Fitbit Charge 5 preview: everything we know so far

Renders leaked by industry insider Evan Blass reveal the Charge 5 to be a significantly slicker, more streamlined fitness tracker than the Charge 4 before it. If the images prove accurate – which Blass’ record of accurate leaks and the quality of the shots suggest they will – then the Charge 5 will ditch the angular approach, in favour of smooth curves and seamless lines.

Gone are the sharp edges and flat sides of the Charge 4. Instead, the images show the Charge 5 to be a tracker with a much subtler rounded shell, which sits flush with the silicone band. It’s all very reminiscent of the Fitbit Luxe – and that’s no bad thing.

Looking more closely at the design, the Charge 5 appears to feature slim strips along either side of the case. These are likely to be capacitive touch interfaces, as seen on the Charge 4, which allow users to swipe through watch faces and navigate menus. How well they work will be crucial to the user experience: physical buttons tend to be more reliable and reassuring to use during workouts. Capacitive buttons are more Marmite.

The other takeaway revelation from the leaked design is the colour screen shown front and centre. The disappointing greyscale display was one of our biggest gripes with the Charge 4 – and it’s something the Charge 5 seems set to address. While it’s impossible to assess its size from the renders, it’s likely that Fitbit will stick with similar dimensions and tech, so expect the Charge 5 to feature a colour OLED with a diagonal of approximately 1in. That would make it the first Charge device to break away from black and white pixels.

The Blass leak also reveals three colourways: black on black, a blue-grey band with a silver shell, and a rose strap with a gold case. It’s not clear whether these will be the only combinations offered, or whether we’ll see any special edition variants like we did with the Charge 4.