Concerned about Ionic ship date

[J37634]

Ok Fitbit really messed up with the timing of the Ionic release. How could they allow the Apple Watch 3 to ship BEFORE the Ionic? Fitbit wants as much market share as possible, and they have now given anyone deciding between the two devices a major reason to go to Apple! Terrible decision. I ordered the Ionic on 9/1. Told me 2-3 weeks till shipment. It's been over two weeks and I could go buy a new Apple Watch today. 

Moderator Edit: Clarified subject

[USAF-Larry]

Maybe so, @J37634, but I don't make my decisions on technology or capabilities based on who shipped first.

[J37634]

That's fine, but many will. Especially when the devices are so similar and the Apple Watch 3 will be so popular. Remember if Fitbit pushed out the Ionic first, many would have purchased it before even considering Apple. 

[SunsetRunner]

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@J37634 wrote:

That's fine, but many will. Especially when the devices are so similar and the Apple Watch 3 will be so popular. Remember if Fitbit pushed out the Ionic first, many would have purchased it before even considering Apple. 

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I very much doubt it. If they were even considering AW3 they'd wait for the reveal. You don't dump £300+ on a whim or who came first.

[rcork]

Completely disagree. I'd rather Fitbit ship a complete product then rush it out the door with bugs or missing features just to beat AW3. That would actually lead to more people defecting from Fitbit to Apple because of a crappy product. If someone is going to base their decision on "who ships first", then that is a customer that won't have loyalty to any brand or product and definitely won't be a candidate for Fitbit's other paid services which is what they really need to get in order to be a sustainable business.

[J37634]

That's great that you completely disagree, but you're completely missing my point. I'm not suggesting Fitbit "rush" out a product that isn't yet complete. I too don't want a buggy product. I'm suggesting that they knew the Apple event was on September 12 for many months now, and should have strategically prepared to beat Apple to the punch. Make certain you get your product out before your competition. Any anyone who thinks that people might not decide on two very similar products based on which product they can get in their hands first, doesn't know much about business. Sure, there are folks that would only buy Fitbit, and those who would only buy Apple. But many folks aren't brand specific and the tipping point might just be release date. Disagree or not, those are facts and they would apply to fitness watches, game systems or snow cones. 

[WavyDavey]

It's kind of a big purchase compared to a snow cone. Not like picking up a candy bar while waiting in line at the grocery store. There's a depth to the features in a smartwatch that resists making it as an impulse buy.

Products have squishy release dates all the time. You may be overestimating the impact of the timing of these two products. We love a good competition, and I'd guess many people are waiting for the head-to-head reviews before purchasing. Or maybe they just buy along brand loyalty, in which case the release dates are pretty irrelevant.

I rarely hear someone say, "I want to buy a Fitbit!" or "I want an Apple Watch!". I hear people say all the time, "I want a smartwatch, which one should I get?"

[tnarro]

I agree with you that Fitbit should have done everything it could to ship first. But this is not a decision to choose a one. Apple Battery life 18 Hours; Fitbit 4+ days. Not even close. I Love apple products, but I will not buy a fitness tracker that doesn't last at least one full day.

CNet on Apple Watch3 Battery Life

[tvanfleet]

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J37634 wrote "I ordered the Ionic on 9/1. Told me 2-3 weeks till shipment. It's been over two weeks and I could go buy a new Apple Watch today." 

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Apple watch 3 is still preorder and doesnt start to ship until the Sept 22

[racertempo]

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@WavyDavey wrote:

I rarely hear someone say, "I want to buy a Fitbit!" or "I want an Apple Watch!". I hear people say all the time, "I want a smartwatch, which one should I get?"

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I have never in my life heard someone say "I want to buy a smartwatch". My boss has said, "I want the Samsung Gear watch", my wife has said, "I want an apple or a fitbit, but would like to try on both" my father has said, "I see lots of people on the tennis courts with a fitbit, can I try yours, I might want one".

Never ever heard, "I want a smart watch".  

[SpinSpinSugar69]

I want them both for different use cases but can only pull the trigger on one right now. I"m waiting till they both get out in the wild and I see some reviews. I have a Blaze and I love it so the Ionic seems similar but upgraded. I do get your point on the timing but I think people will make the choice based more on what they need at the time. 

[J37634]

Probably not. But I myself have heard people say, "I've narrowed it down two AW3 or Ionic." They both have pluses and minuses. An early availability date could be the tipping point. 

Then again, maybe I think if Fitbit says 2-3 weeks, they mean it. I ordered 3 weeks ago and now they are expecting October. If that was the case, they should have been upfront about it. 

[WavyDavey]

How are they narrowing down the decision when neither product has been released yet? How do they determine pluses and minuses?

[CopperWolf808]

Erased my post, sorry can't delete it fully.

[Breezygirl8]

The Apple website says they will be delivered Sept 22 (if you pre-ordered early enough to get them on the first day it’s released).

The Nike Sport Apple watch 3 delivery date is Oct 5th as well as when it’s released. Many of the series 3 watches are looking at several week delivery times now especially the LTE models. They will be hard to get. Some of the more basic models are still available to order and can be received on release dates. 

[J37634]

Uh, we know the complete specs of both watches. What do you mean you don't know the pluses and minuses?  I'm not sure what you are arguing for. Fitbit should have had this ready before Apple, or at least at the same time. If you don't think in this very "I want it now" culture someone might not pick the AW3, you're kidding yourself. Do you work for Fitbit or something?

[bcalvanese]

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@J37634 wrote:

Ok Fitbit really messed up with the timing of the Ionic release. How could they allow the Apple Watch 3 to ship BEFORE the Ionic? Fitbit wants as much market share as possible, and they have now given anyone deciding between the two devices a major reason to go to Apple! Terrible decision. I ordered the Ionic on 9/1. Told me 2-3 weeks till shipment. It's been over two weeks and I could go buy a new Apple Watch today. 

Moderator Edit: Clarified subject

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Let me remind you that when the series 2 was released, it was no where to be found for months. Not even at the apple store.

At least when fitbit releases something, you can actually get it.

[WavyDavey]

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@J37634 wrote:

Uh, we know the complete specs of both watches. What do you mean you don't know the pluses and minuses?  I'm not sure what you are arguing for. Fitbit should have had this ready before Apple, or at least at the same time. If you don't think in this very "I want it now" culture someone might not pick the AW3, you're kidding yourself. Do you work for Fitbit or something?

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We know the basic specs. But as this forum will testify-- there are tons of unanswered practical questions. What's battery life really like? How accurate is the GPS? How many Ionic apps will really be available in the store? We have the pluses and minuses as defined by the manufacturers. Much different than how it might play out.

I agree many people will buy just because it's coming out. But I think the bulk of the sales will be after the reviews and word-of-mouth come out. And if there are problems, of course people will say "Why didn't they move the release date back until the product was solid?"

As to where I work, how is that your business? But I understood your meaning--that somehow I lack the mental skill to think and decide for myself.

[datalore]

Fitbit planned to release the ionic in the spring, but production issues made that a no go. We've become accustomed to seeing waterproof watches, but we really underestimate the manufacturing challenge of creating waterproof electronics. Fitbit is a new company and doesn't have the decades of manufacturing knowledge and know how of apple and garmin and others. Fitbits wish was to get out in front of Apple but the extensive testing and the new manufacturing process on nanomolding caused delays. This is the first watch that used the nanomolding technology on a form factor that small. Success or failure the ionic is an advancement in electronics manufacturing.

https://www.wareable.com/fitbit/jonah-becker-fitbit-ionic-design-interview-6758

[shipo]

I really don't get all of the fussing and hand wringing over which product came out first.  I commend Fitbit for holding off on the release until they were darn good and ready to ship a well designed, engineered, and manufactured product which will survive the often hostile environment of a runner's wrist.

Edit: I've gotten an estimated delivery date of 04-Oct-2017 from Amazon for my Ionic.