The Ionic -- Is it (Will it Be) smart?

[FitmanFit]

First, do notifications on the Ionic that pertain to email notifications support to

1. Dismiss the notification
2. Delete the email
3. Open the email on the phone

?

In particular 3. is very handy as it avoids navigating to the email with the phone (whether it is opening up the email client or searching through the notifications). I use this feature on my Pebble all the time and wouldn't want to miss it. Ideally, the same interaction would be possible for other notifications as well (such as WhatsApp notifications, for instance), but emails would be most important.

Second, I realise that the Ionic displays regular calendar notifications, but will there be a way (I understand there isn't one currently) to look at the calendar entries of the current day (i.e., look ahead)? If one could initiate opening up a particular calendar entry on the phone with the Ionic that would be extra nice, but just browsing through the calendar entries would be sufficient (but essential) as far as I'm concerned.

[FitmanFit]

BTW, Google Calendar synchronisation support would be sufficient for me.

[Rich_Laue]

Look below, tap on help. There you can download your user manual or access fitbits interactive searchable help site .

You can read your email and messages on the ionic. 

InotIsure what is meant by open email on phone, then you say that you don't want to pull the phone out. Huh? 

[FitmanFit]

@Rich_Laue

Thanks for the tip regarding the manual.

I accessed the manual for the Ionic and it says nothing about responding to notifications. As I expected, the Ionic still allows improvement in this area.

The manual doesn't say anything about glancing at upcoming calendar events either. Receiving calendar notifications is supported, but that is hardly surprising. I feel that any device deserving of the "smartwatch" moniker should allow one to inspect upcoming calendar events (before notifications are generated for them).

You wrote "InotIsure what is meant by open email on phone, then you say that you don't want to pull the phone out. Huh?".

I did not state that I "don't want to pull the phone out". Be that as it may, the idea about initiating the opening of an email on the phone via the watch is that it saves from navigating to said email on the phone.

I'll try to explain the idea behind the notification responses in general: Say you receive an email notification. If, from glancing at the notification on the watch, you can tell that you don't ever want to read the email, wouldn't it be great if you could delete the email on the phone from your smartwatch? I like that feature of my 2013 Pebble Classic.

If, from glancing at the notification on the watch, you determine that you want to open the email on your phone (to read lengthy text, follow a link, etc.) wouldn't it be great if you could ask the phone to open the mail client showing the respective email? By the time you have reached to your phone and unlocked it, the email will already be ready to be consumed by you. No need to find the respective notification among many, or even manually open up the email client and locate the email. I like that feature of my 2013 Pebble Classic. 

I'm only mentioning the Pebble because it demonstrates that clearly someone else found this functionality useful enough to support it and because Fitbit apparently hired some Pebble engineers who should know how to implement these features. It is possible that these features cannot be realised on iOS and that Fitbit may be going for the lowest common denominator so that iOS users don't complain about certain functionality not working. I truly hope that this explanation is wrong!

[Cantryboy]

The ability to respond to text messages will be rolling out in May to Androids but doesn't look like anything about email yet.  You could do a feature suggestion!

[DramaQueenDiva]

You can read your email on the Ionic now, and the ability to reply to texts is coming soon, so I've heard.  I don't know if that will apply to replying to emails as well.

[Rich_Laue]

@FitmanFit have you tried the third party app called GAgenda? 

[FitmanFit]

@Rich_Laue

Thanks for the suggestion. I cannot try any apps myself because I'm unlikely to purchase an Ionic until Fitbit added more "smartwatch" features and have confirmed that the Ionic is compatible with the Huawei P9. 

I'll try to find out more about the app you mentioned by reading about it. One piece of information I came across is that the app is supposed to be "not compatible with the Ionic", but then the author goes on to explain that some features apparently do work.

[Rich_Laue]

Since your post was in the Ionic board, I assumed that you had, or was interested in, the Ionic .

As for the term smart watch, I don't see any requirement for the ability to respond to texts before it can be labeled smart watch. 

I do understand that some people feel that only a watch that has everything that the AW has can be labeled a smart watch. Many disagree, and here and I've seen reviews saying that the versa is a more day to day user friendly then the AW simply because it doesn't have all the unneeded bloatware. . Even MacWorld gives the Versa praise. For many the ability to respond is just another unneeded bell and whistle or just an overload of uneccesary functions to over complicate things.

Here is one review that compares the Ionic to the pebble since the reviewer does not think highly of the AW .note he never mentionsmethe unabilityito respond to texts. 

Going by that type of definition I would then have to say that a car could not be considered a car if it doesn't have heated rear view mirrors and automatic heated and coolling seats. These are not needed for the car to function but a few people do find them nice. 

[FitmanFit]

@Rich_Laue

You wrote "Since your post was in the Ionic board, I assumed that you had, or was interested in, the Ionic".

I am very interested in the Ionic. I would have thought that this is self-evident, given my enquiries.

You may excuse me, however, for not purchasing a device I am interested in just yet given that the manufacturer has not yet declared the device to be compatible with my phone model.

You may excuse me as well, for wanting a device that supports some level of interaction with email notifications and supports glancing at future calendar events. While the easy resolution would be to conclude that the "Ionic" is not for me, being advertised as a "smartwatch" I may be allowed some hope that the Ionic will actually acquire pretty standard smartwatch features in the future.

This hope does not seem to be completely out of line, as I understand, there has been an announcement for the Ionic regarding the addition of a typical smartwatch feature.

Indeed, most people would share my expectations towards a smart watch as being higher compared to a regular watch or a fitness tracker. I couldn't care less how many people you can muster who are happy with labelling a fitness tracker and watch + some minimal notification features as a "smartwatch".

FYI, I don't have any obsession with the Apple Watch. I am not an Apple user. The features I'm enquiring about had been implemented half a decade ago in the first Pebble model already. This very basic smartwatch can hardly be described as a top end device with all bells and whistles that would render any attempt to copy its features as a folly which would result in an "overcomplication". The classic Pebble doesn't do a lot of things, but it is deserving of the "smartwatch" moniker because it does more than simply parrot phone notifications.

The Ionic has been universally panned by reviewers as underdelivering as a "smartwatch". Perhaps try looking up some Ionic reviews some time and note the common thread of disappointment regarding the lacking smartwatch functionality. The respective observation is made by all sorts of reviewers independently of whether or not they mention the Apple Watch.

You wrote "As for the term smart watch, I don't see any requirement for the ability to respond to texts before it can be labeled smart watch."

I never claimed that. As a matter of fact, I'm not interested in the ability to respond to texts. If you want your posts to be considered contributions, it would be expedient for you to first actually understand what other posters are after and then comment accordingly.

I have no issue with you not needing any way to interact with notifications. I fail to understand, though, why you spent time attempting to prove that anything that goes beyond minimal notifications is an "overcomplification".

Regarding the features I'm really interested in, I see no point in convincing you that they are extremely useful to many people, far from being unnecessary overcomplications. Just to respond to your car analogy: A car does not need a powerful engine. A sports car does. If you don't want a sports car because you find it to be an "overcomplification" then don't buy one. If you do buy a sports car, though, because you like sports cars then you should have the right to expect a sports car engine. I hope that helps. 

[Jonxbii]

As an owner of Ionic, I am sad to say that the Ionic is really lacking smart features and the future does not seem good either. The whole ecosystem of smartwatch and application development is in early/beta stages.

One thing lacking is the monetization of the Ionic apps. If the app developers don't get any income, they are not motivated to do applications. Currenly you have to use some external payment like Kiezelpay or donate money to developer using Paypal. I think the monetization should be easier and through the Fitbit application. One example is that I bought a watch face with one time payment. I then changed the watch face temprorarily to some other watch face. Then when I changed back to the watch face I bought earlier, I found out that I would need to buy the watch face again! This is not great for the application buyer and does not encourage to buy any apps anymore!

Second thing is that the API offered to developers is (currently) too limited. You can do apps like calculator, flashlight and other simple apps, but anything advanced in an application is not possible.

Fitbit in-house developers are probably too busy fixing many critical issues to develop a better API for the external software developers. Having a better API for developers outside Fitbit would certainly help getting new applications for Ionic.

[Rich_Laue]

@Jonxbii you don't need to buy it again. You go to the same page and tap the I already bought. Put in the email used during purchase and re-register. 

[bbarrera]

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@Rich_Lauewrote:

I do understand that some people feel that only a watch that has everything that ...  

---

Pebble owners are disappointed, its a step backwards. And Ionic is not in the same league as other more capable smartwatch platforms that are available today. That is why so many Ionic reviews were positive about activity tracking (Fitbit does it well), lukewarm on HR accuracy (if rigorously tested), and disappointed with smartwatch features.

Fitbit has a lot of work to do, even with features like notifications that rolled out over a year ago on Blaze. 

[Giampi71]

As an owner of both Android Wear (specifically Polar m600 now, LG G Watch R earlier) and a Fitbit Ionic I really don't miss anything in my Ionic that AW has. For me the Ionic has (almost) everything I want from a SMARTwatch and in fact it is my daily gadget.

Only things I miss to be completed (IMO)

1. Monetization (as per @Jonxbii)

2. Better API (again as per @Jonxbii)

3. Quick replies (coming)

4. Possibility to accept or reject a phone call (not sure if it's coming to Android and if not, I'm not sure the reason)

Other possible improvements would be to the applications themselves (such as better running app with voice cues over bluetooth).

And of course it needs a better App Store in terms of the usability and expecially calling onboard the major players (this is strongly connected to points 1 and 2)

[bbarrera]

@Giampi71 Fitbit needs a smartwatch with speaker and microphone. The Coach app without audio cues is pointless. Audio cues in general are needed, without requiring Bluetooth headphones. Microphone for verbal navigation and more, particularly when not exercising (most of the day), given the screen size. 

I have a long list of software improvements that are needed. 

Is it the best Fitbit? Maybe, personally I think the sweet spot in Fitbit lineup is Charge 2, or perhaps the new Versa.  Ionic is pricey, a work in progress, and missing some genuinely useful hardware (and software). 

[Rich_Laue]

So have you presented your case in the feature suggestion board? I'm sure a good amount of your thoughts have been suggested. 

Saying a feature is needed without presenting your case as to why it is needed. that is what a child does. 

I would not want to see a speaker, to much not needed bulk and unless a person is running in a quiet area I doubt they would hear the cues. Maybe hear but would it be understandable. 

I would like to see the Bluetooth headphones used for more functions. 

Voice cues

Maybe some voice control 

The below might be considered but with the Flyer able to connect to both the ionic and the phone, I already have this ability 

Read notificstoons aloud

Let me respond to notifications and control the phone by voice .

Mic maybe ok, if I want look like Dick Tracy. 

Do I really want a watch that replaces the phone .no I already have a phone. 

[bbarrera]

ignoring your ad hominen attack...

You think voice cues and maybe some voice control, but only if its Bluetooth? I find that a very odd argument. In my office during the day I do bodyweight and dumbbell work. I've used the Coach app on my phone, it plays 3 countdown tones at the start of each exercise, and 3 tones at the finish. Tell you what, the day the Coach app on mobile phones only supports Bluetooth audible cues, is the day I'll seriously consider your argument that a speaker is unnecessary on a wearable like Ionic.

My current wearable has a microphone and speaker, those features are used more frequently throughout the day than exercise tracking (and I average around 1+ hours a day exercising). The microphone is used for voice control and answering calls from my wife, when my hands are full or phone is not nearby. Works great, and I don't look like a hipster or Dick Tracy while in the garage or yard.

Your post comes across as a case of "you don't know what your missing, until you have it" or perhaps, a need to rationalize/internalize Fitbit's omission of genuinely useful (throughout the day) features like speaker/microphone. Thats ok either way, but stating something isn't of value to you, and therefore its not needed, is like my wife saying she sees no value in wearables and therefore no company should bother selling wearables its a waste of peoples time and money (by the way, she does believe that, and I can honestly say that she is stronger and healthier than 95% of 50+ year olds). Smartwatches are like computers and mobile phones, relatively general purpose platforms where no two people will agree on all use cases and feature sets.

Fitbit needs a smartwatch with speaker and microphone. My personal guess, having listened to Fitbit management on quarterly investor calls, is that Fitbit will introduce a high-end smartwatch this fall if possible, now that Ionic replaced Surge, and Versa replaced Blaze.