Will the Charge 6 track floors?

[ChrisFrohlich]

Can someone confirm whether or not the Charge 6 will contain an altimeter?  i.e. Will the Charge 6 track Floors?

I've been reading specs but see no mention of it.  That, along with the responses in this forum around the launch of Charge 5 would indicate to me that the answer is "No".

That said, this would be such a (repeated) disappointment that I figured I'd give the brand and product representatives the courtesy of a chance to respond (preferably with some rationale/explanation) before determining my opinion.

Anyone else out there feeling the same?

Moderator Edit: Clarified subject

[trecile]

I found a bunch of new and refurbished Charge 4s on eBay for good prices.  I think I will get one of those when my Charge 3 dies.

[AstroG]

My Charge 4 broke and I just got the new Charge 6.

I am extremely disappointed not to see the floors and I had not realized that it does not have the altimeter: I had that on all the Charge 4, 3 and even 2 and I had given it for granted (I did not have any need to buy a Charge 5, so I did not know it was the same there).

What a stupid idea to remove important features !!!!!

[trecile]

If you want to stay with Fitbit the Versa line has altimeters.

[WillinCA]

I'm also disappointed by the absence of an altimeter and won't purchase a Charge 6 without one. My Charge 4 has one. Why not the Charge 6?

----

Without an altimeter I won't buy one either.

[pollyw]

I agree with all that I have read here. So Google what ya gonna do when we all leave you?

What other trackers out there have an altimeter?

I have the Apple Watch. It does elevation. I can’t say I love it like my old charge 4.  I hate something that requires daily charging and often it spends more time on the charger than it does on my wrist.  
i also miss my Fitbit community.  Motivation toward good health, walking with like minded friends, and participating in contests.  All gone on Fitbit. So I look to Stride-kick for that.  Everyone has moved over there.  Look out Stride-kick.  Gooogle will be trying to acquire you next.  

[Donsrantz]

In the Charge 5 forum, I raised the issue about the Charge 4 stair flight tracking being dropped.  It’s disappointing that Charge 6 has not restored this feature.  I suggested that the Fitbit app could make use of the mobile device’s altimeter to restore the capability.  For now, I see no significant reason to upgrade my Charge 5.

Moderator Edit: Clarified subject

[Flibble13]

Such a shame it won’t track floors. I didn’t upgrade to the charge 5 because of it, and was hoping to upgrade to a 6 when it was added back in.

It’s one of my fav features on the charge 4, so the scales are now tipped towatds

[Brianb91]

I am extremely disappointed that the Charge 6 doesn't track stairs. I can't honestly say I will recommend the product to anyone.

[VGi]

I agree. Extremely disappointing. I just purchased a Charge 6 and didn't realise the altimeter is missing. 

[AssertiveBard]

All updates to the Charge line have been incremental until the Charge 5 when Fitbit literally revolutionized the Charge line when they added AMOLED, more sports modes, etc... The Charge 6 has added HR broadcasting, 40+ sport modes, YouTube Music integration Google Maps, and Google Wallet. Looking at other wearable brands (Garmin, Polar, Suunto, Apple, etc..) Fitbit has continued to push the Charge line in an innovative manner. To Claim Fitbit is less reputable than other brands is unfounded, at best.

Sure, the Versa and Sense line faltered with the previous models, so I can see someone being upset there, but to choose to leave Fitbit due to the lack of an altimeter on a device which can be bought for only $100 USD is silly. What other company even offers an altimeter-equipped wearable for less than $200? 

[Bebopkorsakoff]

Although it's true that altimeter is nowadays quite difficult to find in devices under 200, you can finde plenty with GPS integrated that estimates altitude based on the map. 

Which Charge 6 doesn't do and probably can't as its integrated GPS is one of the most inaccurate and useless that can be found.

P.s.

Plenty of tacker have music integration, perhaps virtually all of them. They are usually not tied to a single platform, where you need another subscription nonetheless 

[ChrisFrohlich]

To remove a feature that has been a core of the product line without talking to your customers seems risky at best.  To do it without providing an alternative that provides the same performance trade offs between feature richness and size reflects poor judgment around Product Management.  At least imho.

For you @AssertiveBard to effectively tell everyone in this thread "oh come on get over it" is one thing.  For Google to do it, or worse to just say nothing and hope folks don't notice is quite another.  Feels like Google telling customers they don't know what they really want.  I don't know, I mean maybe there's some advanced Product Management or Marketing philosophy at work here I'm not yet read up on???  I doubt it.  As it stands count me confused, disappointed, and with my trust in Google's brand damaged.  I like Google but this makes it look like a company that buys and ruins products

Why get settled on a platform, baseline all your data on it if you can't trust the company not to pull the rug out on you and ruin the experience for you?  If you have a product and feature people LOVE that mistake starts to feel like a betrayal given the customer's emotional (motivational) and time investment.  To see it happen twice in a row demonstrates intent, not an oversight.  Why bother with a company or brand that behaves that way?  I don't have a good answer, but I'm hoping Google is asking themselves that question. 

If you think I'm wrong, look at the threads in this forum by number of replies and views.  If it didn't matter why is this thread SO trafficked?

I opened this thread with the hope that maybe someone from Google would see it and you know...respond?  Like they cared about how all the folks in this thread felt?  If that's happened, really sorry I missed it, but the only response I see is silence and no indication we've been heard. Maybe social media is a better place to air these concerns and get attention?  Some viral comic video about the fall of FitBit?  I'd watch that video right now, it would resonate.

You're certainly entitled to your opinion. In my opinion everyone in this thread is NOT wrong to think this is a big problem with the Charge line in particular, and Fitbit/Google more generally.

"HEY GOOGLE" can you please show us you care? 

[ChrisFrohlich]

"Altimeters have never been available on fitness devices for less than $250"

This seems absolutely incorrect.

@AssertiveBard did you mean to say "...except in FitBit products (like the FitBit one) for over 10 years"

Seems like they had the unit economics figured out and just got greedy?  Seems a coincidence that this greed arrived the same time as the Google buyout?

[trecile]

All versions of the Fitbit Charge series had altimeters until the Charge 5 and 6.  They were all definitely under $250

[GuyBell]

I won’t be upgrading either. V poor of Fitbit despite all the feedback asking for it. So I will be looking for an alternative brand from now on. Pity. 

[michdourado]

Does anyone know if I can still buy a charge4? I miss the altimeter 

[BethJ6]

So someone decided that eliminating an earlier feature and creating a less useful user interface were good ideas?  My Charge 4 was dying so I grabbed a 6 during the Black Friday sale— good price plus “free expedited (2-day) shipping.”  Six days later, I received my altimeter-less 6.  Not. Well. Done.— not to mention the forced move to my Google account, which already contains more of my life than seems necessary.  I wish I’d looked at other options.

[VGi]

Developers at Google (and elsewhere) should take heed of what behavioural economics, psychology and cognitive sciences have known for sometime now; that is, the concept of loss aversion. Loss aversion is a cognitive bias that describes why the pain of losing (in this case the altimeter) is psychologically much more significant than the pleasure of gaining (in this case extra features). Loss aversion is an important concept associated with prospect theory developed by Daniel Kahneman (Noble Prize winner in economic sciences in 2002) and Amos Tversky. More serious thought and consideration of customer feedback is critical before removing well loved features.

[Gryllotalpa]

It should be mentioned, though, that the Charge 4 altimeter was inherently unreliable out of principle, as it was relying on atmospheric pressure changes. Thus, it gave an accurate estimate only under constant atmospheric pressure and was extremely sensitive to presure changes due to weather. Before a storm, you easily picked up quite a few floors while sitting totally still.

[klzr23]

I think we all know that these wearable gadgets are not totally accurate but they are relative… if numbers go up or down drastically you know something is going on with or around you… with the altimeter you could always strive to do better… I miss that!
Sent from my iPhone