Ionic GPS Inaccuracies

[MP4]

Hi, 

I'm a new Fitbit user, bought an Ionic on Monday and I'm having some issues with the GPS. Went on a couple of runs (at a track) and the gps seemed to be completely out both on the distance travelled and pace per kilometre.

I'm a long time strava user so yesterday I went for a run with both the Fitbit Ionic going and the strava on my iPhone running at the same time. Here are the results:

Strava - 7.9km   @ 4:15/km

Fitbit - 7.2km     @ 4:34/km

The difference of 0.7km is quite big and the difference in pace is also worrying. I waited till both had connected to gps before starting the run and I run in London where gps signal should be good. 

Is my Fitbit Ionic GPS not working correctly? Any help/advice would be appreciated. 

Thanks

Matt

Moderator Edit: Updated Subject for Clarity

[dorst622]

hi all,

as i have read from this forum, i found that the ionic could be less accurate since last update.

my experience on treadmill show incorrect in steps count and heart beat.

steps count, clock less than actual, about 10% less

heartbeat, show irregular extreme high bpm rate during an easy normal run.

i am considering to use to not to use ionic for my next marathon race.

can you share your experience with ionic since last firmware update?

please provide with this inform, 

actual distance run\walk:

# of use GPS(since last update):

GPS distance accuracy: Great\same\poor

pace run accuracy:  

hearth beat accuracy:

steps count accuracy:

general comments about the firmware update.

thanks.

[apek862002]

Ionic GPS inaccuracy (walk):

Ionic: 2,87 km (7911 steps...very tiny steps)

GPS in cell phone: 6,54 km

Great work Fitbit.

[ErickFitbit]

@Gerrywiz The issue that you are experiencing is likely not the result of the update. You can look here to see details about what was changed in the latest update but there is no mention of an update to how GPS is tracked. 

@Tex52 @apek862002  Here are a few suggestions on how to improve your accuracy:

• Make sure both of your devices have successfully acquired a satellite signal prior to starting your activity
• Be aware that some environments that don't have a clear line of sight to the sky might lose signal during the activity
• Confirm that your demographic settings including your height in your Fitbit account are accurate
• Stride length can be set automatically here which could improve distance calculations

Here is some more information about the accuracy of GPS.

@Kierownik The TCX file contains discrete data points that mark places that you had a GPS signal. To calculate distance an algorithm needs to interpolate between those points. It is possible that the other tool you used calculates these routes differently than the Fitbit algorithm. 

[SunsetRunner]

We need a bit more info than that. Please confirm with your engineers that
the Ionic basically uses stride length to calculate speed and distance, and
only uses GPS data to update stride length estimate. If this is indeed the
case, can you ask them why this is the chosen method, please.

[groberge]

We keep getting different moderators in this thread and keep getting the same excuses.  The fact is that EVERY tool reads the tcx file correctly except for the fitbit... which is unacceptable and needs to be fixed. 

[bbarrera]

@ErickFitbit wrote:

• Stride length can be set automatically here which could improve distance calculations

---

@SunsetRunner he did confirm that it uses stride to calculate distance.

[imeson79]

While GPS gives you a more accurate measure of distance than step counting alone, the actual accuracy depends on both your environment and the weather. - Fitbit

So why is it still using Stride calculations? Every other GPS logs via GPS distance, cant you do the same, or is this actually too hard and not able to cater with Fitbit OS?

Shouldn't it be more like, whilst GPS give you more accurate measure of distance, we record the path and use your stride length x step count to give you a random ball park figure of distance!

[Denodan]

Even then won't be accurate as your environment has a big part to play in stride length and how tired we are.

We are not robots who would do perfect strides all the time.

[Dickys3]

Everyone on here is asking the Fitbit to use GPS like the other devices. Why can’t you just listen to what your customers are asking for?

And if the device records the distance correctly (but doesn’t show it correctly), why can’t you just fix it? Or at least give us reasons why not? Or an eta for resolution, SOMETHING!! Perhaps even a setting that allows us to choose to use the tcx file data instead of the random garbage it comes up with?

Im sick of running with a few of my mates who all use Garmins etc and they all report correctly, and I don’t. 

Come on Fitbit. The only reason I bought the ionic was for its GPS. 

[apek862002]

It cannot be. My stride lenght is set not automatic and it's 83 cm (0.83 m). If ionic calculates distance by stride lenght than 7911 * 0,83 not equals 2870 m.

[Denodan]

Does not work in practice as your stride will very.

[Denodan]

Fitbit has never made a watch for the serious fitness person, but more for very light to walking only. If your seriously into fitness then you should never have got a Fitbit watch.

[Dickys3]

I also heavily use the food database for calorie counting / losing and maintaining weight. I haven’t come across other devices that can do that as well as Fitbit.   The running I do plays a part, but it’s not everything. 

[Jonxbii]

---

@Denodanwrote:

Fitbit has never made a watch for the serious fitness person, but more for very light to walking only. If your seriously into fitness then you should never have got a Fitbit watch.

---

You keep saying this mantra to Fitbit users here in the forum: "You shouldn't have bought the Fitbit watch if you are seriously into fitness". As if it is our fault that Ionic works incorrectly and we should have know this before buying? How?!?

If Fitbit promotes features like GPS it should work fine regardless of the user being hardcore bodybuilder or the average joe!

[Kierownik]

---

@ErickFitbitwrote:

@Gerrywiz The issue that you are experiencing is likely not the result of the update. You can look here to see details about what was changed in the latest update but there is no mention of an update to how GPS is tracked. 

@Tex52 @apek862002  Here are a few suggestions on how to improve your accuracy:

• Make sure both of your devices have successfully acquired a satellite signal prior to starting your activity
• Be aware that some environments that don't have a clear line of sight to the sky might lose signal during the activity
• Confirm that your demographic settings including your height in your Fitbit account are accurate
• Stride length can be set automatically here which could improve distance calculations

Here is some more information about the accuracy of GPS.

@Kierownik The TCX file contains discrete data points that mark places that you had a GPS signal. To calculate distance an algorithm needs to interpolate between those points. It is possible that the other tool you used calculates these routes differently than the Fitbit algorithm. 

---

Obviously, because fitbit is using stride to calculate my pace and distance. That's why it's completely wrong.

[Ekkk]

I use MyFitnessPal for this. The food database is way better than Fitbit. I do link my Fitbit to MyFitnessPal for calorie counting, but you can also link your Garmin etc to do the same thing.

Sent from my iPhone

[Tex52]

@ErickFitbit

Yeah I'm done with Fitbit and your suggestions of how to improve the accuracy of the GPS. You and your engineers know full well that whatever you are doing with the GPS/stride mix doesn't work. As a result of Fitbits refusal to fix the problem instead of making useless suggestions on how to improve accuracy I took mine back and got a full refund. 

[bmw54]

---

@Tex52wrote:

@ErickFitbit

Yeah I'm done with Fitbit and your suggestions of how to improve the accuracy of the GPS. You and your engineers know full well that whatever you are doing with the GPS/stride mix doesn't work. As a result of Fitbits refusal to fix the problem instead of making useless suggestions on how to improve accuracy I took mine back and got a full refund. 

---

I agree and propose that we all reflect these findings in Amazon reviews. Mine's drafted and ready to be loaded. It might be a useful counterweight to Fitbit advertising: 

[bbarrera]

It’s sadly comical to see Fitbit employee reply in marketing speak. Want to improve accuracy? 4 things, and I’m paraphrasing:

- get gps lock

- keep in mind that gps can lose lock during run (ignore that perfect map)

- make sure height is correct in Fitbit profile

- turn auto stride on

see how every explanation starts with casting doubt on Fitbit’s industry leading gps?

[Tex52]

@bmw54

I did leave some nice reviews on different retailers. When I took mine back to Sams they wanted to know what was wrong with it. WhenI told them the GPS didn’t work they asked if I wanted to exchange it and I told them none of them work. Not sure they believed me. I think there aren’t more complaints because a lot of people that use them don’t know their pace or the distance they are going so they just assume it is correct. I’m not a competitive runner but I bought the Ionic because I wanted to listen to music and map my runs without lugging my phone, and maybe a little bit of smart watch stuff. For my replacement I got a cellular Apple Watch 3. I went on a run this morning and the GPS on it was 100% correct. Without swinging my arms like a robot or avoiding trees or any of the expert advice Fitbit said we needed to do to make the Ionic work. As far as the smart watch functions,it’s not even a comparison. The Ionic does 4 or 5. The Apple does hundreds or more. Goodbye Fitbit, I don’t think I’ll be missing you!