of liquids – again there are aims to be pursued.

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Sleep tracker

Last but not least, we find a function common for mobile devices – Sleep tracker. It monitors your sleep and alerts you in case your sleep is not peaceful. Again, all this info is transformed into a graph where you have previously set a goal for this or that amount of sleeping per day. The table below it allows you to check the results for a particular date.

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Main menu

If you press the button in the upper left corner or simply swipe right, you will access the main menu. Apart from the Dashboard, it also allows you to create challenges for you and your friends. For instance, “most steps for one day” or “longest distance for a day”. Some studies point out that people are approximately 27% more active when they do sports with at least one friend. This is why Fitbit has thought about it and created this option of competition between you and your squad. You can send invitations via email or Facebook. There are badges you can win which may serve as additional motivation. This menu also provides access to your profile, device information, alarm setup and a tutorial.


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Verdict

The considerable increase in the sales of wearable tech is not by any chance accidental for those who monitor the technological evolution. There are more and more manufacturers who offer a variety of smart watches and bracelets, which makes one’s choice tougher. Fitbit and their Alta bracelet targets those of you who want this kind of gadget to be small and discrete. Looks and reliability are important to you. Of course, the focus here is on sports and apart from some well-known functions, you also get new extras such as activity reminders. Furthermore, Fitbit Alta can notify you in case of a phone call or text message, and monitor the quality of your sleep. All this is thanks to Fitbit’s app which hides a ton of other surprises.

To find out more about price and availability of sizes and colors, you can visit the following link: http://amzn.to/1Xe9INf

Pros

  • Comfortable design with small dimensions and light weight
  • Durable and relatively fast charging battery
  • Convenient Fitbit app, displaying detailed info and statistics about your activity
  • Notifications in case of phone calls, texts and events
  • It tracks the duration and quality of your sleep
  • The option of creating a diet of your own
  • Competitions with friends, and motivating badges


Cons

  • The band requires more effort to be pinned on
  • Not a very responsive display

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