New here, thinking of getting a Blaze

[wgibbons]

Hi,

I'm a complete newbie to Fitbit, only downloaded the app to my iPhone yesterday. I've also just become aware of the Blaze and I have a few questions that I'd like to ask on here to help me make a decision. I like the look of it, but can't decide between it, the Charge 2 of an Apple Watch Series 1. (Built-in GPS is not a priority for me, I am quite happy to bring my phone with me for mapping).

My main exercise is cycling (on a road), and the odd hour on a treadmill. I use Strava to log my cylces, and it works well for me, but I like the idea of adding HR data to that to get a better picture of how I'm doing. My aim is to lose weight. I also use MyFitnessPal, but TBH I can take it or leave it: the mapping and route data in Strava is much more of a motivation for me.

So: has anyone on here switched over solely to Fitbit to record cycles and ditched Strava? I really like the idea of having just one app that will be a one-stop-shop for me, and I've read conflicting reports on this forum about how well Strava and Fitbit: so can Fitbit replace Strava for cycle recordings? I assume the calories-in aspect of the Fitbit app can replace the same function of MyFitnessPal, so is there any reason to have multiple apps, or can Fitbit do most things?

Also, regarding notifications from iPhone apps: are there any actions that can be taken for emails, such as "mark as read" or "delete". I like the idea of being able to triage emails from my wrist, so I'd be keen to find out if that's possible. Can you read an entire email or SMS on the (I read something about 160 characters, but I am unsure if that means it only shows 160 at a time on the screen, before you have to scroll, of it only pushes 160 in total from the phone to the watch).

Just on steps count: am I right in thinking that without a device such as the Blaze, the app is using the accelerometer in my phone to get step count? If I pair a Blaze with my phone, does the step count then come from the wearable rather than form the phone itself? If so, does that mean less drain on the phone battery?

Thanks for reading, I'm looking forward to the responses.

[TessaLee]

I used to wear a FitBit One, but it broke so when it came to getting a new one, I ultimately decided on the Blaze for a few reasons.

I like that it is a "smart watch" and has a small touch screen. This is why I didn't choose the Alta. I too didn't care much for GPS since my workouts tend to be in a gym and the price for the Charge didn't seem to justify it. So I ultimately bought the Blaze and I certainly don't regret it.

I can't personally speak to mapping since I've never really used that feature for cycling (nor have I used any other mapping apps), but I have mapped walks and the Blaze has an exercise programmed specifically for cycling as you describe. If you forget to activate it, it should also automatically detect the activity. I'm not sure how, specifically, but it's pretty awesome.

For emails, they're just notifications on your wrist. You clear them from your band, but it doesn't do anything for the email itself. You also only get snippets for text messages and can't read the whole message. I personally don't mind it because they only serve as a reminder to look at my phone when I'm finished doing whatever it is I'm doing (in the event I'm working out or if I'm in a meeting at work and left my phone at my desk so I don't get distracted and look unprofessional just being on my phone).

Because there was a time I didn't have a tracker when my One broke and before I purchased the Blaze, I had mobile tracking on my phone enabled. I believe that while you still have your phone enabled as a "device" it will continue to track and sync. Once you get your tracker connected, your phone (and this is me guessing) should continue to track unless you remove it as a device. But your tracker will also be tracking and is the main source of your data, so your phone is more or less a backup tracker if you continue to use both as a device simultaneously. I believe most smart phones track your steps and other movements in the background regardless if it's reporting to your FitBit app, so I wouldn't expect an increase in battery life from purchasing a tracker.

I hope I was able to help with some questions! Let me know if you'd like to know anything else.

[wgibbons]

Thanks for all that info. I think more actionable notifications are a must for me, so I've decided to take the plunge and get an Apple Watch. There are pros and cons with any device, and they all involve some compromises, but I think the AW meets my requirements best right now. Your information was great, though, thanks, and helped me make my mind up.