"Fitbit" on Face of Ionic

[trying2live]

Hi All,

I'm a long time Fitbit user and I'm looking forward to the Ionic, but I was reading the mashable review (not a good one - http://mashable.com/2017/09/19/fitbit-ionic-smartwach-review/#3v.IkvD7.kqr) and it never occurred to me how the screen has a lot of dead space and the "Fitbit" logo is always there.  Maybe Fitbit should have either made a bigger screen or made it smaller to reduce the dark dead space and definitely remove the name.  Everyone knows it's a Fitbit and the person wearing it doesn't need a constant reminder. 

I actually prefer the look of the screen on my Surge over the Ionic.  Am I being too picky? 

Also, the reviews of the Ionic has not been stellar devaluating Fitbit in its stock price (http://www.marketwatch.com/story/fitbit-stock-falls-after-reviews-for-ionic-smartwatch-2017-09-19) so should we invest $300 or wait for a better Fitbit product? 

I probably will buy the Ionic since I have a long history with Fitbit, but they haven't made it easy for me to stay (my 3 year old Surge has seen better days and needs to retire).  The Garmin Vivoactive 3 is probably a better all around smartwatch, yet I stay with Fitbit as a loyal consumer. 

Fitbit has to do better with the little things such as:

1. reply to texts

2. better screen (reducing the dark areas and removing "Fitbit")

3. Fitpay needs more banks to support us

I'm trying my best not to leave Fitbit!

[NellyG]

I havent seen a real Ionic, but in the pictures the 'Fitbit' looks about like it is on the Alta HR (which you can hardly see!) It doesnt distract or detract at all as far as I can see. But I guess itnis personal preference.

[datalore]

I think it really depends on what you want a watch to do. I really don't care about replying to texts and answering calls on a watch. I realize some people really want those things; I'm just not one of them. I've read all of the released reviews and they agree that the ionic is probably the best tracker fitbit has ever released, but the smartwatch functions fall short. I've read reviews that proclaim the ionic as the ultimate fitbit and ones that claim it's a bust; the truth is probably somewhere in the middle. It looks like the reviews are mixed so far from what I've seen. I need to upgrade my charge 2 and will do so this Black Friday. I have a friend that preordered the ionic and I'll let him serve as a beta tester. The thing that makes me lean toward the ionic is the open SDK.  One of the major critiques has been the lack of smartwatch apps; I think that's an interesting critique. The ionic hasn't been released, so of course they don't have as many apps as more established brands. I have exactly zero brand loyalty. I simply want a watch that works the way I want it to work and one that will allow me to create my own apps. The ionic fits both of those conditions. If a garmin is better for you, or you like the look better that's what you should get. ZD Net has a very positive review, but again these things are subjective. http://www.zdnet.com/product/fitbit-ionic/

[shipo]

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@trying2live wrote:

Fitbit has to do better with the little things such as:

1. reply to texts

2. better screen (reducing the dark areas and removing "Fitbit")

3. Fitpay needs more banks to support us

I'm trying my best not to leave Fitbit!

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Regarding your list:

1. Hmmm, can't imagine trying to respond to a text while I'm out on a run; I don't carry my phone with me now and have no plans to start.
2. My understanding is there needs to be some surface area real-estate to house the GPS, BlueTooth, Wi-Fi and NFC antennae; so why not cover it over with a Fitbit logo?  Personally I could care less.
3. I believe more and more banks will be brought on board in the future. 

[datalore]

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1. Hmmm, can't imagine trying to respond to a text while I'm out on a run; I don't carry my phone with me now and have no plans to start.
2. My understanding is there needs to be some surface area real-estate to house the GPS, BlueTooth, Wi-Fi and NFC antennae; so why not cover it over with a Fitbit logo?  Personally I could care less.
3. I believe more and more banks will be brought on board in the future. 

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I never carry my phone on runs and for the life of me I can't figure out while replying to text on a watch is so important to people. I realize people have different needs and wants, but I just don't understand the widespread phone addiction. I like being alone and disconnected during my runs, well jogging, OK sometimes fast walking, but you get the point. I guess I'm becoming "get off my lawn" guy at an early age. 

[SunsetRunner]

Actually, replying to texts on your wrist is something I would miss, though I’m still going to sell my AW2 for the Ionic. If your phone is in your pocket (and I’m talking day to day use, not just out on a run, when you might not have your phone anyway) and you get a text, raising your wrist to see the text and then give a quick voice response is so convenient, and beats getting your phone out to tap out a reply hands down. Also, the ability to get Siri to start a timer (which I use a lot) is again so much easier by saying than doing.

I’m still not sure whether those factors will cause me to miss the AW too much but I’m getting the Ionic and will give it a good trial. I can always bin it and get the AW3 if I miss voice activation too much 

[bbarrera]

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@SunsetRunner wrote:

If your phone is in your pocket (and I’m talking day to day use, not just out on a run, when you might not have your phone anyway) and you get a text, raising your wrist to see the text and then give a quick voice response is so convenient, and beats getting your phone out to tap out a reply hands down. Also, the ability to get Siri to start a timer (which I use a lot) is again so much easier by saying than doing.

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Agree.

To anyone that says "I don't care" or "I have no use" you honestly don't know what your missing. Its disingenuous to dismiss a practical and useful feature just because Ionic doesn't have it. Just move on and don't bother to comment because when it comes to a future Fitbit you will be grateful to have voice commands and replies. 

If you are a fan of the Fitbit app and want some smartwatch capabilities then look no further than Ionic. Its likely going to make some feel like beta testers the first few months - support for apps is new, the Coach feature doesn't allow you to enter actual reps completed on Ionic (must use phone instead), all 3 of our banks are missing so no credit card payments (yet), and I wouldn't pay for Pandora's small catalog of music so sync your own tunes. The tradeoff for Ionic's battery life is that you won't get the real smartwatch experience and if you need a cheerleader to validate purchase then please only look at ZDNet review.

[SiGr]

The lack of voice on the watch really doesnt bother me too much.  I generally have my phone with me and can 'ok google' everything I need.  If i want a timer on the watch just a few swipes and a press and your up and cooking.  

Would it be nice?  Maybe.  On board GPS is the biggy for me.  Now the question is as always whether the watch does enough to make me part with my money.  

I keep telling myself the Charge 2 does almost everything I want.  I can get notifications for calls and texts.  I can set an alarm, i can track with connected gps.  The HR is ok after a bit of a faff trying to figure out the best placement for everyday and exercise.  

Does the Ionic give me more?

The SDK looks awesome

It has on device GPS

Would I use music?  I tend to use my exercise time as a way to switch off so don't tend to use music.

How does it look in the flesh?

I know exactly what will happen though... I'll see one in the flesh and buy it 😄

[shipo]

@SiGr, my only comment is regarding Connected GPS vs. in-built GPS.  A number of folks in the running clubs I help coach have various flavors of the Charge and/or Blaze; literally every member with a Charge, Charge HR, or Charge 2 complains of erratic GPS tracking on a fairly regular basis.  I run with a Surge (which sports in-built GPS like the Ionic), and while I do see some flaky track from time to time, the tracks my Surge records are way more consistent and accurate compared to the Charge/Blaze Connected GPS results.

Maybe I'm being naive, but I expect the GPS on the Ionic to be at least as accurate as the GPS on the Surge.

[SiGr]

@shipo the surge was a master of GPS.  I absolutely loved that watch... Well until the band peeled.  The next ones band peeled and the next ones band peeled... Then I got a refund 7 months later.

Without band peeling I'd still be wearing a surge and I would not even be considering an Ionic.  The surge is brilliant when working.

[mlindgren]

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@bbarrera wrote:

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To anyone that says "I don't care" or "I have no use" you honestly don't know what your missing. Its disingenuous to dismiss a practical and useful feature just because Ionic doesn't have it. Just move on and don't bother to comment because when it comes to a future Fitbit you will be grateful to have voice commands and replies.

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The thing is, there's no free lunch. All of these features come with tradeoffs, usually in the form of reduced battery life. I don't think Garmin's devices support this either, because they're more fitness-focused, so longer battery life is more important than fancy smartwatch features. I have used voice commands on a wearable before, on the Microsoft Band 2, and yeah, it was nice. But for me, longer battery life is more important.

The Apple Watch series 3 does look like a better "smart watch," but the battery life is an absolute deal breaker for me, and from what I've read their fitness tracking is kind of lackluster anyway. (For example, DC Rainmaker's review of the Apple Watch 2 noted that its ability to respond to pace changes is really poor. Though maybe that has improved with the Apple Watch 3.)

I do agree that the big Fitbit bezel is kind of ugly, but that is also a minor concern for me.

[Testimony777]

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@bbarrera wrote:To anyone that says "I don't care" or "I have no use" you honestly don't know what your missing. Its disingenuous to dismiss a practical and useful feature just because Ionic doesn't have it. Just move on and don't bother to comment because when it comes to a future Fitbit you will be grateful to have voice commands and replies. 

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I know that I represent a minority (perhaps a small one at that) but I am purchasing the Ionic over the Apple Watch BECAUSE responding to texts and phone calls is NOT supported. In fact that is the primary reason I ended up with a Fitbit Charge 2 instead of an Apple Watch Series 2 in the first place (along with battery life).The thing that pushed me into the wearables market was fitness tracking, apart from that I hated the idea of smart watches. Not only do I not want to always be connected I don't want to signal to people that I am always connected and that I can always be reached, that is what a smart watch (especially the Apple Watch) signals.

My reason for wanting to upgrade from my Charge 2 is that I have liked being able to see texts, calendar reminders and incoming phone calls on my Charge 2 and wanted better support of those features as well as a waterproof device. However, if the Ionic had the ability to respond to calls and texts I would have gone with the Blaze and sucked up the fact that it is not waterproof. Again, I recognize that I am in the minority, but I am also pretty sure I am not alone. There are some of us for whom it is not just a matter of "not caring" about or having no "use for" certain smart watch features, we don't want them.  

[Spin0620]

I wouldn't respond to texts on a watch myself but when I'm in the gym and my phone rings I would like the option to dismiss the call rather than pull out my phone to dismiss the call. Don't need to answer my phone from the watch cause if I want to accept the call I'll pull out my phone and talk but defiantly would like the option to dismiss the call. 

[USAF-Larry]

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@Testimony777 wrote:

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I know that I represent a minority (perhaps a small one at that) but I am purchasing the Ionic over the Apple Watch BECAUSE responding to texts and phone calls is NOT supported.

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@Testimony777, you probably aren't as much in a minority as you think.  When I'm working out at the gym, I mute my phone so that it doesn't interrupt my workout. And, I see a lot of other people who do the same thing - they don't have such an important job that they can't take time out to be disconnected and be uninterrupted to have time for themselves.  Texts can be answered later, and phone calls can be returned, and the world will continue to turn....

[bbarrera]

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Testimony777 wrote: 

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I know that I represent a minority (perhaps a small one at that) but I am purchasing the Ionic over the Apple Watch BECAUSE responding to texts and phone calls is NOT supported.  

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Really? You have a Charge 2 and would upgrade to Blaze or Ionic, but not AW because it can actually save you time when YOU decide to save time? You want a bigger screen on wrist, but not help you be more focused or productive during the day? Do you have a smartphone? Yes? Then please get rid of it because responding to texts and phone calls is supported.

If I see a message that isn't important, on either my wrist, phone, or computer, then I don't respond and move on. Its basic time management, like going to bed at the same time every night. Having an AW and focusing on whats important has reduced the amount of time I spend in front of my smartphone.

[Testimony777]

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@bbarrera wrote:

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Really? You have a Charge 2 and would upgrade to Blaze or Ionic, but not AW because it can actually save you time when YOU decide to save time? You want a bigger screen on wrist, but not help you be more focused or productive during the day? Do you have a smartphone? Yes? Then please get rid of it because responding to texts and phone calls is supported.

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Yes; really lol. I am not quite sure how we got from "I don't want my smartwatch to be able to respond to texts and calls" to "I shouldn't have a smart phone" because it has those capabilities. Tech has a purpose, my phone is what I rely on to stay connected throughout the day. I don't need or (more to the point) want my watch to serve that purpose as well. I treat receiving notifications on my fitness tracker the same way I treat the other data it provides, it is information that I can use as I deem appropriate. So yes; having a bigger, brighter screen on which to view that data is a reason to upgrade.

But the other point of my post is about what a smartwatch (and specifically an AW) signals to the others. Like everything else we wear, carry or drive, our tech (for better or for worse) communicates something about us to the world. Wearing a Fitbit (a device widely assocaited with health and fitness) signals to the world that the wearer cares about/is into fitness. Wearing an AW (a device widely associated with productivity) signals that the wearer cares about/is into being connected. Both of those signals come with certain expectations. In the first example, it would be reasonable to expect that the Fitbit wearer works out on a regular basis. In the latter example it would be reasonable to expect that the AW wearer can be readily reached and will respond to a call, text or email within an hour or so. With the ubiquity of smartphones we already have that expectation of people we contact and that is intensified when the person wears a smartwatch. That is not what I want to signal to people around me. 

Like I said in my previous post, mine's is a minority opinion. Most people keep their phones on them at all times and check them frequently thorughout the day responding to various notifications moment by moment. Being able to do it all from one's wrist in that case would save time; I get it. But that is not true for me. 

[minigno]

@bbarrera,

From all your posts here, on a Fitbit forum, you clearly do not believe the Fitbit products are right for you...between not providing the metrics that YOU want, to the smart functions, etc.

That is totally fine, no one should try to convince you otherwise.  I agree, it's not for you.  What I don't understand is why you, who professes that you don't like to waste time and likes to be out and active and concentrate on what matters to you (themes of your posts), spends so much time in a product forum for a product he clearly doesn't like.

It's not for you, you're free! Get an AWS3 or a Vivoactive 3 (there's the metrics you want), and move on, and get out there and have fun! You don't need to try and save the rest of us, after all we know best which products are a better fit for us! Sometimes it's just personal taste.

[N8teGee]

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@Testimony777 wrote:

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@bbarrera wrote:To anyone that says "I don't care" or "I have no use" you honestly don't know what your missing. Its disingenuous to dismiss a practical and useful feature just because Ionic doesn't have it. Just move on and don't bother to comment because when it comes to a future Fitbit you will be grateful to have voice commands and replies. 

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I know that I represent a minority (perhaps a small one at that) but I am purchasing the Ionic over the Apple Watch BECAUSE responding to texts and phone calls is NOT supported. In fact that is the primary reason I ended up with a Fitbit Charge 2 instead of an Apple Watch Series 2 in the first place (along with battery life).The thing that pushed me into the wearables market was fitness tracking, apart from that I hated the idea of smart watches. Not only do I not want to always be connected I don't want to signal to people that I am always connected and that I can always be reached, that is what a smart watch (especially the Apple Watch) signals.

My reason for wanting to upgrade from my Charge 2 is that I have liked being able to see texts, calendar reminders and incoming phone calls on my Charge 2 and wanted better support of those features as well as a waterproof device. However, if the Ionic had the ability to respond to calls and texts I would have gone with the Blaze and sucked up the fact that it is not waterproof. Again, I recognize that I am in the minority, but I am also pretty sure I am not alone. There are some of us for whom it is not just a matter of "not caring" about or having no "use for" certain smart watch features, we don't want them.  

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There's no reason why a future firmware update can't bring a text reply feature, well at least predefined text responses, and I suspect it probably will happen at some point. Just out of interest would you keep the Ionic if that happens to be the case? 

[DramaQueenDiva]

As someone said earlier, I guess it's all in what you want in a smartwatch.

With my big mitts, I make enough typos using a regular phone because of this. If I need to text someone, I'll just use my phone. Bigger screen, bigger keys, both of which I need! So while texting is convienient, I'd rather use my phone.

That being said, the downside to my current watch is, while it does have an app, it's all in Japanese, which I don't understand. Having the app in an interface I'll understand is a plus! Besides, I love to swim, so the waterproof feature of the Ionic would be handy for me. Ok, technically, it's water resistant for up to 50 meters, which is more than 90 feet of water, so unless I take up scuba diving (not planning on it), I'm pretty sure I'll be okay!

[shipo]

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@DramaQueenDiva wrote:

Ok, technically, it's water resistant for up to 50 meters, which is more than 90 feet of water, so unless I take up scuba diving (not planning on it), I'm pretty sure I'll be okay!

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Just a quick correction; 50 meters is equal to a hair over 164 feet.  🙂