Screen and bezel misaligned

[Kwono1]

Update:

Screen and bezel do not align. There is a considerable gap between the bezel and the screen which some here have suggested may affect the waterproof quality of the watch. Two of my three friends who have bought the watch have returned them due to water damage. They believe that this is due to this misalignment. From what I have seen both in this community and in person, many Ionics suffer from this issue including the demonstration models at the stores.  Other problems have included an inability to connect to the Wi-Fi, or not having the Wallet tile available at all. 

Luckily, Fitbit support got into contact with me and have asked that I exchange the product. I have now returned the watch and await for another one. I highly recommend that you test your Ionic. Maximize your brightness setting and simply enter a very dark area. It is important to manually maximize your brightness as the auto sensor will automatically set it to dim. Should you see light escaping the bezel as per the photos, then I would recommend that you contact Fitbit support immediately. 

Moderator edit: updated title for clarity

[Kwono1]

1. Yes. Surely I did. Please explain why other Fitbit Ionic devices do not show this clear 'seal'. This is the same seal that I can stick my fingernail in right? That clear seal? 

2. Please define how many, expressed as a percentage, have not been affected. I don't know how many have, but I do know that many have. So many in fact that there are several threads about it and the number of these discussions are increasing. I predict as more are being purchased. 

3. A failed seal is a failed seal...lol. It a pretty serious flaw in and of itself. Would you like a car that had seatbelts that 'occasionally' worked? 

4. You're right, nobody owns the thread. However, the system is based upon the original poster finding and accepting   the solution. What I have trouble with is the fact that no clarification was given that the solution that was indeed accepted, was not accepted by myself. Furthermore, the solution was not satisfactory for the points I have outlined above on page 6. That combined with the Administrator's post being edited after I had pointed out several flaws makes this whole thing suspicious. 

5. I agree. I think that circles would have been a better descriptor. 

[Kwono1]

Oh Mitwess, you're still here? On a thread that doesn't affect you? But I'm the crazy one right...

Dude. 

[WavyDavey]

1. We're just speculating for fun, right? Well depending on how tightly the screen fits the bezel, the seal could be visible or not. That's an aesthetic concern. If the seal holds, regardless of how much of it bleeds light, I don't see the big deal.

Do you think that maybe the reason we don't see the seals in the Blaze, Charge 2, Surge, Alta HR, etc. is that none of those trackers are designed to be waterproof? Isn't that why the seal is there--for waterproofing?

2. That's exactly my point. Neither of us know, so we have no way to define "many". You seem to be relying on anecdotal evidence from your friends. How is a few threads "many"?  The loose use of that word doesn't really give us any information.

3. I've seen a couple of seal fails posted here, which hardly indicates a design falw. The seat belt analogy is not that relevant, as nobody dies if their Ionic leaks light. It's an exaggeration, which isn't necessary to make your point.

4.That's usually the way Accepted Solution works. But for threads like this, it's a good way for the moderators to provide a post with relevant updates. You're asking for something that is not possible currently, which is a full analysis and explanation of the situation. Since Fitbit requires time to sort through it, how long are we supposed to wait for your satisfaction?  Maybe if they just took the word "accepted" out, it might feel more right?

You're concerns about editing posts isn't warranted. As already explained, there are some glitches recently that cause posts to disappear and sometimes re-appear--I've experienced a few times just today. Do you really think Fitbit moderation team is trying to censor you?

5. Actually, I take back what I said. This thread is both circular and meandering. If the topic is being adhered to, why are you spending so much time commenting on how posts are moderated here?  Is that a seal issue? 

Off to answer some answerable posts.

[mitwess]

well considering you no longer own an ionic and never even had water damage, yes, i find your arguments here a bit idiosyncratic. how many users on this thread even had actual water damage issues? and reports from 'friends' don't count. 

[AETBasingstoke]

No issues here

Sent from my iPad

[RiseAgainst]

Please keep this on topic @mitwess. This thread is about the misaligned screen that some people have and some people don't. We are allowed to question if this is an issue and could cause issues like a broken seal due to not all Ionics having a misaligned screen. Time will tell if the misaligned screens are going to cause more issues

[soguilk]

The Paranoia that this thread has created is pretty intense. Here is the thing. If their explanation doesn't suffice for some people, there's one solution that might just solve this. Increase the **ahem** warranty for water damage. Done deal! Solve people's fear of dipping their product in water. Think about it, how many fitbit ionic users actually go lap swimming on a regular basis or swim as their primary work out? Fitbit shouldn't be highly impacted by this increase in warranty. Otherwise, this issue will only affect fitbit's image for the worse because that "gap" makes it appear ugly once you actually start noticing it.

[N8teGee]

To be honest even if the screen had a tight fit with the body, that area still wouldn't be water tight. So gap or no gap, as long as the seal and screen is adhered properly in the right place we should hopefully be good?

Maybe some have got a thicker layer of adhesive which causes the light to leak through more.

From fitbits response though, they seem to think it's within an acceptable tolerance. So I don't see future devices being any different. I don't plan to swim with mine but if I ever do and it fails, I guess fitbit will fully stand behind their warranty and replace it. 

[SunsetRunner]

The interesting thing, and positive, is that Fitbit's response has been exemplary. I spoke to support, showed them a picture and they asked me to send it in. No questions asked, just send it to us and we'll send you a replacement. Can't say fairer than that.

[anoyce]

Yes I agree Fitbit support have been very good they have seen the picture of my Ionic and and asked me to send it back to them.. They have said that the "gap you’ve observed between the screen and bezel is necessitated by design" So why have they asked for these units back and why does none of the advertising pictures or review pictures have the gap? The law in the uk says "If you buy goods that are faulty, not as described or unfit for purpose, you have the right to return them." So the Gap in the screen would go under not as described as I have never seen a Gap in the pictures and Fitbit have never said in there small print that it may have a gap between the screen and the bezel..

[N8teGee]

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@SunsetRunner wrote:

The interesting thing, and positive, is that Fitbit's response has been exemplary. I spoke to support, showed them a picture and they asked me to send it in. No questions asked, just send it to us and we'll send you a replacement. Can't say fairer than that.

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I completely agree with you.

Fitbit are one of the better companies when it comes to customer support. They let me continue using my first one until my replacement had arrived. I received an email from them yesterday confirming they had received my second Ionic and have now requested a full refund.

I will now just use my third one as normal. I haven't been in a swimming pool for almost a decade, so I highly doubt this Ionic will go anywhere near water. For those that do and end up with a failed device, you should be looked after well from my personal experience. 

[N8teGee]

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@anoyce wrote:

Yes I agree Fitbit support have been very good they have seen the picture of my Ionic and and asked me to send it back to them.. They have said that the "gap you’ve observed between the screen and bezel is necessitated by design" So why have they asked for these units back and why does none of the advertising pictures or review pictures have the gap? The law in the uk says "If you buy goods that are faulty, not as described or unfit for purpose, you have the right to return them." So the Gap in the screen would go under not as described as I have never seen a Gap in the pictures and Fitbit have never said in there small print that it may have a gap between the screen and the bezel..

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If you ask fitbit for a refund they will give you it, no questions asked. I returned the replacement they sent out and asked for a full refund. In the meantime I purchased another Ionic from Argos. 

[anoyce]

Yes Im sure they will as I said Fitbit support are very good.. Just annoying when they say "gap you’ve observed between the screen and bezel is necessitated by design" when none of there design's have the gap! Did the Ionic from Argos have a Gap?

[launton]

 "gap you’ve observed between the screen and bezel is necessitated by design"

On one with the screen exactly centralised the gap would be almost non existent. I still think it may be necessary for expansion and contraction of differing materials. The clear seal adhesive would most probably be flexible to allow this.  I think the screen may be glued with pinions on the back which affix to the housing coupled with clear sealant, I'm guessing of course but it's an educated one looking at the disassembled one. 

As stated, mine is fine, (there is a slight gap at the top and right side, and some light leakage) but it's being plunged into all manner of  shampoos, soaps, showers and swimming pools now after initial test.  I'm not going to be too scared to use it in the manner it's meant to be. 

[runwithnewmedia]

@launton Yours barely has any bleed or gap and looks more like what every unit should, I feel. Definitely looks different (significantly) to me when comparing some of the other images and the device I had. 

[launton]

@runwithnewmedia then is anyone with the gap going to plunge it in a pool and lay to rest the rumour of it being an actual gap? 

[zapleahy]

@RiseAgainst To your earlier question regarding the collection of foreign materials, Fitbit's testing protocol includes testing with the application of solutions and material to Ionic to ensure that it is reliable. 

After activities resulting in exposure to saltwater, sunblock, insect repellent, lotions, and other similar materials, we would advise rinsing the watch thoroughly with fresh water. You can remove build-up using a soap-free cleanser, rinsing, and drying the device. 

@launton Thanks for reporting back on your swim experience and providing a new POV to this discussion.

@soguilk Get your swim on, and let us know what you think!

To @Kwono1 and others with concerns about device reliability and water resistance, I recognize that some Ionic users have reported water damage, and we are evaluating all of the affected units that we receive back at HQ to understand where and why they failed. Information gleaned from these evaluations is fed back to manufacturing and quality to improve controls or make changes if needed.

We do extensive testing to ensure the design is swim proof and expect the device to perform well under a variety of wet conditions, including swimming and showering. If you experience any issues at all with your device, as a result of swimming, showering, or something else entirely, we will work with you to better understand your experience and ensure that you have a fully functioning watch. Thanks to @SunsetRunner, @N8teGee, and @anoyce for attesting to this and enduring the inconvenience of engaging our Support team. I hope we were able to provide you with a pleasant and efficient experience as that is always our aim.

@Kwono1 In addition to the OP, community members and moderators with extensive knowledge of Fitbit products and services have the ability to mark solutions. The intention behind marking a solution is to improve findability of useful information. This forum sees hundreds of new topics and questions every day. We know that most people read 1-2 pages deep and if their answer isn't in those first few pages or if they skim over posts, they might miss valuable nuggets of information. The Solution pops to the top and helps to focus the conversation on the original theme. I would expect and encourage the natural evolution of discussions here, which makes a singular solution something of a moving target, but marking a solution does have the benefit of keeping a topic focused and giving newcomers to the thread a better sense of the Q&A. As the OP, you can unmark the solution (solution post dropdown > not the solution).

I'm still not clear on the post edits that you've referred to, but want you to know that I take my role as an ambassador for our user community seriously, and the trust of our community members is paramount to me. If you'd like to message me privately about any concerns over moderation of this discussion, I welcome your feedback.

[bbarrera]

@zapleahy for what its worth:

- the Flex2 specs prominently state "swim-proof" 

- Ionic specs on product page only states "Fitbit Ionic is water-resistant up to 50 meters and is sweat, rain and splash-proof. With any wearable device, it’s best for your skin if the band stays dry and clean." 

Why does Ionic water resistance spec not state the device is swim-proof? Just sweat, rain and splash-proof?

Also, Flex2 is only swim-proof device listed on www.fitbit.com/productcare page.

[RL7]

So I went back to Best Buy and picked up another Ionic while on my lunch break at work.  

After charging and setting it up, I submersed the tracker in a glass of water for a total of two hours as seen below.  My coworkers gasped in horror. 

Notice in the next photo that there is a gap with some light coming through at the bottom corner and left side. 

After two hours of being submerged in the water, my coworkers gathered around for the moment of truth. I work at a tech company so we are all nerds about this stuff. There was excitement in the air for sure. 

I removed the watch, put it on, and everything worked perfectly. My steps were tracked. My heart rate was being measured. My calorie burn began to register.  

Was this test scientific? No. Am I more comfortable in the durability of the Ionic? Yes. Would I take it for a swim? Without hesitation. 

I am satisfied with what @zapleahy has shared with us and look forward to keeping this new ionic for some time to come. 

[bbarrera]

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@RL7 wrote:

After charging and setting it up, I submersed the tracker in a glass of water for a total of two hours as seen below.  My coworkers gasped in horror. 

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Good times! 

Facts on water resistance claims:

Flex 2 water resistance specs

"Fitbit Flex 2 is the first swim-proof device from Fitbit, meaning it is water resistant to 100 meters."

Ionic water resistance specs

"Fitbit Ionic is water-resistant up to 50 meters and is sweat, rain and splash-proof."

Anybody else remember the Surge launch? Originally the Surge water resistance spec stated "Water resistant to 5ATM." Sometime around late Nov 2014 we got to see the webpage with specs. The first shipments were in December 2014. Then come the middle of January, the Surge water spec was updated to:

"Surge has been tested to 5 ATM meaning it is sweat, rain, and splash proof. However the device is not swim proof."

Fitbit official specs for Flex2 say that swim-proof is a water resistance of 100 meters. And Ionic is only water resistant to 50 meters (5 ATM). 

My concern, based on Fitbit's own words and previous actions, is that while Ionic will count laps it is not rated as swim-proof.