Is Fitbit One being discontinued?

[geepondy]

For the second time in a year I lost my Fitbit One.  When I go to replace it, I see the major local stores, Target, Walmart, Best Buy no longer carry it and even on Amazon, only the black model readily available.  Is the Fitbit One being discontinued and if so, is it being replaced?

[lovlie1982]

With all do respect @KateFitbit let me reiterate for you that all of who use the ONE are disappointed in the lack of comparable replacement for the one. You might be 'hearing' our feedback but you aren't 'listening' to it. Instead of making changes to your product line to keep us on track with the most up-to-date health and fitness tools like you say, why don't you listen to the fact that not everyone wants the latest and greatest. We want what we have come to love out of this device we ALREADY have! Not everyone wants MORE, BIGGER, BETTER!  And you mention you 'understand' there is a lot of love for the One and that this isn't the solution everyone wants, but I don't really think you do actually understand because if you truly honestly understood more would be getting done to make sure that a viable replacement was being made! I'm guessing Fitbit is more concerned with and worried about getting your new $299.95 Ionic out there and doesn't have time for us measly dedicated One users. I've utilized Fitbit's customer service many times between my account and my husband's and have had nothing but stellar things to say and I've convinced many folk to buy your product, I'm super sad to say that this one terrible, horrible, no good, very bad experience will likely be the one I'm telling others about now. #disappointed #iexpectedbetter

[marigoyle]

Time to look at other trackers to see if there are any other wearable mfgs

with the same features.

[momice]

---

It's nice that our feedback has been "heard". But as someone else stated, is it being listened to?  The only viable alternative to the One for me, if you don't come up with a clip on that is better than the Zip, is to buy from another company.. I have been using Fitbit trackers for several years now. I started with the Zip, and had to have it replaced three times. The One has been a great product up to a few months ago when it started needing to be recharged increasingly more often, and had syncing problems everyday. In addition o that the iOS app glitches everyday now too. Despite these problems, I have stuck with Fitbit, but this is the last straw. I don't know why you are discontinuing the One. I wish you would be honest with us. And if you ready care about keeping your looyal customers "on track with the most up-to-date health and fitness triacking tools:,  you would give us an reasonable alternative. I can't afford your pricey wrist trackers, and I wouldn't buy one even if I could. 


@KateFitbit wrote:

Hi Everyone, I wanted to reiterate that your feedback has been heard. Please know as we introduce new products, we occasionally make changes to our product line to keep you on track with the most up-to-date health and fitness tracking tools. We do understand there is a lot of love for the One and that this may not be the solution that everyone wants at this time.  

We hope this thread is a useful place to discuss alternatives to the One, if you find yourself without the tracker. 

Most importantly, we will continue to support the One and provide troubleshoots and replacements for devices in warranty. 

---

[Redliana]

Exactly!  I am a research chemist and I cannot wear ANYTHING on my hands or wrists; therefore, it is not simply that I view the wrist based devices as unpalatable, but rather they are not a viable alternative.

Fitbit One users that CANNOT pivot to wrist based alternatives are a very small market segment, and since Fitbit is now a publicly traded company they are willing to jettison the One because the return on investment (ROI) is not meeting their avaricious stock holders expectations (i.e., profit margin is not high enough).Customer loyalty has no bearing on their decision to discontinue the One, so we shouldn't waste our breath pointing out that we've been long term Fitbit customers, that we've brought additional customers into the Fitbit family, etc.  

The only thing publicly traded companies heed is declining profits.  Abandon Fitbit and encourage everyone you know to adopt competitor products.  

[marigoyle]

LOL, I posted this but cannot find it:
Please understand, when Fitbit began, it was a wonderful experiment that wanted to serve customers. Then it started going more for profit so it could go public. Now its only concern is shareholder. We customers are the conduit to making them money and there is no reason for them to be loyal to us. And they aren't.
Old customers don't matter, just new ones.

[SunsetRunner]

---

@KateFitbit wrote:

Most importantly, we will continue to support the One and provide troubleshoots and replacements for devices in warranty. 

---

So why hasn't Fitbit popped up a notification on the apps telling each One user about the battery drain issue that Fitbit caused that's been going on for two months?

Because Fitbit knows that most people won't visit the forums, will conclude their device is at its end of life or is faulty, and hopefully upgrade to a pricier model.

Because offering discounts or replacements to people who do discover these threads for Ones that are fully functional but are being crippled by a software update that Fitbit refuses to fix will help drain the One stock level so Fitbit can focus on the Ionic. So it costs a bit of tech support—it's better in the long run. For Fitbit.

To remove the One from Fitbit's product line without a replacement and then to let a critical battery issue drag on for two months is really saying what Fitbit thinks about One users. We don't need or want platitudes. First, fix the battery drain problem. Second, announce an even better replacement for the One. Then we'll listen.

[JanisC]

---

@KateFitbit wrote:

Thanks everyone for your contribution to this thread. I have an update to share. 

Though Fitbit One is a popular product, we are always working to streamline our offerings as we introduce new products, which are coming later this year. Fitbit One will be removed from Fitbit.com and some retail partners over the next few months. 

If you’re looking for a new tracker, we recommend considering the other discreet options we offer—Fitbit Zip if you prefer a clip-based tracker or Fitbit Flex 2 if you prefer a slim, wrist-based tracker. You can learn more about these trackers plus the rest of the Fitbit family of products at https://www.fitbit.com/compare.

Please note that we will continue to support the One, even when it is no longer available, and provide troubleshoots and replacements for devices in warranty.

We apologize for any inconvenience and hope we can continue to provide you with Fitbit trackers you love and help you reach your goals.

---

Since you are discontinuing the One, If I were to get a flex or Alta can I take it out of the band and put it in a pocket and have it still track "accurate" steps?

[Jmorrin]

I loved my One, but it has had  constant sync problems, and I’ve tried all the different solutions. I finally gave up and ended the frustrations. I’m NOT inclined to wear one on my wrist, so I’ll look at the new one, *or* a competing product. 

[JanisC]

If you find something comparable can you post so that those of us that don't not want to use the wristband solution that Fitbit proposes can look for other solutions.

Sent from my iPad

[melodywhippet]

You can purchase a clip for Alta on amazon. I have got one but as yet have not yet tested it

Sent from my iPhone

[Sallyread]

I would love to hear what others have found as viable alternatives. My One is just barely working, needing charges every day and syncing irregularly. But I hate to give it up. Good luck to all of us.

Sent from my iPhone

[Newgrama]

I love my fitbit one but it is old and will no longer hold a charge. I want a tracker that counts steps, flights of stairs and I can keep in my pocket. I do not see a product that will do this! I'm very discouraged!!

[JanisC]

(Melodywhippet) Once tested could you you advise please.

[Newgrama]

I have nothing to test. Fitbit no longer makes a product that counts steps that will clip in a pocket.

[Sallyread]

But the Alta does not count stairs, a metric many of us want to keep. 

[JanisC]

Sorry my reply was to melodywhipett....not sure how it went to you..

[JanisC]

I would like that too but NOT wearing wristband is more important.

Sent from my iPad

[AJG45]

I have tested the FitBit Alta in the pocket clips being sold on Amazon.  The clip I have used is the spring clip. The clip appears to be at least as well made as FitBit's clip for the One and has slots to hold the band connection lugs on the Alta which make it more secure than the One clip.  I have not tried the magnetic clip and I have read reviews on Amazon about the magnetic clips not being reliable.

My testing was done walking on a measured course over a known distance of five miles where I have physically counted my steps before.  This trail meanders along the river.  It has no sharp turns or features which interfere with a consistent and constant stride other than the 180 degree change in direction at 2.5 miles which is meaningless in the contest of this test.  My results show that the Alta is as accurate clipped to my pocket using one of these clips as it is when worn on my wrist and, based upon my known and pretty consistent stride length, I'd judge it to be accurate within +/- 2% which It think is well within reasonable expectation.

What I have not tested is the accuracy of the device in normal day to day activity such as moving from my chair to the kitchen to get a cup of coffee or to the file cabinate or washing machine. In other words, I cannot speak to the accuracy of either the wrist band or the pocket clip in the normal starts and stops and walks to the bathroom or from the bed to the dresser that we all do a fair amount of on a daily basis.

Notwithstanding what I consider to be the excellent performance of the Alta (at least as far as I've been able to measure it), you need to keep in mind that it does not measure stairs or hill climbing.  For those of you who use and want this feature (and I am one of you), the Alta is not an equivalent device to the One.  Surprisingly, I have found no equivalent after market pocket clips designed to work with the Charge 2, which would be an equivalent to the One, although a substantially more expensive alternative.  For those who want the steps climbed or elevation increase feature, I have also found no competing device by any other manufacturer.  On the other hand, my experience with the Alta would make me hopeful that a Charge 2 simply carried in the pocket might produce equal accuracy, but I'm not going to purchase one to test that hypothesis.  Does someone here have one that you could run a similar test on?

[JanisC]

Thank you for posting this.

Sent from my iPad

[DogsWalking]

Sometimes leaders of companies are shielded from what is going on in the bowels of their company as management only tells them the good stuff.  I don't know if that is the case here.  We do know the Chairman and Chief Technology Officer of the company are the founders of the Fitbit organization.  Their names are James Park and Eric Friedman respectively.  Sometimes people are more effective going through an investor page, than they are through these forums.  On the Fitbit Investor page, they have an email contact address which is investor@fitbit.com.   I'm going to send the following email to this investor page.  It will read:

"I have been a loyal Fitbit customer for a number of years.  I started with the purchase of the Fitbit One.  I love the clip on device because it worked well for me.  I spend a lot of time in a factory and outside in construction work.  There is no device I have worn in the past that takes the abuse of being on my arm very long.  In addition, there are safety concerns with things getting caught in a wrist band.  I did however purchase other wrist devices for my family members and an Aria scale.

I have great respect for Eric Friedman and James Park.  I'm concerned however Fitbit's choice to discontinue the One will cause me to have to look elsewhere.  I ask that both Mr. Park and Mr. Friedman read the forum on the Fitbit blog Re: Is the Fitbit One being Discontinued?  If I were an office of the company, I would be very concerned about what is being posted by Fitbit One users.  I believe this is something they should pay attention to as shareholders of the company."

I encourage others to also work through  the investor emal address.