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!

[Houstonnick]

The update hasn't fixed the milage inaccuracy problem.  Today I walked 5.15 miles per treadmill and my blaze shows 3.99 miles.  I've even adjusted my stride length to 2'5" and the problem got worse.  When will we get help on this issue?

[MikeS1971]

@Houstonnick The Blaze has had issues with accurately counting steps since this last update in April. If it can't count steps, it can't calculate miles correctly. Even if your your stride is entered correctly.

It ridiculous how long it's taking to fix this. Especially since the previous software version seemed to work just fine.

[curt81]

Three months since the last update.  Fitbit is a joke.  No new watch faces.  Integration with FitStar is a waste.  Issues with step counting.  Heart rate still not working properly.  Calorie burn is off.  I burned almost 800 calories on a  90 minute walk (normal walking pace) and somehow my heartrate jumped to 156 at one point. 

[LisaVT]

Same for me.  Notifications worked just fine before the update.  I don't get any now and my Blaze simply tells me I'm all caught up, all the time. @AndrewFitbit

[LisaVT]

Thanks for this post!  I stopped getting notifications after the update and just read this - swiped down from the clock and they were turned off.  Not sure how that happened because I didn't even know that menu was there, but I'm back in business.  Thank you!!! @AndrewFitbit

[RadPitt]

After reading a couple of pages in this thread I must say: wow, what a catastrophe this fitness tracker is. How can they have left it without updates since April with all these known issues? I will definitely avoid purchasing a tracker from Fitbit, this looks really like a mess.

[jharla1]

---

@RadPitt wrote:
After reading a couple of pages in this thread I must say: wow, what a catastrophe this fitness tracker is. How can they have left it without updates since April with all these known issues? I will definitely avoid purchasing a tracker from Fitbit, this looks really like a mess.

---

Or what you don't realize is that there are a TON of people like myself who the Blaze works just fine for and exceeds expecatations.

You're on a support page.  Where people post issues.  It's the COMPLAINT department (ya know, where someone posts a problem, and support responds to hopefully fix it or help fix it, or one of us with the Blaze chimes in to give a hand).

Rather than reading ALL reviews at amazon and seeing not only the good with the bad, you went straight to where you only see the bad.  Brilliant.

[dlorenze]

First let me say the device is a decent tracker but for some reasons I have listed below we (we own 2 blaze) have considered going back to using our fitbit Ones owned prior.

I think the thing about the Blaze is it doesnt seem to grow, offer new fuctionality and fix defects fast enough for what is considered (seemingly only by the consumers not fitbit) as one of their top of the line trackers.

Since its launch:

• There have been no new watch faces?
• There has been no additional of value features (like Reminder to Move, ability/personalize owners name on device, better integration into rising tech like Amazon Alexa) some of these are Fitbit technology already present in other devices.  I clearly understand that software needs to be adapted from device to device (manage Software Dev teams) but why does it seem so stagnant in growth and evolution as a device?  To most who own it they feel that fitbit sees the device as just another money maker versus a serious focal device in its product line.
• There is not shared with users any future plans/roadmap of features/dev for the device shared with its owners so users are left to wonder if they will ever get features.  I have seen a lot of feedback that even high % voted feature requests never get even a response on forums by fitbit. This makes most feel like they understaffed or are under water just keeping the device "major" defects controlled.
• The current software continues to seem to the most part unreliable as a Apple Watch competitor.  I cant remember how many times I have had to reset up my phone notifications functionality (Android) and even when functional its does reliability result in text messages and call notifications showing.

Again I like the device but FitBit needs to show it user community more evidence of product line value, committment and attention to make it perceived an evolving and top line choice in the market.

[Scotti1]

Can you guys make a clock face with seconds for us people in the medical field that need this feature in order to count heart rates, respirations, etc.? I love my blaze but its a pain to have to use 2 watches or not wear all because of not havning this feature. 

[MikeS1971]

For anyone who still wants to buy one of these things. Test it. As soon as you set it up and charge it. Test it before its too late to return it. Its easy to do. Walk whatever route you choose. Walk or run three or four thousand steps, turn around and walk/run the same route back to your starting point keeping the same pace. See if the number of steps on the return walk/run are the same as the outgoing. My tests were off by thousands of steps at time.

Yes, there's a lot of people who own a Blaze and they think its great and love it. Problem is, very few people test to see if its working correctly. Especially if the Blaze is someones entry into wearable fitness trackers. I knew several people who had Blazes. Not people from the internet, people I see every day. A few thought something wasn't right and the rest thought theirs were working as they should. That was until we all got together and tested them while out on our lunchtime walks. 

None of us own or use our Blazes anymore.

[manfer72]

Fitbit disappointment. no updates in four months, no new faces, no notifications with WAPP, serious errors do not fixed. I hope to sell it, never buy anything to Fitbit !!

[Houstonnick]

When will another Firmware Update occur to fix all of the identified problems, i.e. mileage inaccuracy?

How long do we have to wait for FitBit to get it right?

[bmiller1969]

They actually sent me a new fitbit and guess what it does the exact same
thing. The problem is the blaze does not correctly count steps so therefore
your distance is going to be off. I agree with the post earlier about
people not actually seeing there is a problem until they get with others
and compare. I did not think there was problem at first either until I
started using an app on my phone and how the difference was so far off. I
hate that there is this problem but I do agree if you are going to get one
do test it. Go somewhere and walk where it is familiar and you know the
distance. I do hope that it can be fixed but it is beginning to look
hopeless. 😞

[DKHough]

I agree. Too many users are commenting that Tech Support (using the term loosely) is NOT keeping up or possibly even cares about user concerns/questions. Appears with all the inaccuracy comments a firmware update needs to be done every 2 weeks or so. I've only had my Blaze for about 3 weeks so I've got another week to decide if it goes back or not. (QVC) For a "smart" watch - it doesn't really appear to be.

[wardrich]

Are there plans to add emoji support to notifications?

[BLT1953]

Question: for us that walk the treadmill - is there any plans to let us add the vertical feet that we walk and have them converted to floors if not here a suggestion to do that

Thanks, Byron

[meresydotes]

@BLT1953 I don't think it's possible to count treadmill incline as flights. The stair counter actually tracks elevation. When you have your treadmill set at an incline, your actual elevation doesn't change.

I just want my blaze to track my steps on the treadmill without me having to keep my hand on my body all the time.

[BLT1953]

@meresydotes
True but if a floor is about 10 feet and my treadmill shows my vertical footage then could we if we have an option manually enter the vertical feet and have the Blaze convert that to floors?

[Luneli]

Sooo, it's august. When's the next firmware update? This is vastly annoying. There are a variety of major issues and incomplete features, and yet, as popular of a product as it is, there hasn't been an update for what is quickly approaching four months.

What gives? We've thrown our money at you, where is the return?

[bbarrera]

agree