Are Users Losing Standard Features Now?

[ConcernedDude]

We are a large group of Charge 2 fitbit users and have been happy customers. We are reading reviews by new Charge 5 customers and getting the impression that standard FitBit app features that were free and didn't require Premium are going away, or have gone away. For example, you can currently see how many hours you sleep in REM, deep, etc. It's supposedly becoming a Premium only feature?  Are users of new Charge devices seeing standard features go away? If so, our whole group is just going to switch to Apple. We don't want and can't afford a monthly fee for just a few non-important Premium features, and don't feel it's fair to take away basic functionality. We might as well get a better overall product from Apple instead. If we have to spend a bunch of extra money, it might as well be on a product that syncs better with our iPhones. Can someone confirm the loss of features?

[samkajo]

Not sure about details of features exactly however the trend does seem to be an overall push towards less "free out of the box" features and steering towards the ever greedy big tech companies pushing you to take out subscriptions. Not to mention taking away long standing basic taken as a given features like floors/altitude functions ( Charge 5 best ever... but no we are going to take that feature away) I certainly won't be buying another Fitbit when my charge 5 dies which likely won't be long as again these gadgets not only don't work properly but are not built for an extended life because again they want you to buy the latest device. I had the charge 2 for years and was really happy with it in the most part but upgraded to charge 3 then charge 5 and its been downhill all the way. I have an Apple Watch which is much more accurate in my opinion but that too has its downsides hence having it and a S***bit. 

Apple Watch more accurate but need other apps to link everything and poor battery life, S***bit mostly all linked in but grossly inaccurate and has so many issues that I don't trust it remotely.

Best to go back to basics and eat a healthy diet and exercise regularly... if your jeans feel tight cut back on eating and exercise more. Don't smoke, and stick to a bit of booze now and then. Health is a balance between correctly fuelling your body and burning that fuel so that everything ticks over nicely and runs smoothly.

Simples

[JohnnyRow]

I don't think any features that were free but have been changed to require Premium.  As previous poster noted, Charge five does not track stairs climbed, but that has nothing to do with Premium.  It is not available to any users as the required altimeter is not in device.  I think there are at least one new sleep feature, Restoration, that is only in Premium, but it is a new feature, not anything taken away from previous.  Sleep stages are still available in non-Premium.

[JSequino]

I was looking to upgrade from my Charge 2 to the Charge 5 but with basic features; like stairs & sleep missing why should I spend the money. I am not interested in a big fat smart watch, I want something slim and maybe even smaller.  I am really disappointed with this trend, and not sure which watch to turn to since the face is cracked on my current fitbit.

[fionac]

You do get sleep; you just don't get the quantity of data that you get with Premium.  You still get sleep stages, length of time in each stage, time awake  but you don't get the level of detail that you do with Premium.

[Kontinental]

just carious: could you see a sleep graph on Charge 2 without Premium - with a colored line of going through sleep-stages in time?

Was that a non-premium feature on Charge 2?

[Wibby]

Hello @ConcernedDude 

I have the Charge 5 and I get sleep information even though I don’t have Premium.

Here are some screenshots of the information I get:

 

 

 

 I have never tried Premium to see what the extra things you get with it are like though.

[Kontinental]

**ahem**... you're good sleeper! 🙂 Nice to see that all I really need for sleep tracking is already in non-Premium. Let's hope it stays that way!

[ConcernedDude]

Yes I can see a chart thru the night of when awake, rem, light, deep sleep. 
 And total hours in each of those categories. Along with a sleep score

[Siddhesh-Sinha]

I just saw and realised that many apps were removed from the charge 5 like Spotify realx and many other I wanted to know why as I don't think anyone owning a fitbit charge 5 wouldn't like some extra features especially since it is the highest end tracker from fitbit