SpO2 clock face availability

[DuleTT]

So, after I browsed through clock faces I got information - "This clock face isn't available in your region yet"! What? 

My money worth less than American money?
You know, I purchased my watch here directly from this site, paid full price... watch was delivered to my skybox in Miami and then shipped to me in Trinidad where I currently live!
And because I am here I am not allowed to use those watch faces?

I am a second grade customer?

Moderator Edit: Formatting and word choice 

[JohnnyRow]

Instead of directing your anger at Fitbit, I suggest you investigate your home country's authorization of medical devices to measure blood oxygen saturation.  As far as I know, Fitbit does not control Trinidad.

[Lilbiddy]

@DuleTT  This is not unusual for Fitbit. Even before the introduction of paid for extras there have been differences. The main recurring complaint was the bar code scanning for food information. Never worked outside of the USA. Every Christmas and New Year there would be posts from new users saying they couldn't get that function to work, only to be told "tough".

[DuleTT]

Because my previous answer to you is deleted as being "inflammatory" I will try to give you the one that is not "inflammatory":
Yes, you are right, Trinidad made a "special law" especially for Firtbit watch designs that says just basic Fitbit clock face can be used in the country, other watch face designs are absolutely prohibited.

Also that "law" doesn't apply to thousands of other devices that exist and are normally used here but only on Fitbit.

Dear Fitbit, instead of deleting my "inflammatory" posts, give us the answer 

It's a simple question that requires a simple answer.

If you still don't understand let me draw it:
You and I walk into the store together.

We both purchase the same device at the same cashier at the same time.

We both pay the same price for it.

When we leave the shop you go left and I go right.

Because you went left your product is working, and because I went right I get notification that because I went right my product can't work the same way.

Also, there was no warning in the store that something like that will happen.

Moderator Edit: Word choice 

[JohnnyRow]

My point is that it is not just any clock face; it is the only clock face that gives you access to the SpO2 medical data.

[DuleTT]

And I am telling you for the second (third) time that is absolutely ridiculous. There are absolutely no limitation like that here at all!

This is very much free society!

You can buy and use any medical equipment you want. They are also freely sold in pharmacies and other places....
If there was any legal problem with it, watch would never pass through the customs in a first place.

I personally  have few devices that are measuring SpO2.... This one that you can see on my finger that I ordered online just recently went through customs.

So, please stop trying to distract from the very serious question, that Fitbit obviously doesn't have the intention to answer!
I don't understand what is your interest to distract from actual question.
And you can be absolutely sure i won't give up from requesting the very precise answer!!!

Moderator Edit: formatting 

[alfol2000]

Point of note on this exchange....

I live in Trinidad and Tobago and there are absolutely NO LAWS PROHIBITING THE USE ON MEDICAL INSTRUMENTS MEASURING BLOOD SATURATION! 

Please quote your findings on this and prove me wrong. 

The fact of the matter is, in these Post-COVID-19 times, measuring of blood oxygen is of paramount importance and the prohibition of certain locations from using certain functions on a device that was paid for with that very purpose in mind is incomprehensible to me. 

Other countries exist outside of the USA, and they all contain humans just like in the USA that would have similar medical problems. 

An arbitrary restriction like preventing blood oxygen levels to be displayed on a clock face seems like an arbitrary thing to block because of location?????? Really??

Do better!!! 

[SunsetRunner]

There may not be a law prohibiting the use of Sp02 devices but does Fitbit have the appropriate regulatory approval and licence in order to distribute the Sp02 watch face? If they don't have such approval then there is nothing they can do!

[DuleTT]

You all joking, right?

SpO2 is already inside Fitbit device.

It's already measuring my SpO2 when I sleep.

We all use the same app and everything else. This has absolutely nothing to do with any kind of regulations.

So, you think that if you travel with your watch around the world it will just stop working after you cross some border?

Stop trying to justify unjustifiable!

...and, after I did some research, I learned that this is not the first time that Fitbit is discriminating customers this way.

And what is the most hilarious part, everyone could probably easily bypass this by changing info in profile and turning on VPN. But I am not going to do this because this is the matter of principle.

Matter of principle that requires very clear and straight forward answer - but apparently Fitbit moderators on this forum are very fast to delete "inflammatory" message with explanation that they don't help anyone but they need forever to actually give concrete answer on this question and in that way help us all to understand the problem.

[DuleTT]

Oh, by the way, I forgot to mention one more detail.

This is what Fitbit says about SpO2 in their clock face:
"This feature is not intended to diagnose or treat any medical condition and should not be relied on for any medical purposes."

So, Fitbit basically stating that this is not a medical device.
So much about possible "regulation issues".

[Rich_Laue]

Yes Fitbit is not trying to be an end all fairness device. 

At the same time countries still want to regulate and approve health related meters. 

This is why it took a few years to get the SpO2 certified. 

If your country has not given Fitbit permission to turn on the SpO2 there will be no reason to offer a clock that depends on the SpO2. 

Do you see the red light and the infra red light? It might be because of country regulatory agencies decisions Fitbit has disabled it in countries that haven't approved this function. 

Please be aware that typing on all caps, IE yelling, is against the policy of every board on the Internet, including this board. Yelling usually is a sign of a user not believing that they can express them self. 

[t.parker]

@DuleTT you are wrong. There is the national regulatory authority in Trinidad which does exactly the same thing as FDA in the United States. It is called "Chemistry Food and Drugs Division".

http://www.health.gov.tt/sitepages/default.aspx?id=93

It clearly states:

"The mission of the Chemistry Food and Drugs Division is to:

• Ensure safe quality of an equitable standard for use by consumers of food, drugs, cosmetics and medical devices;"

I'm not defending or attacking Fitbit here. Just saying that there is such legal body in your country. If Fitbit wants to sell a tracker as a medical device there it has to be approved as such first.

[DuleTT]

Yes, every country in the world has that.

But, that has nothing to do with all of this.

I will explain again:

- Fitbit clearly states that this is NOT a medical device.

- All these devices that us ordinary people are using are not limited in any way. I am pretty sure those standards are for the actual professional medical devices used in hospitals etc.

- I actually live with a doctor who knows medical regulations and have plenty fun reading this discussion.

- If it is not allowed, my Fitbit device and all other devices that I ordered online could never be able to pass through the customs.

I believe that customs know exactly what is allowed and what is not.

- Fitbit devices are sold in every store here that are selling cell Phones and other "smart devices".

- My Fitbit is already measuring my SpO2 when I sleep, which clearly means that it is not a problem at all!

- When I purchased my Versa 2 on this exact site few months ago and paid almost 300 USD for it, there was absolutely no warnings that if I am not American I won't be able to use all the features that I am paying for.

Also they had absolutely no problem accepting money from "my region". They didn't say that because I am outside of America I should pay less.

So, all this conversation can be done very fast.

Ladies and gentlemen from Fitbit simply need to answer the questions instead of deleting them.

Question is very precise and requires equally precise answer.

If I am wrong they can easily prove that with their answer.

I know they are reading this.

Why are they silent?

[SunsetRunner]

To be honest trying to explain things to you in clear and simple terms is clearly falling on deaf ears.  In order to utilise the built in Sp02 sensor, Fitbit has to have received regulatory approval from the appropriate body in whatever country you are in.  In America the FDA, in Trinidad the Chemistry, food and drugs division.  In Europe the EU and so on and so on.  This no doubt explains why the Versa 2 did not register Sp02 for over a year in the UK as Fitbit did not have regulatory approval!!!

Customs is irrelevant, as the feature is disabled in your territory there is no problem with the non active sensor.

Do cell phones claim to have Sp02 or heart rate features? no, so they won't be subject to regulatory approval.

Also you are posting in a public community forum. The only people here are other users or moderators not Fitbit engineers or designers.

So to sum up, instead of directing your anger here go and lobby your Chemistry, Food and Drugs Division to issue the appropriate approval so that Fitbit can then activate the feature you so crave.

[DuleTT]

Did you carefully read my previous posts before you decided to practically call me stupid?

- Feature is not disabled in "my territory". SpO2 on my Versa 2 is working. It is already measuring my SpO2! (Read this part again if necessary)

I'm literally looking at my SpO2 measurements on my Versa 2 right now. The only thing that is not available in my region are clock faces.

- Versa 2 is NOT medical device it is a "smart watch", and its SpO2 is not considered a "medical device".

("This feature is not intended to diagnose or treat any medical condition and should not be relied on for any medical purposes.")

- Can you please provide the actual source for this your claim: "In order to utilise the built in Sp02 sensor, Fitbit has to have received regulatory approval from the appropriate body in whatever country you are in."

- If you scroll up you can see my actual finger with the actual SpO2 medical device ordered online and normally delivered without any limitations.

- I also have another smart watch with SpO2. Also normally imported and working normally. (I don't know if it is allowed to name other brands here)

So, to sum up, please stop projecting your own experience on entire world. If something is done in the UK in a certain way it doesn't mean it's the same everywhere else.

I will quote your words now: "To be honest trying to explain things to you in clear and simple terms is clearly falling on deaf ears."

This is exhausting.

[DuleTT]

I wish to add something to my previous answer to you.

I had some free time today, so I actually checked online if Fitbit actually has FDA approval for SpO2 monitor.

And only articles that I was able to find are that Fitbit wants FDA approval to monitor sleep apnea.

- Could you please be kind to share the link to the article which states that Fitbit actually has the FDA approval for SpO2 feature? (although that is not truly relevant in my case, but it is mentioned by you)

- Also can you please provide the evidence that Every country in the world (as you stated before) require the same approval as US and UK?
Thanks.

I already stated few times here - I already have fully functional SpO2 monitor on my Versa 2 watch that is measuring my blood oxygen when I sleep.
This is from my Fitbit app - as you can see it works quite normally "in my location":

Only thing that is not available "in my location" is the previously mentioned clock face.

But now, after I did even more research I realized that only clock faces that require payment are actually available to me. Which is very interesting detail.

[Josue2es]

No reply to this?

@DuleTT has clearly proven that the argument about the country regulations is a lie (SpO2 on Versa 2 is working), I got a Versa 3 because of that feature, and now I find that it doesn't work either in my country (El Salvador) 

Is also a lie that every country requires the same approvals as in the USA, most small countries in America have little to no regulations regarding this matter.  

Can fitbit prove it is actually not allowed? and if its really not allowed, when will fitbit get the approval? 

[_pdn]

Any evidence that Fitbit contacted my country for any other health measurement they do? This is just a rip-up, this information is conspicuously hidden when we buy Fitbit just to be exposed when you have a gadget. Fitbit should come clean and make it an open secret when advertising their gadget. Let them say, it functions fully in the USA and not in your country.

[_pdn]

Looks like Huawei got global approval😂 and Fitbit couldn't.

[Mabdelalim]

Good point! 🤣