Blaze Firmware Update - 17.8.200.3 [Closed]

[AndrewFitbit]

Update 5/6/16:

Hey all,

I've been keeping a close eye on this thread, and I wanted to give a quick update.

For reports of Blaze steps and/or distance being inaccurate, I think this is definitely something worth looking into. I've passed on all the feedback to our team so they can investigate. As a friendly reminder, remember that accuracy depends on many factors.

Here's a couple things being worked on:

• Excess Calendar Notifications
• 'Auto' brightness setting is too dim or adjusts slowly

For 'Auto' setting being too dim, you can switch to 'Normal' as a workaround in the meantime. Please note switching to 'Normal' will have a slight impact on battery life.

I'll provide updates when I can. Thanks everyone. 🙂

Update 4/27/16:

The firmware update should now be available to everyone. Update your Blaze and let me know how it goes! You can read the release notes for version 17.8.200.3 in the lead post or check them out on our help site. 🙂

Update 4/23/16:

Sorry for the wait, here's the release notes!

"The Simplified Chinese, Japanese, and Korean languages are now available on Blaze. Note that Blaze is only available for pre-order from fitbit.com in China, Japan, and Korea.

This release also resolves a couple issues:

• Some customers were unable to resume a paused FitStar workout.
• Some customers reported problems with the Blaze screen (display)."

You can find these release notes for this update (17.8.200.3) on our help site.

4/21/16:

Hey everybody,

Some of you may have noticed there's a new firmware update for Blaze! We just started pushing this update out yesterday, and just like any other update, we'll be rolling it out in waves. This update focuses on a few bug fixes. Release notes will be posted here soon.

Thanks!

[AndrewFitbit]

@Corvettekid Yes, you and quite a few others such as @meresydotes and @MikeS1971 have been very helpful when I've asked for information and I appreciate that.

It would just make more sense to wait for the next update to be available for me to continue investigating. I'll be watching the forums pretty closely as soon as everyone starts updating.

@MikeS1971 I work at Fitbit's HQ.

[Corvettekid]

"Unfortunately, they cannot or will not confirm that. I've asked several times. They say they have no access to that information. I guess they're also not allowed to ask those who do."

Meres, I have to believe the Steps/Distance thing will be fixed.  If FitBit released an update with new features but not fixing an OLD problem, that would be 100% unacceptable.

Let's wait for the update.....then for those of us concerned with Steps/Distance during regular walking, let's test it out.  In addition to testing it versus a GPS or Smartphone or a known distance you have in your neighborhood, I suggest a few of us go to actual high-school tracks which are 1/4 mile (0.25 miles) and walk it once or twice.

I did a few months ago and got 0.18 miles, or 72% accuracy.  So that is unacceptable.  It means at the end of the day when I hit 10,000 steps I really have over 12,000.  Again, not looking for perfection or 98 or 99% accuracy.....I'd be happy with 90% (0.23 miles on the track would be fine).

Moderator edit: format

[Corvettekid]

Thanks Andrew...we appreciate you checking in here, too.  We know you don't set the Updates or have a direct pipeline into Corporate or the Tech Dept.

In addition to the High School Track Test, I also have my smartphone and a hand-held Garmin GPS to track it over irregular walking routes.  If the accuracy improves on the track, I am sure the others (also off 25% on average) will have their errors closed as well.

Back at you after the update......

[meresydotes]

You know what? I work in tech support. When we have a new release coming out and someone asks if it has a feature or fix, and I'm not sure, I ask engineering. That's part of my job.

[gretchenmoll]

I did some testing after the latest update. V 17.8.200.3

As a reference point 

Im wearing a garmin smart watch with a gps clip attached to my shoes to measure stride length,pace,and also a cheast strap for hr 

Test subjects are fitbit Blaze , garmin forerunner 735xt, and fitbit charge hr

The blaze accuary is around 18% off on intermediate pace and 10% off on jogging pace. At walking with measured strides i get around 12% off

Blaze won´t turn on hr green lights no matter what setting i put on the mobile device app. (always on ,auto) 

Charge HR does a really good job and deviates from the chest strap with about 7%

Measured distance 400 feet.

Number of trials: 4

Software analysis done with: Strava and Garmin connect, as well as Fitbit windows 10 desktop app

In conclusion my blaze is either faulty or im wearing it wrong. Could anyone give me your take on fitbit blaze before and after the update?

[Corvettekid]

"You know what? I work in tech support. When we have a new release coming out and someone asks if it has a feature or fix, and I'm not sure, I ask engineering. That's part of my job."

Hey, I wish we had confirmation too but at this point with the Update only days/weeks(?) away, after waiting for 4+ months, I can wait a bit more to find out.

I am wondering based on Andrew's comments that they confirmed that SOME -- but not a ton ? -- of Blaze owners had accuracy issues, if it isn't a hardware problem like a bad batch of chips or something.  That would explain why maybe a simple patch or update didn't come earlier to fix the problem.

If a brand new Blaze purchased today yields 95% or better accuracy on my High School Track Test, then it isn't firmware/software....it could be a part they outsource.

JMHO.

Moderator edit: format

[gretchenmoll]

I got the same stats as you did.

There is no way of denying that the fitbit blaze is way off on measuring distance by foot and amount of steps

[Corvettekid]

Gretchen....what would really kick-**ahem** is if you WALKED around a local high school track (1/4 mile) and reported back.  Do it 2 or 3 times.

For others reading these posts, this is THE BEST way to confirm, although walking known distances or checking with another watch and/or GPS device is also good.

But a high school track is a fixed location and known distance (0.25 miles).

[meresydotes]

It's definitely not a hardware problem. Multiple people have had 1 or 2 replacements and they do the same thing.

[gretchenmoll]

that can be arranged. I´ll first walk up and down the track using a garmin forerunner with a gps clip attached to my shoe. I will then compare my results with the blaze and attempt the same thing 3-4 times. 

As a blind test, i will ask my husband to wear both devices at the same time and conduct the same testing after I´ve measured his stride lengths.

A deviation of up to 18% is quite sad IMHO. As a customer, im quite happy to spend a little bit more for accuaracy, as the long term gains of better health,sleep and, stamina far outweighs a couple of more dollars

[gretchenmoll]

What I could do is order a replacement and not update it. 

Then run the same tests on a high school track that as we know has a fixed distance.

 Just to rule out that it´s a software issue. 

This would work if fitbit lets me keep both devices and resend em after I´ve done my gps accuarate testing.

but if they first demand that i resend one device to get a replacement,that wont work. Does anyone know their policy on replacement devices for blaze? It seems kinda expensive and not like my charge HR that had a ton of faults and would get replaced 2-3 times without them asking for the broken device back.

thanks

!

[gretchenmoll]

@AndrewFitbit

I´d like to know what kind of voltage and amps the blaze charging device needs so i don´t plug it in to a usb port that far exceeds it´s limits.

[meresydotes]

@gretchenmoll Part of the setup is installing updates. I don't even think it's an option. That's what makes me really nervous. If they issue an update that breaks something, you can't just get a new one and not install the update. You would have to get a new one now, before the update is available, then not install it when it becomes available.

Also, they're pretty generous with replacements. When a device is REALLY new, they'll request that you ship your old one back before they'll send a new one. Unfortunately, the current problem doesn't appear to be hardware related.

[gretchenmoll]

@AndrewFitbit

 I've tried collecting data a few times before in this thread (as well as in other threads), and I've even reached out to users via PM to try and collect data to bring to the team. We did investigate, and there was a very small percentage of users that had discrepancies. I personally haven't had any accuracy issues with my Blaze, but I can only imagine it's a frustrating experience.
 
 
I could compile a xml file with my latest experiment if you´d like. I got an 18% deviation when compared to gps pin pointed distance. Would your engineering team like to take a look at my stats and maybe analyze my device? As a Courtesy I could overnight it to your office. As much as i downtalk fitbits latest smartwatch, i still greatly appreciate your customer service policy. It´s on par with the best

Moderator edit: format

[gretchenmoll]

@meresydotes

hi

You´re right. no matter what device i pair my blaze with, it forces me to update it.

Mine is a week old and has some issues. I´ll return it to my vendor and order a new blaze. If I get the same results when measuring distance , well.. then that pretty much settles it.

If anyone wants to recreate my little experiment. Go out and get a Garmin forerunner with a gps clip that attaches to your shoe strings and run a few laps on a high school track. Upload your stats here on the forum using XML format so that we can feed it in to a major database and have fitbits engineers check it out. I think we should at least try and give them a hand before we totally give up on the blaze. 

[AndrewFitbit]

@gretchenmoll That would be awesome, but I would say let's hold off on any further testing or data until the next update. Within a few weeks is my best guess. 

[meresydotes]

@gretchenmoll Actually, I LOVE my Blaze. I just had to do a bunch of troubleshooting and habit changing to get it to work correctly. #1 was disabling the auto-workouts (sorry to everyone who's already read my 4397590437 posts on the thread on this topic), #2 was toning down the arm swinging. Most people, when they walk or run, swing their arms a lot, and more as they go faster. Blaze just can't hack it. So I swing my Blaze arm just a little while walking and keep my hands relatively stationary up by my chest when running. It sucks a little, but I'm used to it.

[gretchenmoll]

@meresydotes valuable tips. should  i keep my hands firmly to my sides as to prevent over calculating steps ? or minimze the pendular swings from my arms

[meresydotes]

@gretchenmoll I started out actually keeping my hand on my body. On my upper thigh when walking and lightly pressed to my chest when running. Then, I got tired of the walking part and decided to try without, figuring I could always just manually enter the workout. I would say the walking part is kind of a loose hang. I actually think the running part is beneficial. I'm a pretty new runner (the term running being used slightly loosly) and I've been reading in fitness magazines for years that you shouldn't swing your arms too much because it wastes energy. So I just curl my hands in loose fists and raise them by my chest and they just kinda move with my shoulders.

I also have to snark a little on the comment that not many people have this problem. I think a lot of people just aren't aware. I knew something was wrong when my Charge HR started undercounting. Then I disabled the auto-workouts (it had been telling me I was on an elliptical all the time) and I thought it was fine. Then, I noticed that, on the treadmill, my right foot was hitting slightly more than 1x/ second while walking, yet I was only racking up <3000 steps in a 30 minute workout.

Now, it's about 3600 for walking and 4400 for mixed walking and running. Which seems about right.

Then, yesterday, I was spying on my coworker, who's definitely very healthy, and everyone in her group was in the 30,000-45,000 steps/ week range. I tend to be around 115,000. So, if she's normal and healthy and I'm nuts, I think normal people probably just don't notice. For reference with that, I generally hit 15.000+ steps on weekdays and 18,000+ on weekends. When this whole business started (pretty sure when they started the auto-workouts), I was having trouble hitting 10,000 most weekdays.

Also, regarding your question about charging - most modern electronics are able to limit the charge they receive to what is required and it's best to provide higher amperage if you don't want it to take forever to charge. I just have my charger plugged into a USB/ AC converter that I think is 5A.

[gretchenmoll]

@meresydotes thanks. your comments are valuable to me.

I checked with Fitbit and my blaze is rated for 5V and 500mamps (0.5A) which means finding a usb wall charger that doesn´t exceed 0.8 A or else components will fry or battery will deplete.