Is Charge 3 Battery Replaceable?

[bazz2004]

The original Charge models were throw away items at premium prices. Anybody know if the new Charge 3 model will allow for a battery replacement?

Moderator Edit: Updated Subject for Clarity

[SteveH]

There's no mention of it in the manual at https://staticcs.fitbit.com/content/assets/help/manuals/manual_charge_3_en_US.pdf so I doubt it.

[bazz2004]

Yes, I was thinking that.  It would make sense to mention it at launch as it's one of the biggest design flaws.  Roll on charge 4.  I won't be buying one unless they've addressed this issue.

[SantiR]

@bazz2004 Welcome to the Fitbit family! I moved this thread to the Charge 3 Board as there are more chances for you to receive an answer to your inquiry here. 

Thanks for taking the time to post your inquiry about the new Charge 3 tracker. Thanks for your interest in this device. 

Just as @SteveH informed on his post above; Charge 3 does not include a replaceable battery. It includes a rechargeable lithium-polymer battery that lasts up to 7 days. Check more information in the Charge 3 user manual and Charge 3 product page.

Hope this helps. Keep me posted! 

[Mizmelzy]

The battery is replaceable in the Charge 2. It's just not easily replaceable though. There is a YouTube video on how to do it. But a repair center can do it. Not sure how much it costs though. But an easy replaceable battery doesn't make for good water proofing or battery life.

[wekebu]

I would think it's the same as with mobile phones. Either you get a replaceable battery or you get a water resistant / waterproof device.

[SantiR]

@wekebu @Mizmelzy I hope you're doing well! Thanks for sharing your experiences on this thread regarding the battery of the Charge 3.

It is not recommendable to try and replace the battery of any Fitbit tracker (except Zip). This is because if you do this any chance of warranty will be lost. The best thing in those cases is to contact customer support for further assistance. 

Now, Charge 3 is swimproof up to 50 meters and automatically tracks your swims and can be worn in the pool or shower.

Hope this helps. Keep me posted! 

[bazz2004]

I received the answers I expected rather than what I wanted to hear.  Things haven't really moved on much.  I was hoping Fitbit would set up a professional service team to repair their products.  An offer to replace a Charge 3 at a reduced price is not going to keep me happy.  The battery and waterproof seals are something that could be dealt with if Fitbit wanted to go that route.  It remains to be seen how long the new model will last - not good when you want a quality item.  These gadgets are addictive but I'm over Charge 1.

[Criable]

Hi @SantiR,

I am hoping to get an answer for a simple question about charge 3- please help me out here and answer as directly as possible. Thank you.

My wife is interested in getting the charge 3 and I am all against it after having bad experience with the Versa. She insisted but has concerns about its battery. She is not concerned with its battery life per se (we all know its roughly around 7 days) but rather its longevity. We all know that batteries have a certain lifespan and when it reaches the end of it - we want to know if the battery replaceable? I am talking about a scenario after the warranty expires. 

If she decides to get the charge 3 - we will not want a situation where when the battery fails (after the warranty period) - that's it - time to get another new tracker. Please do let us know if this is true. From what I have roughly gathered in this thread - it seems to be the case

I see that you mentioned calling the customer service support several times in this thread; after the warranty period - is Fitbit willing to help customer change its batteries? If the answer is NO - then what's the purpose of calling the customer service support- to get a discount coupon for a new device?

We are aware that Apple explicitly indicates that battery is replaceable on their Apple watch. Please do let us know if this is also the case for Charge 3 - if this is not the case please explicit indicate to us as well - I want to make an informed purchase decision based on this answer.

Thank you very much

[investor]

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@@Criable wrote:
 

My wife is interested in getting the charge 3 and I am all against it after having bad experience with the Versa. She insisted but has concerns about its battery. She is not concerned with its battery life per se (we all know its roughly around 7 days) but rather its longevity. We all know that batteries have a certain lifespan and when it reaches the end of it - we want to know if the battery replaceable? I am talking about a scenario after the warranty expires. 

---

Fitbit wants you to replace the tracker instead of the battery. It will be more profitable if the company can service it, and will please customers. Service revenue is always more profitable, but since when does $FIT make any financial sense, they don't know how to make money.

My tracker started experiencing issues after a botched software update, where both the phone and tracker were draining heavily. My phone recovered but not the tracker.

If I learned anything from the Ionic and Versa release, it is to wait before buying. For example now will be a better time to get the Versa, but not Charge 3 (I canceled my pre-order). It is a shame because the issue with Fitbit is not competition or lack of resources but management's execution, they have a great brand and loyal customers but they seem to be determined to squash them.

If you are getting a Fitbit because you are not within Apple's ecosystem, for people who's tracking is important (Fitbit's most loyal customers), they can switch to Apple just to get the Apple Watch. I bet Fitbit never thought of this scenario, something I am now contemplating: I don't want the Apple phone but may not have a choice if I want a good tracker.

[wekebu]

I didn't get the apple watch or any other smartwatch because I don't like the design. In addition to the features of the Charge 3, I love it's sleek design. Not some massive clunker.

[KB9WNS]

Will FitBit have a FitBit or FitBit authorized service center battery replacement program for their trackers and watches?

[investor]

---

@wekebu wrote:

I didn't get the apple watch or any other smartwatch because I don't like the design. In addition to the features of the Charge 3, I love it's sleek design. Not some massive clunker.

---

I am happy with my current Charge 2, my issue is with the battery. It is a mistake not being able to replace the battery. Not only is servicing more profitable, but it opens more consumers into Fitbit's ecosystem, because the moment I open my mouth that I am getting a new tracker there is at least one person that instantly asks for it so they can give it a try. Instead, they go in the trash. I am getting barely a day battery, it started draining almost overnight from 4-5 days to 1 day, all after a software upgrade that Fitbit later reversed because it was draining battery.

I think battery drainage and the syncing issues many are experiencing will soon be history, because Fitbit is in the process of migrating to Google Cloud, see April 30th press release and blog. It should also free up resources to focus on improving software and opening up healthcare. I would like to stay within Fitbit but right now, I need to upgrade, prefer Charge 3 to Versa but may have to go with Versa instead because there are likely to be fewer issues.

I am watching the reports here and on Amazon. The tracker needs to be at least as accurate as the Charge 2 so that my trends are statistically accurate even though I switched devices.

[bazz2004]

This topic is now going well off course.  Clearly the battery is not replaceable and only time will show how long a Charge 3 will last beyond the 1 year guarantee.  Fitbit are not offering any repair service at this time.  I'll be patient and await something better.  

[Mac_Arez]

Didn't kno this company run by bloodsucking parasites and hire retards.

Will Never ever buy a fitbit ever again.

Is my first and last time .

Will never ever recommend fitbit to anyone.

I Didn't kno this company run by bloodsucking parasites and hire retards.

Will Never ever buy a fitbit ever again.

Is my first and last time .

Will never ever recommend fitbit to anyone. 

Moderator edit: merged reply

[MarySchuster]

I bought my charge 3 8 months ago, and it seems to need to charge every other day now. Is that normal?

[Margfit]

I am in the same position as MarySchuster. I bought my Fitbit Charge 3 last Christmas 8 months ago. And the battery needs recharging every day. Is this normal or do I need to get it checked? And where do I do that? Thanks for all replies and suggestions. 

[Chickqueen]

My Fitbit charge 3 lasted 6 months....wouldn’t hold a charge longer than 4 hours...wouldn’t show the heart rate...

phoned customer service....they gave me two options. 

1. Replace the tracker

2. Receive a 50% discount offer on any Fitbit device. 

I chose the replacement tracker...I hope I made a good choice, and hope the battery will last longer on this one...

When I purchased this Fitbit I just assumed it would last at least 4-5 years...wasn’t even thinking it was a throw away after a year or less. If that turns out to be the case and the battery doesn’t last...I will never purchase Fitbit again!

[Wmiles]

I got my Charge 3 in November of 2018 and my battery died about 3 weeks ago. They wouldn’t do anything but send my the discount be the manufacturer warranty is only a year. So I’m screwed. The batteries aren’t replaceable according to them.

[DuanePeters]

I’m not going to invest more money in this thing. Seriously the battery no longer accepts a charge and I’m not going to purchase a new watch just for the battery.  Going to move on to another product. Good luck.