Connected GPS Run Inaccurate Distance (Screenshots)

[mynameisnick4]

I have done two runs with the Versa so far using the connected GPS to my phone and both runs have been extremely inaccurate. The first run was a 4 mile run, fitbit had it as a 3. The second run was another 4 mile run and at the half way point it had it at 1.4 miles instead of two.

I am coming from a Blaze and while it didn't match Google Fit 100% (normally off by .1 of a mile or so) it was never off by this much. Here are screenshots below showing it:

Completed run in Google Fit:

Complete run with Versa connected GPS:

The same run but with the Blaze and connected GPS:

And here today different location at the two mile mark in Google fit:

Versa connected GPS:

This is completely unacceptable. If this can't be permanently resolved (and I DO NOT considered constantly rebooting the device/my phone, pairing re-paring, etc a fix) then it will be going back. Add this to it deciding to give me an extra 3k steps while I was sitting on my computer doing nothing last night I am not that happy so far.

EDIT: Just noticed on today's run that the GPS line doesn't start until half way down the run but it was tracking from the start. Where it has the first mile marked isn't even a mile from the point the line starts. Just add it to the list I guess.

[BamIAm]

@kcronin, I got the new firmware, then reset mine again, and it reloaded it.

The only new thing that I see added is the "reply to text messages".  I think the overall operations are still the same.

What gets me is the way they take good GPS tracks (verified with Strava and MobileRun) from the phone and screw them up with this bluetooth connection problem.   

They should just fix MobileRun's pause problem and then they'd have a valuable fallback to give users having bluetooth issues.  On top of everything else, now the Strava / Fitbit link is broken too.

[kcronin]

@BamIAm My FitBit to Strava link is working fine. FitBit tracked uploaded
to Strava is what I am imagining you are referring to. I haven't done a
run tracked in Strava sent to FitBit in a while (appears in little Strava
Versa app). Is it Strava tracked uploaded to Fitbit that you guys are
having trouble with?

[Peterv555]

found the solution to the gps issue: https://community.fitbit.com/t5/Versa/CONNECTED-GPS/td-p/2703556/jump-to/first-unread-message

[BamIAm]

@kcronin, I tried Strava to Fitbit, nothing came over into Fitbit from Strava. I know there won't be a map, but would like to at least see distance, time, and maybe my heartrate and pace.  I get that when I log an activity into Fitbit manually.  I know the tracker has the data since it's the same as my daily collection.

I'm going to try the other direction, Fitbit (using connected GPS) to Strava today to see what it does.

[AndyCyclist]

I can't even tell what the Strava app on the Versa is supposed to do. Is it for runners, not cyclists? I've connected the accounts, I've had data transfer both directions, so rides recorded with Strava have distance and time on my Fitbit dashboard, and rides recorded with the Versa and connected GPS, when it works, get transferred to Strava.

But, as far as I can tell, the sole function of the Strava app on the watch is to display the message:

No recent

activity

Record a run to see a

list of your recorded

activities here

[kcronin]

@AndyCyclist  As far as I can tell the Strava app on the Versa is just for show.  You can check the stats of your last run but that's about it.  Yes, you get a teeny, tiny map and your pace, split times and run history.  Kinda cool, I guess.  Not especially useful.  At least Strava can map and measure your run/ bike correctly.

[AndyCyclist]

I found that there is yet another place to authorize. From the Fitbit phone app, under My Apps, Strava, clicked the gear icon and had to authorize there.

Now I see my recent activities in the app.

What I'd really like, is a Strava app to start/pause/stop my rides from the Versa, but recorded with the phone app.

[pixbuf]

Missing distance has been bothering me since the beginning. Every day I ride the exact same route, which I know is 20.3 KM. Very occasionally my Versa says 20.2 KM, but usually it's more like 19. Last May 9, I updated the firmware on my phone and since then the exercise app tells me I've ridden 13 or 15 KM! I followed the suggestions here and turned off my wifi before I rode today, and it told me I rode 19.8 KM. My phone is a Nexus 5X running Android 8.1. I read elsewhere that there was a problem with Fitbit and Android Oreo. Anyone have this experience or know anything about this?

[BamIAm]

@pixbuf, I think the issue is caused by Android's "high accuracy" mode trying to enhance GPS data with known wifi hotspots.

Turning off wifi forces the phone to use the GPS location only. My phone's GPS chip is generally able to provide a lock within a 20 ft. margin of error.  With wifi turned on I've seen some weird jumps off track when it tries to lock onto a hotspot.  "High accuracy" mode seems to be named wrong.

I'm still running Nougat on this phone, Motorola's not providing an update for it to Oreo.

[mynameisnick4]

If that were the case then why are apps like Strava and Google Fit that are also using the phones built in GPS tracking accurately?

[BamIAm]

My guess is that those apps do a better job of filtering out bad data points, thus producing a smoother, more accurate map.

[pixbuf]

"filtering out bad data points"? I doubt it. I notice sometimes while I'm riding that my Versa vibrates, says connecting, and pauses time and distance, until it can connect again. It looks to me like a watch-phone connection issue.

[pixbuf]

Two rides with wifi turned off gave me only about a 2.5% decrease from the correct distance. Then I rode today with the wifi off and the distance was 10% lower that actual. Guess I'm going to use the Strava app from now on. Very disappointed.

[charge2fan]

Two runs. Using the same Android phone, under similiar weather conditions.

One with a Charge 2 (that i have been using for quite a while)

And another run with the new Versa.

Wildly different numbers, which I think is due to Fitbit Versa constantly dropping bluetooth connection and trying to reconnect (says connecting on watch every now and then).

Please fix this Fitbit. I am very disappointed with the device. It certainly lookslike its been rushed to the market without adequate testing.

Please dont blame my phone and ask me to turn it off and on again, phone is fine. I have also tracked the same run in the past with apps like Endomondo which report the distance as similar to Charge 2

tracked run.

[pixbuf]

For the 30 rides (all on the exact same course) with the Fitbit Versa, the standard deviation of the distance traveled is 1.649 km. For the last 20 rides I made on the same course using Runkeeper to track my rides, the standard deviation of the distance was 0.0646 km. Same phone, same course. That's a big, big discrepancy. Fitbit, you guys HAVE to fix this.

[Sheldoreo]

I have an Ionic and my partner has a Versa.  We went for a bike ride today and whilst my Ionic worked perfectly, the Versa was terrible in comparison.  It had all the problems mentioned in this thread.

Connected GPS is garbage.  The best way to prevent data loss is to have the GPS device log the data itself.   The bluetooth connection should be used solely to send a real-time output (speed, distance, etc) to the watch display.

This is so disappointing.  Last week I ran an accurately measured 10K race with my Ionic.  The results showed a run of 10.09K on my watch.  It goes to show that Fitbit can produce accurate hardware and the Versa really should have a better GPS system to use.

The problem is that people who don't want the Ionic, but want built-in GPS, have no other Fitbit device to turn to.

[Courtenay_06]

Yup, these issues are frustrating. Aside from it adding extra steps constantly, it hasn't gotten my runs right for weeks now. I use MapMyRun for GPS, and it works perfectly. But look how Fitbit connects to it. 😂

Here is my 8-mile run from today, according to Fitbit:

Now here is my 8-mile run according to MapMyRun:

Look at how janky the Fitbit one is, and also, it stops recording runs randomly at either 1 or 2 miles in, every single time. So I always have to reset it. 

This is a disaster. I'm so angry I spent $200 on this. It's so full of bugs they should never have released this watch until most of these bugs were resolved. 

[PRT940]

I went for a 14-mile bike ride yesterday, and my Versa said I only went 3 miles.  It seemed to track my route pretty accurately, but for some reason, it calculated the mileage badly.  I hope they fix this soon.

[Sheldoreo]

As this is a serious issue (the watch is fundamentally broken if it can't track activities properly), perhaps the masses should try and contact James Park, Fitbit CEO, directly.

His twitter handle is @parkjames

[Berberis]

I have had very inaccurate distance logging. Especially after the .15 firmware update. The versa got disconnected very often from my honor 8 during exercises and often only logged half the actual distance.
Today i got the 2.72 update to the Android app and suddenly my bike run distance was spot on! I hope this was not a coincidence.