I bought a Charge 5 in 2022. First, FitBit sent me a unit with a broken pebble. I sent it back and they shipped me a replacement. The replacement broke less than a year and a half later, just outside the warranty window (1 year). The screen went dark and will not turn on. I can still feel the device vibrating when I put it on the charger. It would seem that these devices are built to just outlast the 1 year mark. Customer service had me jump through the usual hoops to troubleshoot, told me to charge the device for 30 minutes, then contact them again. I did, confirmed that I jumped through the hoops earlier, and the agent sent me a 35% off coupon to purchase my next FitBit device.
I will never purchase another FitBit device as long as I live, and will recommend to everyone I know to avoid these devices. The fact that a $130 (without tax) watch only lasts a year and a half is absurd. The fact that the warranty window is so short is absurd and clearly calculated. The fact that they are offering a coupon to buy a new device when yours breaks confirms this for me. They want you to keep buying the next device when yours breaks. The fact that they do not show reviews on their website is very telling. The fact that my Inspire 2 still works, but my Charge 5 doesn't, shows the decline in quality of FitBit devices.
There are a lot of people online saying that their device is not broken, but a recent firmware update has caused severe battery drain on their Charge 5 device. FitBit (Google) is trying to force everyone to upgrade and buy a new device, one way or another.
Their recent mobile app updates are awful. They removed a beloved feature (challenges). Their devices are becoming more and more expensive. Google will drive FitBit into the ground. It's a shame to see a once great company ruined. Buy a Garmin, an Apple Watch, a heart rate monitor, or ditch fitness trackers altogether. Just don't go with FitBit.
