Fitbit, by most measures the leader in the fitness band category, is getting ready to ship two new bands: the Charge and the Charge HR. Gizmodo has a lot of the details; the short version is that bands fill the gap at the top of the product line left when the company had to recall the Force because it was giving people rashes.
The product specs look very much like the Force. The difference between the Charge and the HR is that the HR will monitor your heart rate. Gizmodo gives pricing as in the $200 range, which is significantly higher than the Force’s $150 neighborhood.
Some inside baseball: WTI had the substantial outline of this story two weeks ago, although our information was that the device would have a watch-like face. We tried to confirm it with Fitbit execs, who sent us to Fitbit’s outside PR company, which now appears to have lied to us in denying the story. Lying to reporters is actually pretty uncommon for what we hope is obvious reasons, and is frankly beneath the company and its PR counsel.