When will the Spo2 sensor will be available?

[Coachalan]

Has there been any update when the spo2 sensor will be available for use. It was the only reason I chose this watch over the others I was looking to buy.

Moderator edit: Updated subject for clarity 

[Starlette]

Look for my name*", Starlette, and read the post with my conversation with Customer Service.

Sent from my iPhone

[Vickytom9]

@Vickytom9 Fitbit continues exploring this sensor and how this will give consumers the opportunity to identify potential health issues.

Yes, that may be so, but Fitbit asserted that this feature was it would be imminently available. That isn’t the case, so the inaccuracies when selling this product are really not acceptable to some of us and we feel that we are being or have been misled. 

[sdumper]

Absolutely agree

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[Rich_Laue]

Fitbit is also waiting for testing and FDA approval. 

Probably in wake off the confusion as to whether the heart rate option is a medical header device or not. Hint the heart rate reading was never certified as a medical device, and until recently was not able to be certified.

[Swdecord]

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@Rich_Laue wrote:

Fitbit is also waiting for testing and FDA approval. 

Probably in wake off the confusion as to whether the heart rate option is a medical header device or not. Hint the heart rate reading was never certified as a medical device, and until recently was not able to be certified.

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I would guess Garmin received FDA approval for the SPO2 sensor on their Garmin Vivosmart 4 device because I owned one for a brief time in December and it worked appropriately and tracked my O2 automatically during a 4 hour window while sleeping...Tracking automatically did shorten the battery life quite a bit, so I'm wondering if that's something Fitbit is concerned with and is causing a delay in activating the sensor on all of our devices...I owned the Garmin because I am seriously considering ditching Fitbit and wanted to test their Connect app, which actually provides much more info than Fitbit...Once Garmin adds SPO2 to one of their cheaper smartwatches (the Fenix series offers it now), I'll probably bail on Fitbit...Primarily due to their lack of transparency regarding this feature and the fact that long-term customers aren't prioritized on hardware updates and I wasn't asked, nor able to join the recent Sleep Score beta even though I've been a Fitbit owner since early 2013 with four upgrades...Nice way to aggravate your long-term customers

[SunsetRunner]

@Rich_Laue if HR isn't certified then why SpO2 sensor has to be? I don't quite understand why certification cannot happen later while the user would get access to it now knowing that it is not a medical device ( which is not a different use case from what HR sensor is right now ). Also, everywhere is mentioned that it's going to be used to compute "sleep score". Whatever it is, I don't really care. I'd rather see actual SpO2 value during training as I can do with other SpO2 supporting sensors right now ( including simple finger-worn pulse-oximeters which I use also only as a guide ). I find it bizarre as there are lots of swollen words but no results. It reminds me a little bit the video game "Star Citizen" - lots of promises, people pay money for these promises, things which supposed to be made in the unknown future but for years the full product never hits shelves ( and probably never will ). I guess this is the strategy Fitbit company adopted, too.

[Rich_Laue]

Until recently the FDA required that the whole device needed to be certified, not just the medical hardware/software.

This recently changed allowing the FDA to certify only the required aspects of the function being evaluated.

Why does the SpO2 sensor meds to be verified, technically I guess it doesn't, but now that it is possible to have verification and in retrospect of the confusion around the Heart Rate sensor it probably is a good idea.

In a way it might have been better for Fitbit to do what Apple did, put the SpO2 sensor in their watch but not announce it, however users where soon wondering what the red light was for and it quickly was figured out. 

@Swdecord being in the beta sleep score, soon to be released, with the SpO2 enabled while sleeping, I also noticed a decrease in battery life.

[Frankc52]

While I would count myself as one of the biggest moaners regard the promised Sp02 being released with the Fitbit 3 in Oct 2018.

You can’t get an accurate reading with a finger SPO2 if you are moving about, this could be the problem for Fitbit and why it will be part of the sleep metrics.

The HR metric is not as accurate as a chest worn sensor, yet Fitbit have shown this metric?

[PrimeTinus]

Who cares about FDA, I live in Europe. But I bet that even with FDA approval you guys will not deliver

[steve_mc]

I cant understand why the sp02 sensor was not updated in last firmware update.I mean come on this should of been released when it was launched.A phone can have an sp02 sensor but a dedicted fitness tracker (smartwatch) cant.Thats preety poor form.

[Frankc52]

Not my place but as it’s a forum for discussion I think the units have a working SP02 its the software/app needs to have the update to show a working SP02 sensor metric within your sleep metrics.

I don't think we will get a metric showing your active levels of oxygen within your hemoglobin as you need to be static to get a correct reading, like sitting or laying down.

My beef is I wrongly believed the sales leaflets advertising the Fitbit 3 did have a SP02 but they failed to mention the software was not included.  Like selling a car with a death ray but when you buy the car the manufacturer says they are still working on the software. Grrrrrrrrrr

[steve_mc]

They do have the sp02 sensor installed on my fitbit ionic,thats my point exactly.Its on fitbits behalf to activate it via a firmware update.The ionic could be so much more if the effort was put into through there Devs.

[SunsetRunner]

@Frankc52 "I don't think we will get a metric showing your active levels of oxygen within your hemoglobin as you need to be static to get a correct reading, like sitting or laying down."

I don't see it as a problem. With Apple Watch to get ECG measuring you need to be still for a while as well. I can check SpO2 level with my mobile phone as well. Yes, I have to be still but I think, as long as one doesn't suffer ADHD, that should not be a problem 😉

[SantiR]

@Starlette @Vickytom9 @Rich_Laue @Swdecord @SunsetRunner @Frankc52 @PrimeTinus @steve_mc I hope you're doing well! Welcome to the Fitbit forums @sdumper! Sorry for the delayed response. Thanks for your contributions to this thread regarding the SP02 sensor topic.

Rest assured that if there are any news regarding this topic; I will share them with you. For the moment, Fitbit continues exploring this sensor.

Thanks for your discussion. Have a great day! 

[Marison]

I just bought a vibosmart 4 and am really happy with it. Goodbye Fitbit. I
was a customer for years.

[Norman12]

I’ll be returning my fitbit tomorrow. I upgraded my fitbit Charge 2 assuming the charge 3 was an upgrade. But it’s really not if the advertised features aren’t actually activated is it?

[Rich_Laue]

Actually, many of the advertised features for the Charge 3 have been implemented, it is only the one feature that was mentioned to be added at a future date still missing. 

Currently, as we all know, there is a beta sleep score going on that does use this sensor and should be going public soon.

[Starlette]

I did also. However, I'm only using it for sleep.

[Pescho33]

How many years will be explored phytobionic ions of more than a year and a half and a better study of work. " 

You're not going to rub my comments because it's discrimination. 

Once there must be a spO2 should work if you do not return my money 350 euros for ionic and 200 euro from Versa 

[Starlette]

I did the same thing, AND feel the same way!

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