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Fitbit Zip Review
February 8, 2013 by Jacob Krol in Activity Tracker, Reviews
Our friends over at AT&T have sent us the Fitbit Zip for us to review. This is a new activity tracker from Fitbit, this is similar to the Nike FuelBand. Except this more of a basic device, in that it does not have as many features as some of the other trackers on the market. The Zip could be described as an electronic pedometer and it will sync with the Fitbit interface. The Fitbit Zip also comes in a smaller price point than other activity trackers. It will cost $59.99 and is available from AT&T. Now, let’s dive into the full review of the Fitbit Zip.
Design
The Fitbit Zip has a very small and compact design. In the box you will get the Zip it self, a tool to open the battery door, a nice silicone holder, wireless USB dongle for syncing the zip, and a 5 Volt Lithium Ion battery. It comes in 5(five) colors, those being charcoal, lime, white, magenta, and blue. I tested out the charcoal variant of the Fitbit Zip. When it is not in its silicone holder it weighs just 8 grams and as you may have guessed it feels super light in the hand. It is 1.4-inches tall, 1.1-inches wide, and is just 0.38-inches thick. It has a plastic build and it feels pretty durable. The battery door does stick out a little bit when the battery is in, but the tool makes it very easy to put the battery in and to lock the door. On the back you have a lock that is open and a lock that is locked, this is show you know where to turn the battery door too. On the front you have a small gray “fitbit” logo above a display. In terms of how you can wear the Zip, that is where the silicone holder comes in very handy. You will slide the Fitbit Zip into the holder and there is a clip on the back. You can clip it to your jeans, your bag, your shirt, and pretty much anywhere. This is a nice feature of the Zip and that is the portability of it. It is super light and very compact and this makes it very portable. Overall, the design of the Fitbit Zip is very nice and they definitely took portability as a very serious factor in the design process.
Hardware And Software
In terms of hardware of the Fitbit Zip there isn’t really that much. The main part of the device would be its screen. It does have a small LCD screen on the device, but it does not really get the job. If you have good light you will able to see it fine, but it is not backlight. Which makes it hard to see in dark lighting conditions. I would have like to see a backlight screen that was clearer, but for now we have this display on the device. You use the screen by tapping it, but it is not a full touchscreen display. If you tap it, you can switch in between calories burned, the time, number of steps taken, a few happy faces, the time, and distance walked. The different faces are called “Fitbit Smilies” and they will change depending on your level of activity. It does have a Bluetooth sensor built-in and this is how it syncs with USB dongle. The battery inside of the Zip should last 4-6 months, which seems like great battery life. You are probably asking yourself how does the Zip track all of the data and it uses a MEMS 3-axis accelerometer to do this. This tracks your step, calories burned, distances traveled, and this calculates all of them. It basically tracks all of you motions. You can view your steps taken, distance walked, and calories burned right from the device, but you can also view this on the web. When the Fitbit Zip is within 20 feet of the USB dongle that is plugged in, it will sync your data. You can view this data on Fitbit’s website. You can see your activity for the day, week, month, or year. You can also log your food, set goals, track weight, and connect with friends. This comes free with your purchase of the Zip, and if you want you can upgrade for even more data and information from Fitbit. However, Fitbit did a great job with making the user interface very easy to use. When you first set it up, its gives very easy and detailed instructions as well.
Bottom Line
The Fitbit Zip is a nice, simple, and compact activity tracker. I do have to say that it gets the job done and it makes tracking your steps a very easy thing to do. For those looking for a more in-depth activity tracking experience, you may want to look at other products. Some of which you may find under the Fitbit brand. The Bluetooth connectivity makes it very easy to sync your data, no longer do you have to plug your devices in. The silicone holder will allow you to take the Zip with you almost anywhere and it will make it easy to track your steps. I wish they would have made the screen backlight and a little clearer, but if you have good light you should be good to go. With an estimated battery life of 4-6 months you should be good with the included battery for quite some time. And if you are looking for something with a pop of color there are a few colors to choose from for the Zip. If you are looking for a simple way to track your steps, distance, and calories burned I would suggest you look at the Zip. Just make sure you take a look at the screen first. AT&T sells the Fitbit Zip for the price of $59.99 . For More Information On The Fitbit Zip, Please Click Here. We would like to thank AT&T for providing us with a copy of the “Fitbit Zip”.
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About the Author: Jacob Krol
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