GPS vs Connected GPS

[kurtisscott1]

I did a comparison on the Blaze and the Surge it pretty much had (in the chart) everything the surge had except GPS route tracking, but in the video and the feature of the Blaze it said it does have GPS route tracking.

Moderator Edit: Title For Clarity

[LRod75]

Is the built in GPS worth the big price difference?  Thinking about returning my Surge to save $$$

[matt9013]

@LRod75

Depends on if you like the built in GPS. If connected GPS is something you are fine with I'd say return the Surge and get the Blaze. They will give you the same results just that with the Surge all you need is the Surge.

[Rich_Laue]

I sgree with @matt9013, having the GPS in the phone appose to on your wrist would be a personal decision. One that can only be answered by you, based on your likes, dislike,  desire vs wants vs need.

As for the phone some want to have it for saftey, while others dont care.

[bbarrera]

If you are asking the question, GPS in a tracker is not a must have feature. Surge has too many negatives, I'd recommend waiting for Blaze, or use phone as tracker (like I do), or go simple with Zip or One.

[LRod75]

I got it as a Christmas present, the Blaze looks great, coloured screen and
style but it also doesnt look like its an activity tracker or could
withstand any type of activity like the Surge or other Fitbit products.
And at $120 cheaper I can deal without a gps.

[Michael]

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@LRod75 wrote:
And at $120 cheaper I can deal without a gps.

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@LRod75 $120 cheaper? In the US it is only $50 cheaper. ($250 for the Surge, $200 for the Blaze.)

[LRod75]

With the exchange where it is right now. 340 be 220 CAD$
My Surge still syncs even Bluetooth is off

[ErickaH]

UGH, I've had the Charge for 7 months and have wanted to step it up. I cant decide between Surge and Blaze. I really need the heart rate monitor but Im trying to figure out if GPS is worth is especially since I do have my phone most of the time. 

[matt9013]

@ErickaH

If you usually always have your phone I'd say get the Blaze. $50 cheaper, newer, switchable bands, looks more natural on the wrist/public.

[LRod75]

Does the phone have to go along for the activity for the blaze? I have a
galaxy6 to carry that on a run would be inconvenient I think.

[MikeF]

If you want to use GPS, yes.

[matt9013]

@LRod75

Like @MikeF said you need to carry the phone for the GPS. But with the Blaze all the data and information besides the map gets sent to the Blaze so you can see it on the Blaze so you won't have to take out your phone but have it with you.

[Rich_Laue]

There is still the standard things, calories, steps, calculayed distance, etc, i also understand but could be wrong Fitstar doormatneedthephone., for Blaze to track.

[ErickFitbit]

@Rich_Laue Correct! Fitstar workouts on Blaze are a standalone feature that doesn't rely on the phone.

[FBnewbie2015]

Eric I think I just found the answer I have been searching for on these boards! Please do correct me if I'm wrong. I believe that I understand from your post that Fitbit is going to add a GPS feature to its current app, that we would use for connecting to the Blaze? I always have my phone with me when I'm doing anything, and the new slim design is what I have been waiting for (currently on the Surge, and really have not liked it since I bought it last July, but kept it becuase I loved all the other features on it). So anyways back to my actual question, am I correct that a GPS feature will be added to Fitbit app? Or would i turn the GPS on my phone on, and then open say google maps, to track my distance?

Thank you!

[MikeF]

Yes there will be a GPS feature on the phone but I don't believe the app will actually display anything. All of the displaying will be done by the Blaze.

[bbarrera]

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@FBnewbie2015 wrote:

Eric I think I just found the answer I have been searching for on these boards! Please do correct me if I'm wrong. I believe that I understand from your post that Fitbit is going to add a GPS feature to its current app, that we would use for connecting to the Blaze? I always have my phone with me when I'm doing anything, and the new slim design is what I have been waiting for (currently on the Surge, and really have not liked it since I bought it last July, but kept it becuase I loved all the other features on it). So anyways back to my actual question, am I correct that a GPS feature will be added to Fitbit app? Or would i turn the GPS on my phone on, and then open say google maps, to track my distance?

Thank you!

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@FBnewbie2015 Fitbit released "MobileRun" - a GPS feature to the app back in July 2014:

https://blog.fitbit.com/introducing-mobilerun-and-enhanced-food-logging-for-the-fitbit-app/

MobileRun requires you to pull out phone, launch Fitbit app, and then track a walk/run/etc using the Fitbit app. It doesn't interact with your Fitbit tracker.

The Blaze works differently - you start tracking the walk/run/etc on the Blaze, and without touching your phone it will transparently use the phone's GPS for things like distance, pace/speed, and mapping. During the walk/run/etc all info is displayed on the Blaze. When finished, you end the walk/run/etc on the Blaze, and then the Blaze sends to activity to Fitbit servers and you can view the activity on the web dashboard or in the app.

[Lunchbox87]

My surge lasts 1.5 days and then needs a charge. I don't use the GPS as my workouts now are inside. This is my third one under warranty. My first one through bands cracked, and they said to replace it because there aren't replacement bands. The second the battery did the same as this. I began to think my first one was special because it would last 5 days.

What should I do ton extend the life? It's really annoying having to charge so much.

[Luigi408]

I was thinking about this issue of the GPS vs my Surge, but the Surge GPS is SO innacurate it doesn't even matter. Literally, it showed in the maps that I ran through the middle of homes instead of the actual sidewalk/street. I had my Surge for over a year and no matter what I did the GPS sucked. So good thing I had warranty from Best Buy and I got store credit for it last week because my Fitbit warranty ran out. Not only is the GPS of the Surge innacurate but the band of the Surge doesn't last at all. The rubber starts falling apart after couple of months of use.

After these two issues I was either going to get an Apple Watch or the Fitbit Blaze. I decided on the Blaze because it is cheaper and I got a coupon for it which knocked down the price even more. I also carry my iPhone with me when I run outside, and I run more often in the gym than outside anyways. I also like that the bands are interchangeble as well.

IMO there is really no competition between the Blaze and Surge. Surge pros don't even work properly to even compare it against the Blaze.

[Julia_G]

Hi, @Luigi408 , I agree that the Blaze looks like a great addition to the Fitbit line up, but I have to say that I have not experienced the inaccuracies in the Surge's GPS that you have reported.  Mine works very well.