Ionic Corrosion?

[spikedhope]

I'm on my 3rd Fitbit, I'm currently using an Ionic.

There are 2 issues.

1. Everyday it loses Bluetooth connection with my iPhone, so I have to hard reset it.

2. The back of the Ionic is so corroded!! I mean, holes!! Not completely through...but the surface has been eaten away... I guess its sweat that is the cause,....but, this shouldn't happen,...should it? Its a sports / fitness tracker.

Does anyone else have this issue? (or both issues?)

[Navroz]

Hi bbqray,

Once you settle in with your Garmin Vivoactive 4, it would be nice to hear of the comparative experience. I was otherwise looking only at Apple as an alternative.

[schmiddyks]

Hi Navros,



the replacement I am due to receive will be indeed my 3rd ionic (2nd replacement). This will be my 5th Fitbit device, altogether with the other trackers in the family totaling 9 since 2015 of which aside mine 2 others are working.  As you wrote, I too also feel that the evidence is very much pointing towards a material weakness and not miss use, a bit daft really for a top model ionic, as the Blaze for example appears to have an aluminum back casing. In hindsight of my relationship to Fitbits one would think I have more money than sense!



Fitbit have asked me to send back the corroded ionic both times but I suspect this is only owing to an agreement with the licensed company that handles things here in Germany (NL) for Fitbit.



The whole point of having a tracker being rendered pointless as at present I am not using the Ionic for any outdoor activities other than day to day in fear of busting the thing completely, and I am half expecting the replacement device to go the same way as the previous ones.



Unless Fitbit until then release a more durable tracker solution with built in GPS  I’ll probably switch to a more rugged device such as a Garmin.

[Navroz]

Hi schmiddyks,

Wow, you have been a loyal customer to Fitbit......9 devices.......we all go by the name and the market standing i.e. Fitbit vs Apple and it's very disappointing to experience such product material issues.

I hope the Fitbit team is reading these conversations!!

My original Ionic as well as replacement device on the underside reads as www.FPATCO and M/N FB503 (besides Made in China). So I presume I have had the replacement from the same factory / supplier. What about your devices?

So maybe my replacement of the replacement ionic, being from the same supplier, may also soon corrode??

[schmiddyks]

Hi Navros,

My replacement ionic arrived today with the exact same rear case markings as yours and as my previous. I compared finishes, per photo, on the old to the replacement and notice that the finish on the corroded ionic to be lighter in colour and less gun metal like and a little heavier, maybe this is only because the replacement has not yet been worn.

Unfortunately the other older devices I had are all no more, aside the same corrosion on the surge(s) I have no further useful info. The 18 month old charge HR 2 with replacement band from my wife is also showing signs of wear and the screen has cracked. As with the replacement ionic these are the last Fitbits I'll own and I'll be looking around for more rugged devices in about 12 months I recon!

For years I wore casio g-shocks alongside jawbones both surviving my hikes and MTB rides . Casio seem now to be finally catching up and I did look at the Garmin devices as they too sport GPS. 

The top Fitbit ionic device is in a nut shell not made withstand acidic sweat, for day to day life or sport and the materials are indeed of questionable quality. 

Hope you get on better with your Garmin, updates would be much appreciated

[bbqray]

I've had the Vivoactive 4 for a few weeks now, so here goes.

Apple watches were not a viable choice for me as they require charging every night. I use the sleep monitoring and the morning alarm function every day. Ionic and Vivoactive are top contenders here.

Garmin is more expensive; it looks and feels like a more expensive watch. The case is a fiber-reinforced polymer, so it won't rust (my reason for switching).

I was hesitant between the Vivoactive 4 and the Venu - same watch but with different screens. Venu screen is like the Ionic - nice and bright (OLED I think). Battery life is better with the Vivoactive 4 (around 6 days) - I set it so that the back lit screen is only activated by pressing the button - so unless I press the button, I won't see the screen at night. If someone really likes the Ionic screen, they should get   

Garmin is not as user friendly and the setup is not so obvious. Since, I use the alarms a lot, I was able to set up a shortcut to add and modify alarms easily. Also had to disactivate all-time GPS or battery life is really short. 

I like the blood oxygen level sensor, and only set it up to run at night to maximize battery life.

There is much more customization on the Garmin, this can be both good and bad. If I had a regular exercise routine, I would probably like this a lot. I do some jogging and regular tennis, so I don't use more that the regular calories burned and activity minutes.

If I had to buy the Vivoactive 4 again, I would.

[Navroz]

Hi schmiddyks,

This is becoming more peculiar. If it is the same factory and same product for you and me, I wonder if that applies to most (or many) other users Worldwide. If so, I don't hear everybody screaming loud about such corrosion. Let's see over the next 6 - 8 months how our re - replacement devices fare.

I agree and its a pity that a product with some good features is having a very basic issue of material quality!

No, I don't have a Garmin. I had only done Apple vs Fibiit research before procuring Fitbit.

[Navroz]

Hi bbqray,

Thanks for the detailed inputs on Vivoactive 4. I'll go through the online videos. Am keen to understand how blood oxygen level sensor works!

In meanwhile let's see how my second replacement Ionic fares over next 6 - 8 months. If this one also corrodes, I may not feel like reporting it to Fitbit anymore.

Then over to Garmin, by force, that is!

[Navroz]

Dear all,

Just to report, so sadly though, that my third Ionic (second replacement) has also corroded in about six months of use. And this is inspite of extra care in cleaning the device daily and keeping it dry. 

It is quite obvious that Ionic has this corrosion problem but even after two+ years of user complaints, Fitbit still ships the same quality product and hopes that it works fine for 365 days after which Fitbit washes it's hands off the product & user!

The email message from Fitbit was that " they cannot pinpoint the factors that lead such corrosion .........and their engineers are hard at work to ensure durable products........ They wish my product had worked longer".

I read the message as, "this is the best we can do......if you are not happy, go buy competition products"

Amen

[jagannath]

Hello everyone,

  I have had same experience as Navroz. The replacement Fitbit ionic also corroded within 4 months. I think it has to do with the body sweat composition and the material used. I think the versa(my wife uses one) might be better off since mostly the plastic casing is in touch with the skin. The app has improved by leaps and bounds, but the hardware still has a long way to go to qualify as a robust, reliable sports smart watch.