At this stage it's hard to specifically recommend the Ionic. Not so much because of its hardware or interface problems, such as music sync, but because third-party support just isn't there yet. To compete with Apple, the product needs smarthome apps. Messaging apps. Ridesharing apps.

A wonderful wearable for those with an active lifestyle, the Ionic is the most feature-rich product from Fitbit thus far. It's waterproof, features GPS and NFC (mobile payments), and has an incredible software experience. The more you use it, the better it works.

Fitbit is probably the most well-known company in the fitness tracker world, but smartwatches are new territory. The closest they've come to making a smartwatch was 2015's Fitbit Blaze , but even that wasn't all that smart.

Interchangeable straps make it great for the office and gym Touchscreen is easy to read outdoors Great overall fitness tracker Sleep tracking is detailed and helpful 2.5 GB of storage for music 5 ATM water resistance Fitbit mobile app is intuitive and user friendly Fitbit Pay works flawlessly...

Design is clunky Can't interact with notifications Fitbit OS is laggy

r It's been a big couple of years for smart fitness trackers with smartwatches now incorporating most of the functions normally included in traditional fitness trackers as standard features in Android Wear, the Apple Watch and others.

While Fitbit's first foray into smartwatches is promising, it has a long way to go to claim the top spot

Great battery life; good display

Limited smart functions; a little harder to use; Limited smart functions; a little harder to use

Fitbit has led the way in the fitness band market for some time now, but in the smartwatch arena, it has struggled. Its first watch was the Surge, which worked well for fitness duties but struggled to compete with smartwatches for style or smart features.

Bright; clear screen; Long battery life; Sleek design

Not many apps; Patchy synchronisation; Poor notification handling

Add swimming lap app, credit card wallet app, 300 tunes, Bluetooth sync...... This watch does it all. Most without a phone necessary. The fitness information and tracking are second to none. The sleep monitoring app is greatly improved. Lots of apps and watch faces. Carries a five day charge.

For the past year it looks like Fitbit has been trying to be more active in the fitness tracker space even though they practically own it. There has been buzz from competitors here and there, but they seem to have it on lock.

Fitbit’s best all-round fitness tracker, just don’t call it a smartwatch yet

Bold design; Excellent sleep tracking; GPS and heart-rate tracking work well; Strong battery life

Virtually no third party apps yet; Fitbit Coach not available till later in 2017; Fitbit Pay not ready in the UK yet; Expensive for what it can currently do

The Ionic is Fitbit's best all-round tracker so far. The trouble is, it’s a £300 fitness tracker with some smartwatch scaffolding around it. That is way too expensive for what it currently offers. Many of its best features (the sleep tracking, SmartTrack, heart-rate sensor, long battery life, Fitbit app) can be found in the £130 Alta HR. Frankly, it only just scrapes four stars. On the other hand, if you want a Fitbit that adds GPS tracking and swim-proofing to all of the usual goodies, it’s the only model that can do it all. The Fitbit Coach feature is very promising too, if not available till late October 2017. Still, the Ionic is far from the only option at this price. Apple iPhone owners are better off paying £30 more for the Watch Series 3 (GPS), unless daily recharges are a deal-breaker. And Android-loving runners, cyclists and swimmers should check out the cheaper but more sport-focused Garmin Vivoactive 3. This isn’t to say that the Ionic isn’t a good buy for more casual exercisers. It has huge potential with more apps, Fitbit Pay and Fitbit Coach on the horizon. But you should just be aware that it’s what commentators would call a ‘raw talent’ rather than a title contender.

Bold design; Excellent sleep tracking; GPS and heart-rate tracking work well; Strong battery life;

Virtually no third party apps yet; Fitbit Coach not available till later in 2017; Fitbit Pay not ready in the UK yet; Expensive for what it can currently do;