Fitbit Inspire 3 Vs. Fitbit Inspire 2: What’s New?

With its fresh design and new features, Fitbit’s new Inspire 3 fitness tracker has a lot to offer. How does it stack up against the 2020 Inspire 2?

Alongside the Sense 2 and the Versa 4 smartwatches, Fitbit also announced the Inspire 3 fitness tracker, but how does it differ from the Inspire 2 released in 2020? Fitbit makes a variety of fitness trackers. There is the Fitbit Ace which is an activity tracker designed for kids and the Fitbit Inspire and Charge which are better suited to adults.

The Inspire 3 gets a completely revamped design when compared to the Inspire 2. It is now wider and longer but is slightly slimmer. The strap has also been redesigned but is still made of the same premium silicon material as the Inspire 2. In addition, the new fitness tracker is water-resistant up to 50 meters like the Inspire 2. Fitbit has launched the Inspire 3 in Black, Lilac, and Orange colorways.

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Inspire 3 Has A Blood Oxygen Sensor

The Inspire 3 has a color screen with always-on display support and an ambient light sensor, replacing the outdated monochrome display of the Inspire 2. Both fitness trackers have an optical heart rate monitor for heart rate measurement, but the Inspire 3 adds infrared sensors for blood oxygen monitoring. Unsurprisingly, there is no ECG sensor.

However, the Inspire 3 supports Irregular Heart Rhythm Notifications which can also detect signs of atrial fibrillation (AFib) by using the on-board photoplethysmography (PPG) sensor. This feature rolled out to the Inspire 2 back in April 2022. Other health features common to both fitness trackers are skin temperature variation (temperature manually logged), stress monitoring with breathing exercises, a Daily Readiness Score, and women’s health tracking.

Despite the color display, Fitbit says the Inspire 3 still offers up to 10 days of battery life, the same as its predecessor. However, the battery life drops when the always-on display mode is turned on. The Inspire 3 is compatible with devices running Android 10 or later and those running iOS 14 or later. It connects via Bluetooth and supports Fast Pair on Android devices. Unfortunately, the Inspire 3 appears to be missing the ‘Find With Tile’ function of the Inspire 2.

The Fitbit Inspire 3 keeps the $99.95 launch price of the previous model and comes with a six-month free membership to Fitbit Premium. In addition, Fitbit is also selling a handful of accessories for the Inspire 3 such as a translucent band, a stainless steel mesh band, a clip, and classic bands in a variety of colors.

Should You Buy The Charge 5 Instead?

For users who want a bit more out of their fitness tracker, the Charge 5 is a compelling upgrade. Priced at $149.95, the Charge 5 will set users back an additional $50 compared to the Inspire 3. For that price, users get built-in GPS, the ability to record ECGs, and an EDA app for stress management. The Charge 5 also offers some additional features, such as guided breathing sessions and Fitbit Pay.

There is one downside to choosing the Charge 5 over the Inspire 3, and that’s in the battery life department. The Charge 5 offers seven days of battery life, while the Inspire 3 can stretch it to 10 days. It’s not a dealbreaker, given that neither tracker needs to be charged daily, like an Apple Watch or Galaxy Watch. For users who want the added functionality like ECG and GPS, the Charge 5 is worth the higher asking price. For other users though, the Fitbit Inspire 3 will do the job just fine.

More: Fitbit Charge 5 Vs. Sense 2: Should You Spend $149 Or $299 For An ECG Fitbit?

Source: Fitbit 1, 2