‘Fitbit postpones release of first smartwatch due to design problems’

Wearable maker Fitbit has reportedly postponed the release of its first smartwatch due to issues with the design waterproofing and GPS reception inside the device’s aluminum unibody housing.

It’s still unknown if the device will be water resistant upon release, but the difficulties in making that happen have in any case caused delays, two sources within the company told Yahoo. The smartwatch should now be in stores next fall and will be priced around $300, the sources say.

The watch has a full metal casing and interchangeable straps. In addition, the smartwatch can last four days with a battery charge. Presumably, the smartwatch’s software stems from the platforms that Fitbit got its hands on last year with the purchase of Vector and Pebble. Fitbit had no interest in the staff who designed the hardware of the Pebble watches. Pebble did have water-resistant watches in its range.

The screen of the Fitbit smartwatch will have a color screen with a maximum brightness of a thousand nits, the sources claim. That corresponds to the OLED screen of the Apple Watch 2. The design would resemble that of the current Blaze (right), a fitness tracker in the shape of a smartwatch.

Fitbit has recently made no secret of the fact that the company wants to make a smartwatch. The company has declined to comment on rumors surrounding the upcoming watch.