Garmin's new Vivofit 4 tracker still uses coin cell batteries

Garmin is still making lightweight activity trackers, ones that appeal more to the step-counting crowd than the mountain-climbing kind. The company just announced its new Vivofit 4 yesterday, which sounds pretty similar to the Vivofit 3.

The Vivofit 4 has a coin cell battery, like prior models, which means it should last at least a year before you have to replace the battery. It syncs with smartphones over Bluetooth and pairs with a companion iOS / Android app, called Garmin Connect. It also automatically tracks activities and is water-resistant, so you can wear it in the pool or shower.

The key difference between this new model and the Vivofit 3 seems to be its aesthetic (something Garmin isn’t normally known for). The Vivofit 4 comes in a variety of subdued patterns, including a speckled black and neon yellow version, as opposed to its predecessor's vibrant patterns. The 4 also includes a silver button on the front. Personally, I prefer this new, muted look because I don't want to call attention to my fitness tracker. That's just me, though.

The Vivofit 4 is available through Amazon for $79.99, pitting it directly against lower-cost Fitbits and other basic wearables. Garmin’s core customer base is likely still more interested in its GPS-tracking watches, but Garmin’s strategy of throwing every kind of tracker out there has kept it consistently in the top five wearable makers worldwide.