SPO2 sensor on Ionic

[JAH67]

Part of the sales pitch for the Ionic watch was that it has multiple additional features that would come online after launch, including the ability to check blood oxygen levels. I've yet to find anything to do with it anywhere. Has anyone got any information when this stuff is going live or was it just marketing? 

Moderator edit: updated subject for clarity and word choice.

[MattJ71]

I believe it is collecting data, however Fitbit will need lots of this data to determine a meaningful score.  This might take some time to fine tune their algorithm before they release it through the app.

I'm sure the process will be complex.  The heart rate data will have to be correlated with the SPO2 data, height, weight, gender, BMI, etc.  There is not point in releasing a "score" if it doesn't mean anything accurate.  The last thing Fitbit wants is people to panic because they think they have a problem they don't actually have.  Or worse, thing they're OK when they are not.

[Hmm_m]

I read the previous threads, I also saw this post from Fitbit which indicates the devices have this feature and implies it's already functional but is it really?

[WavyDavey]

Hi @Hmm_m,

I didn't see where it said it's already functional. It did say "allows for the potential".

As I understand it, this feature will come from Fitbit Labs, in the Sleep Score beta, and should come out for the Charge 3, Ionic and Versa watches.I'm asking Santa Claus to make it happen by the end of the year, but not sure how much influence he has over these things. 🙂

[Vicnette]

Better they did not put this in their marketing campaign when they release the Ionic. 

[MattJ71]

---

@Vicnette wrote:

Better they did not put this in their marketing campaign when they release the Ionic. 

---

Well, yes and no.  No because the SPO2 was not ready for prime time, and over a year later, still not.  I encouraged a friend that has sleep apnea to get the Versa to help him, assuming that the SPO2 would be imminently activated.  Well, let's just say that was the wrong advice.

In terms of yes, I'm sure it helped their sales numbers, but this was through a deceptive tactics.  I don't think people would mind waiting 3 months for the sensor to be activated, but over a year?  No way.

[GTOJim]

Agreed, deceptive advertising.  Sp02 was my reason for purchasing the Ionic.

[Cantryboy]

The feature is live!!!

[wxman123]

Why do you say the feature is live?

[Cantryboy]

You can go to the labs and enroll in the sleep score.

[sfringer]

But the devices allowed in the beta for tracking do not all contain the sensor. The list of devices is presented when accepting the beta, but I cannot find it within the beta page now that I've joined. But I recall it was not limited to the Ionic, Versa and Charge 3.

Without an indication from Fitbit, I'd not say this is a safe indicator that it has been enabled.

[Cantryboy]

it works for my ionic. now that I've slept one night i see my sleep score--it's very cool--and surprising.

[sfringer]

Yes, it works for my Ionic as well. But I cannot say with any degree of certainty that is making use of the SpO2 sensor.

None of the tracked metrics indicate any sort of measurement of the oxygen level in the blood. And yes, I understand that value may be used in the calculation of the metrics as a whole. One would think if this was the fact, Fitibit would be more transparent about its use since so many users have been upset that the SpO2 sensor has not been active since the device debuted.

And I also revert to the fact that users of devices without the SpO2 sensor are eligible for the sleep beta seems to indicate that the metrics presented are calculable without the SpO2 data.

Only Fitbit will be able to say directly if the SpO2 sensor is active.

[DavideFitbit]

Hi @Cantryboy, @wxman123 and @sfringer, thank you for your comments and welcome to the new users in the forum. 

I know this is one of the most requested features, but at the moment we haven't received an updates on when this could be a "Live feature". Any updates will be shared in this idea posted in the Feature Suggestion board of the Community, at the moment the status is still "Under Consideration". 

Thank you again for sharing all your comments and feedback.