Two problems that some smartwatch (actually, even smartphone) owners have: short device battery life and being woken up abruptly by your alarm. If you own a Fitbit Charge 4, the newest firmware update for the wearable might solve those things for you. Version 1.96.29 of the software of one of their most advanced trackers brings two major updates: Dyamic GPS which should save up on its battery life and Smart Wake which should help you wake up better in theory.
Dynamic GPS is a new feature from the update that will let you save up on your smartwatch’s battery. When you choose to enable the feature, it will detect when your smartphone is nearby and will use its GPS sensor instead of the wearables built-in sensor. Since GPS is one of the biggest battery drains on any device, this way you’ll be able to extend your device’s battery life. It didn’t specify by how much but of course it depends on how often you use it during that time.
The other major new feature in the update is something called Smart Wake, which is actually available also in the Fitbit Ionic and Fitbit Versa series. Basically, when you set an alarm, the wearable will not go off at that specific time but at a “more ideal” time up to 30 minutes before the alarm. This way, it will not wake you up when you’re still in the deep sleep phase which can sometimes be more harmful physically and mood-wise.
The update also has smaller new things, like the option to adjust how long your screen will stay on, which can also reduce battery consumption if you make your settings right. Users of the Fitbit Charge 4 will also now see the date when they activated their device through the Fitbit app. Plus of course there are the usual bug fixes and improvements that come with every update.
You can check your Fitbit Charge 4 now for the firmware update. Or if it’s not rolling out to you, just wait for it to do so to start enjoying these new features and improvements.
