Fitbit just announced their newest tracker at CES 2016. The Fitbit Blaze adopts a more smart watch like appearance different from the wrist strap look more commonly identified with the Flex and Charge series. The modular fitness tracker is removable and fits on changeable straps for workouts or when a more classic look is preferred.

While the Fitbit Blaze has retained the outstanding points in the Charge tracker series, it further ups the ante by allowing the user to receive workout instructions from FitStar right from the tracker display. And unlike the Fitbit Surge, the Blaze adopts a more prominent smart watch presence by including the notification of calender events with a colour touch screen. But alas, the lack of on board GPS chip appear to the the elephant in the room, limiting users to tether on to smart phone GPS functions if they require running stats on the Fitbit Blaze display.

List of features:

• 24/7 activity tracking. Tracks steps, distance, calories, sleep, heart rate
• Heart rate measurement during rest and exercise with PurePulse
• Tethers to GPS on smart phone to map routes and display running stats like pace and duration.
• Remote to control music playback on smart phone
• Receive texts, calls and calender alerts
• Multi-sport modes such as running, biking and cardio
• SmartTrack feature automatically recognises and records exercises
• On screen workouts with FitStar
• Colour touchscreen with customisable watch faces
• 5 days battery life
• Changeable straps and bands

While critics have already pounced on this new device and criticised it for the lack of innovation amidst stifling competition from Apple and Under Armour, you have to remember that the Fitbit Blaze retains the work horse functionality of Fitbit trackers and slaps on a full sized coloured touch screen while giving it on display workouts and customisation in the aesthetics department; all for $50 more than a Fitbit Charge HR.

Only time will tell if the Fitbit’s newest tracker is enough to stave off the encroachment from increasingly powerful smart watches. The Fitbit Blaze ($199.95) is available for pre-orders in Black, Blue or Plum in 3 sizes and will ship in March.