Why do the apps not use altitude obtained from the GPS?

[KenCinColorado]

The mobile and web apps that display data do not plot altitude or elevation gain loss statistics associated with recorded activities. I understand that the Charge 5 does not have an altimeter, but it does have a GPS receiver that records altitude along with latitude/longitude. I know this to be true because I have exported activity data files and seen altitude in them. I'm curious why this data is not being used by the apps. Is it because the data is too noisy? If so, I'd argue that using the noisy data is better than not doing anything. Myself (and many others I'm sure) really care about their altitude gain (floors), especially in mountainous places like Colorado where there is a lot of it during workouts. 

I'd also like to see an app that simply displays GPS-related data in real-time on the watch face:

- Latitude/Longitude

- Altitude

- Speed

- Heading

- GPS Accuracy (position/altitude)

Seem like these should be relatively easy requests for your software team to handle. I'm generally happy with the watch, but this is a real shortcoming.

[LZeeW]

Hello @KenCinColorado welcome to the Community.   Even if the Charge 5 had the altimeter, you wouldn't get the information you seek.  It is a relative altimeter.  It looks for an increase in elevation that is 10 ft continuous to track a floor.  We are encouraged to take the stairs, not ride an elevator.  Floor counting gives you the feedback that says, "See, I take the stairs."  That's it.

Fitbit divides its products into trackers and smartwatches.  As a tracker, I'm confident that it couldn't support an app asking for the information on your list.  I don't think that the Fitbit OS in the smartwatches could provide this information.

[KenCinColorado]

Laurie,

Respectfully, I'm going to have to completely disagree that the apps can't display the data I'm talking about. The plots below were created using data I exported from the web app into a .tcx (FitBit activity file). Clearly a time history of altitude over the course of the activity is available, and it's actually of pretty good quality. It should be no problem at all for both the mobile app and the web app to plot this data right alongside pace and heartrate.

Integrating the altitude to get total ascent/descent and thus # of floors (divide total ascent by 10ft) should be similarly simple.

-Ken

[Rich_Laue]

Through the web on my phone, I use to be able to see a graph of the altitude change. Can't see it now. 

Floors are based on air pressure, gps doesn't work indoors. Plus the 10 feet has to be done within an, unknown, time period. 

[LZeeW]

@KenCinColorado   I reread your initial post.  I don't know why Fitbit doesn't use the GPS altitude data in the exercise details, despite having it.  Fitbit doesn't answer direct questions like this in this forum.  There is a Feature Suggestion asking for this.  Please vote for and and leave a comment. 

Like I wrote, I believe that a real time app that shows items on your list is beyond that capability of the Charge 5.  I was wrong about the capability of the Versa3/Sense.  There is a third party app in the Gallery.  There is a significant limitation with this app.  The Exercise app on the smartwatches must run in the foreground.  I don't see how a user can use this app and the Exercise app at the same time.

[DannyFB]

Plot heart rate and altitude together on same graph, to observe the correlation. Then tell me if it makes sense. I've done that myself several times now. It doesn't correlate as one would expect ( and in fact know).

[KenCinColorado]

Responding to Danny's post, I have definitely found that my recorded heartrate during activities is not consistent with my level of exertion. I consider that another problem with the FitBit (wrist monitoring as opposed to a chest strap), but am willing to live with it (sometime I feel like the sensor is recording my foot strikes as heart beats). I'm not terribly concerned with the heartrate values being off, but I do care about making sure my hiking and biking activities record my altitude changes.

[Rebbecca]

This is a frustrating issue because my charge 3 tracked stairs/flights. It’s odd the newer version of the Charge is lacking this feature, it also no longer displays weather. I only “upgraded” because the screen on my charge 3 went black. I have no interest in a smart phone, preferring the tracker but I’m disappointed in the Fitbit engineering, I’m considering returning this “updated” version since in face it isn’t updated at all.