Does Charge 2 have an altimeter?

[steelcranium]

So, DerekFit says here there's an altimeter in the Charge 2:

https://community.fitbit.com/t5/Charge-2/All-About-Charge-2/m-p/1527040#U1527040

I believe this is wrong. You can do altitude two ways, either with GPS - which the Charge 2 does not have, or, via a built-in pressure-based barometer, and FitBit makes no mention of this anywhere on their site.Take a look on the spec page and there is no mention of one. 

So I can't figure out - exactly - how this thing calculates flights of steps?

If it does, in fact, have a pressure-based barometer that it's using for flights of steps, then why in the world does this product not display altitude?

Just bake it into the software and have it be a menu item you can add or not to your watch.

Moderator Edit: Removed all caps and edited thread title.

[Rich_Laue]

To add to @MikeF's answer, the Fitbit will need someway of telling it your current altitude several times a day, before it could report actual height.

When it comes to altitude, while moving, reported by GPS there are problems and pilots are not alowed to use it as their primary source of info.

[marcv81]

@Rich_Laue, @MikeF, you guys are correct: I care about the elevation change, not the absolute altitude. It would be a useful training stat.

A barometer alone should be able to give useful enough information. I don't care too much about accuracy.

In fact a barometer alone can give useful absolute altitude information too, for some definition of useful.

[MultisportJay]

I too am looking for an altimeter display.  I am a mountaineer and I also run and bike.  I like buying gear that can be used for multiple sports. My current charge 2 was lost as was my old Sunnto watch which was geared towards climbing.  I would like to avoid buying two watches and get something that can be used for all of these sports.

[Rich_Laue]

I know that the altitude changes are recorded when the GPS is used.

[HDG]

I'd like not only an altimeter to know how high I went on my hikes, and I'd also like air temperature.  These features are both available on my cheapo bike computer, so should be a snap to add to fitbits.  Seems weird not to have them.

[Rich_Laue]

Your tracker does have an altimeter,  that is how it tracks flights of stairs.

Now after your ride you will notice an altitude sumary of your ride in the web based record. This info is not available on the app version.

Yes your tracker allso has a thermometer,  but this is to monitor the internal temperature of the unit. As for meaauring air temp, the unit is to close to the body to give any worthwhile temp measurements. 

[HDG]

Yes, but I don't want to go to the internet, I want to look at my charge HR in real time on the hill and see where I am. Since there doesn't seem to be any hurry to add this app, I put one on my smartphone, but that means I'll have to dig it out whenever I want to know rather than just check my wrist. Isn't the fitbit ll about making info like this easy to access?

[Bekahllama]

My Charge 2 reports that I have climbed stairs during times I know I have been driving so could not have possibly have been climbing stairs.  I drove to a place today, for instance, with no elevation change and yet it tells me that I went up 17 flights of stairs.  Figure that one out. I’m at a loss.

[Rich_Laue]

Fitbit doesnt try to use gps, while climbing stairs, GPS doesnt work very well indoors  

Altitude requires a minimum of 4 connections to 4 different satellites.