Are basic features actually behind a paywall?

[Rlaan]

Hello everyone,

The other week I bought the Fitbit Charge 4, when I looked at the description at a big retailer here in the Netherlands it said it tracks your sleep, different phases, gives a score, shows restlessness and your saturation which is what I really want. It also gives me access to my Spotify, which is really nice. And tracks my activity and gives me reminders, overall what I expect from an activity tracker at this price point.

So far, I've really been enjoying this first week, I like how it works, it looks and feels good... but I do have the premium trial active since day one, to see what it offers. Now one week later I noticed I don't actually want the premium service (mediation, work-out videos, reports or custom challenges), so I cancelled it (but on Android at least, the premium stays active until the last day, so I can't see what it's like for 'free users'). For me, I don't care about the previous mentioned 'features'. All I care about is for the tracker to remind and motivate me to stay active and track my sleep and to see my sleep data (as someone with a past of extreme insomnia). But when I look in the app, it seems like a lot of the details are hidden behind a paywall... even though it's being tracked... which seems absolutely ludicrous.

Can people tell me if this is right or wrong? If this is the case, I will unfortunately have to return it to the store to get my money back (which I thankfully can in my country up to 30 days at this retailer) and look for a different watch, which would be a shame! Because I actually like the watch. But I don't support these type of (criminal) business practices to sell a product, but don't actually give you access to what you pay for. But I really hope people can tell me that my impressions are wrong! Because as I said, I actually like the watch.

[Rlaan]

Let me note that the retailer didn't mention anything about this premium service, so I'm not blaming Fitbit if this is actually the case. But it would still be a shame.

[LZeeW]

Hello @Rlaan and welcome to the Help forum.  The basic stuff -- steps, calorie burn, sleep score, sleep stages, and so on are free.  This comparison page shows the difference in an easy to read format.  The detailed sleep analysis that has the three sections and sleeping heart rate is behind the paywall.  This detailed analysis can help explain why the same amount of sleep can give two different sleep scores.  Since you don't do the workouts, the detailed sleep analysis is the biggest change you will see.

My husband, daughter and son-in-law all survive quite well without premium.

[Rlaan · Accepted solution]

Yeah so basic features ARE actually behind a paywall, the hardware for the oxygen (which I paid for) I CANNOT use unless if I pay a monthly fee! Outrageous! Thankfully I can just return this and get my money back and look for a different brand which offers the full package without a monthly subscription. This is the definition of corporate greed. Such a shame, since it's actually a nice product. But this is not something I can support, maybe Fitbit changes their ways in the future, but that'll be too late for me then.

[Hoppy59]

The answers you've been given are incorrect even the one that mentions the list. It is not up to date. I pay nothing and have the Health Metrics which has skin temperature and SpO2 levels which are also displayed on the charge 4. Basically everything that you mentioned are now free no subscription required.

[Rlaan]

So you can actually see the following things?

- Time asleep & awake;

- Deep/REM/light sleeo;

- heart rate of the entire day (including when sleeping);

- Restlessness;

- Estimated oxygen during your sleep;

- Sleep scores.

[Laura247]

I just got mine, but what i can see on my verse 2:

- Time asleep & awake;

- heart rate of the entire day (including when sleeping);

- Restlessness;