"Connected" GPS and Not Waterproof

[JenL11]

Wow, the Blaze was so exciting for me, until I learned I'd have to carry my phone with me during runs (bad for my phone and too heavy/bulky) and that it's not waterproof (we do sweat when we workout).

The Surge is an option for me but it's very bulky for a petite woman to wear daily to work, etc. The Blaze has much more appealing looks for everyday.

Fitbit, please consider making a Blaze-like watch that has built in GPS so I don't have to carry a phone and please consider making your products waterproof.

Thank you!

Moderator edit: format and edited title for clarity

[JoanneinCA]

The GPS isn't built into the Blaze, right? It handles GPS the same way my Flex does, through my smartphone.

[matt9013]

It does not have built in GPS. It uses's connected GPS. Which means your phone does the work but you're blaze can display the information for you. So when you are running you only need to look at the blaze, no need to take the phone out.

[JoanneinCA]

But I have to carry my phone while out running.

[Rich_Laue]

Yes @JoanneinCA while you carry your phone for running,  the Fitbit App handles the GPS, and gets your step count from your Flex. The Flex has nothing to do with the GPS.

For the Blaze the GPS data is captured by the phone, this data then is sent to and recorded by the Blaze and not the app.

After your run is recorded, things probably will look the same in the app and website. Dring the run with the Flex it is the phone that displays the real time stats, where with the Blaze the stats will be displayed on the wrist.

[JoanneinCA]

Rich Laue, this works exactly like the GPS does with my Flex then, except that I have to look at the phone to see my route, where I am, number of steps, calories, etc.

It sounds like you've tested the Blaze. Can you see the GPS info on the watch in real time?

[MikeF]

No-one but Fitbit staff have tested the Blaze (that I am aware of!) but my understanding is that this is the big difference over the Flex etc:

The Blaze stores the GPS track internally and displays the data in real time on the phone (pace etc). With the Flex, the app stores the GPS track in your phone and displays the data on the phone.

Connected GPS is not identical to MobileTrack (presumably why it has a different name).

[JoanneinCA]

"The Blaze stores the GPS track internally and displays the data in real time on the phone (pace etc). With the Flex, the app stores the GPS track in your phone and displays the data on the phone.

Connected GPS is not identical to MobileTrack (presumably why it has a different name)."

Yes, they both display the data in realtime on the phone. My question to Rick was whether the Blaze showed the info in realtime on the phone.

I believe Rich Laue has tested the phone because he has better iinsight than the other posters here. (With the exception of the moderators.)

[EmersonFitbit]

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@JoanneinCA wrote:
Rich Laue, this works exactly like the GPS does with my Flex then, except that I have to look at the phone to see my route, where I am, number of steps, calories, etc.

It sounds like you've tested the Blaze. Can you see the GPS info on the watch in real time?

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The GPS will apear after the fact on the app and web Dashboard, but you won't be able to view the map on the display of the device; you'll get statistics like steps, time, HR, etc., but GPS remains a stat better displayed on the phone itself.

[MikeF]

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@JoanneinCA wrote:
Yes, they both display the data in realtime on the phone. My question to Rick was whether the Blaze showed the info in realtime on the phone.

I believe Rich Laue has tested the phone because he has better iinsight than the other posters here. (With the exception of the moderators.)

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No, there's nothing to suggest that anything is displayed in realtime on the phone when the Blaze is in use. I guess you could run MobileRun and Connected GPS at the same time though but I wonder how the dashboard would react!?

I'm sure he would love to have done so, wouldn't you @Rich_Laue!

[Racerx67]

I think for me not having GPS could be a killer for me...I dont run but I do hike which would be OK with the connected GPS but my main thing is cycling on my mountain bike... Off road, hills, rocks, drop off's, rock gardens, jumps and high speed fire roads are all possible bulky smart phone killers. So I do not carry my phone when I am going off road. The cycling option on the watch needs to use GPS to get distance etc. So yes people may take a phone on a road ride but off road?? No... Mountain biking is a huge market which the Blaze would be missing out on... The surge has a weak strap in the way it is bonded and not a long term device as mine has only lasted 2 months... So a Blaze GPS would be the ideal solution to those who want to track a run on say a cross country run or orienteering and for cyclocross racers and mountain bikers all of which would prefer to not carry a bulky phone. Mud, rocks and falling over are not good bedmates for smart phones. 

https://www.fitbit.com/activities/exercise/1500415290

[ErickFitbit]

@Racerx67 When you're out riding on the mountain, do you carry a backpack with you? If you do, carrying your phone in a bag would be an option. If not, I think your best bet is to get your Surge up and running again (not sure what issue you've experienced with it).

[Racerx67]

@ErickFitbit

I carry a camelbak Rogue which only just carries enough to drink, two inner tubes and the most basic of tools. A bulky pack would probably do more damage to me in a crash, so I keep it to the low profile pack. When we go hiking I carry a larger one and that is OK. But anything that can grab and whip your head back if you crash can be serious. One of the rides I do regularly have sections called top cliff and bottom cliff. These are fast sections and you do not have much room for error on one side. It may not be a vertical rock face but several have had to be air lifted off those sections with suspected broken bones and severe neck or back injuries. It is not worth the risk adding anything that can cause more damage to you on rides like this. 

Here are a couple of photos of the more sedate rides which I have taken my phone on. 

These were not so tough rides as my wife is new to mountain bikes so you get the idea.. It is not a good idea to take a bulky phone and I usually take a basic handset that is cost less than £10.00 ($12.00) and takes up no space and lets me use my SIM card and is just for emergency calls. We usually ride in a group too as it would be too risky to ride alone on those rides if something did go wrong.  

[Racerx67]

@ErickFitbit I almost forgot... Fitbit have refused to replace it with a new one and only offered a refund, saying I could use the refund to buy another one.. But they would not replace it as they could not guarentee the watch would not have issues with the strap failing in the future... It is an admission there is a problem and there is no short or possible long term fix for the device as it is... It has to be redesigned so I would hope for a Blaze GPS to be the next step...

[ErickFitbit]

@Racerx67 Wow! That's some amazing scenery that you get to ride through! Sure, if there is no room to carry a smartphone or you're concerned about safety, I can see your point. In that case, for now the Surge seems like the most viable option.

I reached out to our Support Team, someone will be following up with you by end of day with some further clarification as to why you've been offered a refund instead of replacement. Look out for their response.

[Racerx67]

@ErickFitbit

To be honest I am not worried about getting a refund as it would buy a new watch and I would then have a full warantee again. It is more about having to replace it several times waiting for each new one to fail. Living in hope for a Blaze with GPS only to have to spend to buy a second device if it ever appears. As a guess the Current price of the Surge is £199.99 then IF a Blaze GPS ever appears it would be at least £250 to £270 (based on the Blaze with a leather strap costing £219.98 making the total price £419.97. Currently the Garmin Forerunner 225 is £199.00 or the 235 is £220.10 from Rose Bikes in the UK. Both of those devices carry both GPS and optical HRM. It just lacks the continual HRM 24/7 and does not log sleep I dont thnk... I just wanted to keep with fitbit as I like the app and it does all I need with no compomises I can see at the moment. It is just the poor quality of the strap and mild rash issues. If there was a Blaze GPS it would be the perfect device and I would gladly pay approximately £250.00 for it with a leather strap...

Those rides I posted were not especially hard to ride.

Here is a video of the local route and the lower cliff section. Not my video but this is a typical ride down.

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e0EWPJbktBQ

[김현서]

I agree about built-in GPS (waterproof...hmm... I don't know)