is the fitbit ionic good enough to buy? or should i wait?

[reddevil079]

hi all,

I now have a fitbit charge 2 and in principle it works fine!

but because I want to go swimming sooner and do more things, I'm looking at someone else.

the fitbit ionic attracts my interest but is he really as nice and good as is told on youtube?

what is your experience?

buy the fitbit ionic because it is top?

or are there so many bugs or other things that I better wait or orientate on something else?

[Crazy-Fritter]

I'm a big Fitbit fan, but I would wait until they get it working better 😉

[DramaQueenDiva]

Either the Ionic or Flex 2 would track your swimming, so you may want to look at the Flex 2 as well (which may be cheaper if you can't afford the $300+ price tag of the Ionic).

[reddevil079]

Thanks for youre Message:) iT is not that i cant afford it. Its more like is it worth it... 

[wookietim]

I want to say "Yes" since it is quite good. But "Good enough"? Sorry, but no.

The Ionic is a good replacement to the Blaze as is. It has all of those functions and has a nicer UI to it that allows it to replace that watch as is. But as is, that is all it is. The Ionic represents a lot of potential right now but a lot of it is unrealized and unknown when (or even if) it will be realized.

It needs more apps. It need to have the Sleep Apnea function implemented. And it need to iron out some wrinkles in the system that screw up installing apps, syncing and payment options... If Fitbit does that stuff then the Ionic is a no-brainer - buy it.

As is, save a couple dollars and go with the Blaze if you want that set of functions. Or wait for a couple months to see if Fitbit fixes some of the more buggy things about it and new apps come out.

[Purnendu]

Having bought 2 of these i would say if you can wait, Please do

[Rogue_Syst3m]

i would wait if you really want it, but imho i would have purchased something else 🙂

[datalore]

I would wait until they get the software sorted. I'm developing an app using a friends watch and while I like the ionic the software simply isn't as polished as it should be. I'm thinking that when Fitbit OS 1.1 is released some of the software issues will be ironed out.

[Danymite]

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@reddevil079 wrote:

Thanks for youre Message:) iT is not that i cant afford it. Its more like is it worth it... 

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@reddevil079 
Incoming wall of text ....

If money isn't that big of an issue, you just have to be honest with yourself if you value those extra features that come with Ionic but currently you don't get on Charge 2.

When I was looking to purchase, there were few things that I deemed non-negotiable.  Stand-alone music storage/playback, Accurate-ish standalone GPS, Waterproof/Swim tracking, and NFC payment.  The only major competitor that really fits the bill is Samsung Gear Sport S3. (iWatch is out of the question since I don't use an iPhone).  I ended going with Ionic because of the unique experience Fitbit community can provide.  If you don't care so much for the fitbit community experience and standalone music playback, then your options widen quite a bit. 

Yes, there are bugs that need to be ironed out.  And the infamous syncing problem could be an issue for some people but it only acts up occasionally for me.  I don't know if all the issues that people have reported will be fixed, but I wanna say that even Ionic remains in its current stage, it already does all the things I need it to do.

Barring any price slash in the future (and that money doesn't seem to be a considerable factor in your decision), why wait to pay the same price for the same item down the line?  Pay $299+tax now to get 3 extra months (a made-up time frame for things to get fixed) of buggy but usable Ionic, and then enjoy a smoother experience after 3 months  vs pay $299+tax 3 months from now to enjoy a smooth experience. Personally, 3 extra months of buggy but usable experience sounds like a good trade off to me.

The bottom line: user experience varies greatly from one setup to another. Find a reputable retailer that has a generous return policy.  Try it for yourself.  See if the hassle you might experience is worth the extra features that you don't get on Charge 2. If not, return the product and wait.  

[WellnessXperts]

I have the charge 2 and i recently go the ionic. I love it. Simple because of Phone Less Runs, swim(i love swimming)

payment.

I am going to try using cycling mode to track my open water swimming. this watch has all i want and need and i use it together with my charge 2 for my sleep tracking. 

multi device is almost seamless.

I am a developer too so get my hands on the device early.

The Ionic has made me into a fitbit lover which the charge 2 failed cos it didnt' motivate me to exercise.

ionic does. with gps maps more advanced tracking/swimming and FITCOACH FITSTAR runs and work outs.

My thinking is why wait. it's only going to get better with apps.

No other company offers such a all round solution and ecosystem. i support fitbit.

my plan is to get the aria 2 and flex 2 and flyer as well (bit extreme but i believe in multi device and i have an interest in this as my work overlaps this)

[MikaelP]

Short answer: No. At least not connected to an Android phone.

Fitbit Ionic may possibly be the most useless and technologically immature piece of junk ever released to the public. 😞

- Wifi connection that I don't really know why it's there, and I have never got it to work. Why not just use the bluetooth connection to the phone? It will probably drain the battery anyway.

- Notifications show up at least some times. And when they do, you can't make basic replies á la Pebble.

- No reliable way to control the music app (like Spotify) on your phone. There seems to be some awkward workarounds, but I haven't got them to work on my Android phone.

- No app store here in Sweden

-...

I had a Pebble Time Steel before and I think that Ionic is as much anti-Pebble as you can get. Unfortunately. Because it could have been so good - it looks good, sits nicely on my tiny wrist with its not so bulky dimensions, quite OK battery life, etc.

[reddevil079]

thank you all for your reactions!

some positive some less. but after very careful thinking,

comparisons,

and conversations with representatives of the many brands that bring these kinds of things to the market,

I decided to opt for the ionic! it did not matter if I had bought the samsung gear s3 but the cooperation with iphone did not appeal to me. and then now, the waterproof watch from fitbit! I am very curious how much fun I am going to experience!

thanks all

sorry for the bad translation in English. that's the fault of google translate

[lorraineg]

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@datalore wrote:

I would wait until they get the software sorted. I'm developing an app using a friends watch and while I like the ionic the software simply isn't as polished as it should be. I'm thinking that when Fitbit OS 1.1 is released some of the software issues will be ironed out.

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Like what? I have a Blaze and can't decide whether to upgrade. I really wanted the fitbit pay function but my bank isn't listed.

[datalore]

Since the update the watch is more responsive and overall just seems to work better. It's been noticeable how much faster navigation is now. I'm going to buy my self one for Christmas. 

[wookietim]

After the upgrade I was impressed for a full day. After trying to install and use the apps not so much... None of the apps actually work.

[BMCG]

Wait.  I had to send mine back. Too many bugs and glitches. I am checking back here to see if updates have improved the situation and it seems like the answer to that is not yet. I went back to using my TomTom spark. At least it does what it supposed to do, albeit less features than a “smart watch”. 

[reddevil079]

So far no problems with this one:)
It works good, Nice screen etc.
Next week Iam gonna test it in sport, swimming etc.

[njakobs]

Short answer is NO.

Long answer is hell no. I was waiting patiently for firmware update, apps and watchfaces to become available. In the belief that it would resolve some of the issues with the watch. But nope. New firmware has made zero difference, watches response to movement to activate is still very poor, I literally have to swing my arm to and fro for it to wake. Lagginess in user interface is still the same. The app/watchface 'store' is a pitiful with limited options and poorly constructed interface (it is 2017 all these issues have been solved a thousand times so why do they still get it wrong). The whole watch feels like something put together in a startup garage as opposed to a multi national company. Will be moving on as soon as my bank balance allows. This purchase has zero resale value.

[lorraineg]

Do you know what you’ll switch to? I’m always open to other options.

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[Rogue_Syst3m]

samsung and garmin look nice, which i was going to get before this waste.