Blaze design criticism

[NewBlazer]

Every complaint is the same, and nothing has changed, even from older products like the Charge and Flex. You've seen these complaints a thousand times, so why not add another post with my list...
- You made your tracker into a watch. DISPLAY THE FREAKING SCREEN! Your quick view feature works like 25% of the time, and you look like an idiot standing there flicking your wrists serveral times just to see the time or heart rate. Multiple that by the many times you need to view that info during a short workout and you realize you've spent half your workout trying to light up the **ahem** display. Has anyone NOT complained about this? Screw battery life, at least give us an option.

- Watch Faces: I know you don't offer a mini App Store like the Pebble or Garmin (what a shame), but you could at least offer more (and better) watch faces. You could easily allow users to create their own watch faces and uploaded them via the website and sync to their watches. Little development changes like that would go a long way.

Notifications: I feel like you almost need to stop advertising that you do notifications. First of all, when a notification comes in, the screen doesn't like up (see complaint number one), and so you really don't know you have a notification unless you hear your phone or can feel the very subtle vibration of the watch. Anyone that has had Apple Watch, Pebble, Garmin, know what real notifications are. And many times (like 50% of the time), the notifications don't appear on the device or are super delayed. I know your troubleshooting docs say the device could be syncing, blah, blah, blah. This thing does not "do notifications".
Along with notifications, it does not acknowledge notifications. If you swipe away a text message, the phone, doesn't know that you've already acknowledged it. Every other smart tracker that does notifications, including Microsofts Smart Band, does this.

The Fitbit platform isn't new anymore. You've had time to develop and mature. You need a new development team. You need to open up your devices and release some API support so others can develop since you guys clearly cannot. Obviously I knew this wasn't going to be the best tracker going into it (I test and analyze hardware and software), but this is just bat**ahem** crazy. A company's value tells a lot about its products, and the trend it's my looking great.

Moderator Edit: Clarified subject

[rmjcvelez]

I really want to like the blaze fitness watch. It picks up where the iWatch falls short. Excellent and accurate stats including a far superior hart rate monitor-again compared to the iWatch. My biggest challenge is with the button design-every work out is interrupted or stopped because a button is inadvertently pressed. The instructions suggest that you should move the watch a few inches higher-away from the wrist-to avoid an accidental button press. When I do this, the heart rate monitor does not work and/or the watch slips closer to my wrist where any hand movement presses a button. Doing a bench press, pull up or push-up will consistently stop or pause my work out. I also wear the blaze during boxing workouts to track my heart rate but again, a button is pressed and I end up with nothing.

Fitbit-please implement a way to lock the screen or a way to disable the buttons during a workout.

Lastly-I can only sync my steps to Endomondo. According to Endomondo, the blaze only syncs with my daily steps and there are no future plans to allow the syncing of workouts between Endomondo and the Blaze.

[11butterscotch]

@racertempo Perhaps you don't read much but periodic alert vibration to move makes a lot of sense for anyone prone to sedentary overweight and diabetic lifestyle which is most of America and elsewhere.

http://www.sciencealert.com/sitting-for-long-periods-is-no-worse-for-your-health-than-standing-study...

Blaze is not being marketed for athletes per se but more for the active person who might play, say, volleyball. "Athletes" (as a catagory vs "athletic" as a descriptor) are more into performance training goals, pushing limits, reaching milestones in order to advance competitive positioning. Cardio for most 'athletic' people is more about maintaining condition than pushing to peak conditioning. 'Tennis training' is for the competitive circuit whereas practicing tennis might be something in your league.

[11butterscotch]

Forgot to add re vibration alerts, the idea as stated above is good for most people interested in adopting healthier lifestyles. Athletes and athletically inclined people probably have enough conditioning to offset the detrimental effects of not moving for long periods of time.

The problem, however, is in the implementation. One needs to be able to pause the alert reminder pattern (i.e., when in a meeting) or snooze the reminder (i.e., when driving) and also customize the alert pattern to one's individual daily routine.

As is generally the case with other feature and functionality, Fitbit hasn't thought the entire vibration alert idea through before pushing out to market.

[racertempo]

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@11butterscotch wrote:
@racertempo Perhaps you don't read much but periodic alert vibration to move makes a lot of sense for anyone prone to sedentary overweight and diabetic lifestyle which is most of America and elsewhere.

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I read plenty, thanks......if you need soemthing to remind you to move then maybe you have bigger problems at hand.  The funny thing is your attached article just talks about the negatives of sitting too long, it does not say anything about how a vibration reminder from your watch helps prevent any of this.

For someone to say "Fitbit has not thought this through" is just a ridiculous.  Just becasue they left something out that you might life at the initial release does not mean a company like this has "not thought it through".  Sure it is a nice little feature to have, but it is not a detrement to the product as none of their previous products had it either.

[racertempo]

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@11butterscotch wrote:

Blaze is not being marketed for athletes per se but more for the active person who might play, say, volleyball. "Athletes" (as a catagory vs "athletic" as a descriptor) are more into performance training goals, pushing limits, reaching milestones in order to advance competitive positioning. Cardio for most 'athletic' people is more about maintaining condition than pushing to peak conditioning. 'Tennis training' is for the competitive circuit whereas practicing tennis might be something in your league.

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You show how little you know about "training" and "athletes".  Go to you local USTA league matches, if you can find them, they are extremely competitive and a singles match is about 6-8k steps a match.  These are leagues with states championships and sectional championships, at all age levels.  So try telling a 70 year old woman or man who has worked their butt off with practice and matches to win their state championship and go to sections, or even nationals that they are not "athletes" as you describe.  "tennis leagues" as you say, are not social, where going out to hit 2 times a year with a friend might be social.

http://ncleaguetennis.com/senior 

I am not a senion, but tell one of these people they are not athletic.  Just becasue you gon't get paid money to play a sport does not mean you are not an Athlete.  Just look at the add for the Blaze, jsut like all fitbit products it is marketed towards the whole spectrum.  I have coworkers who use it every day and don't do any athletic activity, and I have tennis friends who use it during matches to track their heart rate.

[11butterscotch]

@racetempo Reading comprehension can do wonders when paired with reading. The inference one might judiciously make of the article is that yes, many people have far bigger problems than not having vibration alerts. A priblem called sedentary lifestyle. Vibration alerts are thus a tool to help these people remember to move. Not rocket science.

What seems to be rocket science are clearly developed feature sets in the product. Alerts are one of many. Take it from the 3+yr lead MechE who posted on glassdoor that there is no defined development process. Or consider their top line 'performance product' Surge that arrived without without splits or interval capabilities, neither of which were unknown nor advanced functions of my c.2000 Timex Ironman watch.

USTA is a great recreational league with many athletic participants as well as those aspiring athletes hoping to enter more advanced tournament play. Pretty simple.

[11butterscotch]

p.s. nothing to do with money or the pro circuit of athletes. You seem to be confusing athletic with athlete (incl unpaid elite athletes) with paid professional athletes.

[racertempo]

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@11butterscotch wrote:
@racetempo Reading comprehension can do wonders when paired with reading. The inference one might judiciously make of the article is that yes, many people have far bigger problems than not having vibration alerts. A priblem called sedentary lifestyle. Vibration alerts are thus a tool to help these people remember to move. Not rocket science.

USTA is a great recreational league with many athletic participants as well as those aspiring athletes hoping to enter more advanced tournament play. Pretty simple.

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Again, show me research where the vibration alert "tool" has helped to fix sedentary lifestyle.  "oh, my wrist buzzed so I better get up and move, I forgot to do that today, thank goodness my watch vibrated to remind me".  You just posted an artile about sitting too long and how bad it is.  If you decided to buy and wear a fitness tracker like fitbit in the first place you are already conscious.  If maybe a doctor told you to wear one you, the reminder might be helpful.  Sure other products have reminders, but not all products are 1 for 1.  

Also, not all products are expected to have 100% of everything every person wants......do research, buy the product that you like best and fits you.

[racertempo]

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@11butterscotch wrote:
p.s. nothing to do with money or the pro circuit of athletes. You seem to be confusing athletic with athlete (incl unpaid elite athletes) with paid professional athletes.

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So you know nothing about tennis or USTA, I don't expect you to, or the athletes who participate in them.  

You tried to start an arguement saying I was not athletic because I played volleyball and tennis, while wearing my blaze.  Here was your direct quote:

"'Tennis training' is for the competitive circuit whereas practicing tennis might be something in your league."

Oh, so I am only practicing because i only play in a "league".  Who is to say a "league" is ot a "competitive circuit"?  Certinly not you since you are argueing between difference in athletes and someone who is athletic.  

Just for your edification, here is definition of "athlete":

"a person who is proficient in sports and other forms of physical exercise."

 Now athletic:

1.  of or relating to athletes or athletics 2. physically strong, fit, and active.

   So i can be an athlete as long as i am proficient in tennis, volleyball, ping pong, bowling, dart, bocce, quoits, horseshoes, cheerleading (I would nto be dumb enough to say cheerleading is not a sport), curling, jolleyball, or any other sport.  Your quote above is "p.s. nothing to do with money or the pro circuit of athletes. You seem to be confusing athletic with athlete (incl unpaid elite athletes) with paid professional athletes."  Your addition of the word "elite" is the problem.  If I am proficient in table tennis, I am an athlete, where I am "elite" or not.  Which also makes me athletic by definition.

   I am done with you and this arguement now that you know the difference if those 2 terms since your definition does not match those official ones above......and since you can find research that shows my watch vibrating one in a while will prevent a sedentary lifestyle.

   You are clearly here to complain about fitbit and their product features (or lack there of).  I am here becasue I use them for they are and for the features they have, and help others with technical problems.

[11butterscotch]

@racetempo Sorry but there is a difference between athlete and athleticism. But you can think you are whomever you want to be. No problem there. USTA is a great 'recreatonal league' of many levels. But recreational might
traditionally considered a level below that pursued by athletes.

[racertempo]

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@11butterscotch wrote:
@racetempo Sorry but there is a difference between athlete and athleticism. But you can think you are whomever you want to be. No problem there. USTA is a great 'recreatonal league' of many levels. But recreational might
traditionally considered a level below that pursued by athletes.

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So what you have said is contrary to the actual definition of athlete listed above.  I played D1 college soccer, but I had no plan on pursuing it professionally, according to you that would not make me an athlete becasue I am not pursuing a higher level.  And again, the definition of athleticism directly realtes to athletes.  

I think you are trying to say someone can be athletic but not an athlete, correct?  

Sorry, but a definition is black and white, "anyone proficient in a sport or activity".  It has NOTHING to do with the desire or want to achieve specific levels.  Anyone who is athletic and playing any sport or activity is only doing that activity because they want to get better, that is an intrinsic part of any activity....but making blanket statements about who are and are not athletes are based on your view, not the definition.

USTA leagues (ratings 4.0+) are often filled with individuals who played college tennis, and you can go up to level 5.5 and higher.  These people are considered D1 college levels, and are not good enough to be pro since that is only .01% or less of players.  They still wnat to play and be active and have the competition.....there is NO WHERE ELSE to go in terms of reaching higher levels since they are out of college andnot going pro.

You are applying a USTA label/tag as recreational in general, and if you are in USTA you are "traditionally considered a level below that pursued by athletes".  That is laughable and spoke by a person who is clearly not athlete....or athletic.  

If you are 24yo or up, unless you are pro there is nowhere else to play but USTA (for tennis), or a local rec league (for soccer/volleyball/basketball/baseball).  Some rec leagues are more competitive than others, but they are referred to rec because you have a real 8-5 job and doing get paid to play that sport.  You are an Amateur Athlete (by definition not paid), but you are still an athlete if you are proficient in that rec soccer league.  However, if you stink and are just learning to play.....or playing for the exercise alone and are not very good at soccer, you might not be an athlete.

I know many athletes that use the Fitbit Blaze and ChargeHR.  I did not know any athletes or friends who used or owned the surge.

[11butterscotch]

@racetempo USTA is a recreational league and I'm glad it provides a venue for your interests. Label yourself whatever you'd like, it's a free world. As for 'athlete' designating a category of individual with certain training pursuits and athletic people pursuing certain interests like UTSA recreational league tennis or your vollyball or cheerleading endeavors I'm content to stand by my stated differentiation.

[racertempo]

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@11butterscotch wrote:
@racetempo USTA is a recreational league and I'm glad it provides a venue for your interests. Label yourself whatever you'd like, it's a free world. As for 'athlete' designating a category of individual with certain training pursuits and athletic people pursuing certain interests like UTSA recreational league tennis or your vollyball or cheerleading endeavors I'm content to stand by my stated differentiation.

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Great, you stand by your definition since it make you content......I will follow the actual real work definition in the dictionary.  I believe that one of those holds more weight.  You clearly only think of professional athletes, or those striving to be professional as athletes.  According to your definition, one retired a person is no longer an athlete.  Sorry, but Peyton Mannaing, John McEnroe, and manmy others are still athletes because they are proficient in their sport.  But your definition states that since they are not training to reach new goals they are not athletes.  Makes no sense at all.

You did conveniently not respond to my real questions about showing some research that a vibration on the wrist helping sedentary conditions.....but that is because there is none.  If it does help some people that is absolutely great.  Evenone will get different positives (or focus on negatives) from their fitbit.    But you said it was a detrement to the product, when they never advertised that feature, and have never used it in the past.  But you said "Fitbit hasn't thought the entire vibration alert idea through before pushing out to market." which you don't know as true at all.

[11butterscotch]

@racetempo I didn't respond further re: vibration alerts because you don't seem to be connecting the dots well. No worries, it's a free world and as you said, you're an adult so don't need it anyway.

[racertempo]

Or becasue there is no research.  You claimed that sedentary lifestyle was a major problem in the US and that somehow....these people will be changed becasue they get a vibration on their wrist.  The problem is, none of these people will be buying and weaing a device to give them those alerts.

You talk about who the blaze is marketed towards....and I can tell you for a fact that no fitbit tracker has been advertised or marketed towards sedentary people.  Ever see those type in their commercials?

Maybe you are that person and you need that vibration because witout you you forget to move from time to time.  

[Gabriela_m]

I was also disappointed - got my Blaze today and it took me hours of trial & error to set this thing up. The notifications are finally working - but off course not all of them... iMessages are not displayed at all. technology seems to work against us and not for us. I remember the times when you did not need a user guide but products were set up user friendly. Nowadays you have to do the research before anything works. I wish I could charge companies for the time wasted.

[racertempo]

Notifications are always a little tricky as it often depends on your signal and how close you are to your phone.  I am thrilled at the % of time it works on the Blaze, as my phone notificaiton on the ChargeHR only worked about 10-20% of the time.  It was frustrating but I just learned to deal without it and not waste time fighting it.....but for the blaze, I would be very upset if the numbers (% of time it works) drops off like the ChargeHR did.

[Ronald1]

Hi perhaps the complaint has to do with claims versus delivery. I am guessing that if the person wanted an Apple watch well then he would have...

[oBoy]

I'm sure you'd just love your personal information to be advertised on your wrist every time you get a notification. Everyone does. Come on, Fitbit, get with the program. We're counting on you to make technology even more rude and obnoxious.

The Fitbit platform is developed, and it meets the needs of a very specific set of people very well. If you don't like the feature set offered, a feature set that works for a lot of people, buy a different watch. I have no trouble with lift to view, but I do have a problem with crummy battery life. I realize that's not true for everyone, as the OP handily demonstrates, but I'm mature enough to not expect everyone else to have the same needs I do.

Like they say on Amazon, "Read the product description before you buy!"

[N1tram]

Just because it’s a fitness watch doesn’t mean that it should suffer important flaws.  I agree completely with the above comment, plus my Blaze fails to register half of my sessions on a frequent basis - or leaps around the countryside.  I never had these problem with a Polar - which wasn’t perfect either