Next generation Alta HR/Alta with altimeter (stair counter)

[sjhowe]

I own a Charge HR because I really wanted to track heart rate but I originally bought the One so that I could discretely track my steps. The Charge HR is anything but discrete and I really don't like big wearable tech, especially ones that shout "I TRACK MY STEPS". More importantly, I always wear an analog watch and wearing two watches is just dumb.

When the Charge 2 was released I was really looking forward to updating my Charge HR, but the display is massive and looks stupid on my small wrists. Then I was beyond excited to hear about the Alta HR. My boyfriend was just about to order it for me as a gift until I saw they don't track floors so I had to call him in a panic saying "DO NOT ORDER - No floors climbed = No deal"! Thanks but no thanks. 

I understand that there are size limitations for what features can be included but please can you create a sleek/slim tracker like the Alta HR and Charge 2 put together that we don't have to be embarrassed about wearing? (Yes, I've had multiple times when I've gone out and got the "are you actually going to wear that?" in reference to my Fitbit). Something with sleep tracking, floors climbed, interchangeable bands, and small. Text/call notifications would also be nice 🙂

Moderator edit: Labels and title for clarity

[childofpacific]

Finally lost my One after many years of happy use. Truly bummed it was discontinued instead of the Zip, which I would have expected to be the first to go. 

I love lots of features on this AltaHR, and had decided I liked it better than my One, UNTIL I realized it doesn't do stairs. This makes no sense. It should be building on features without taking them away. I would much rather it did stairs than, say, read my texts. I have a phone for texts. If it can't track stairs, then it can't properly track calories. And if it can't properly track calories, then I'm getting cheated out of food. If you need to keep it sleek, remove the communication functions and put the altimeter back. It can't be that big--it fit in the little One just fine. And you might want to warn customers a little more prominently that it can't do stairs. 

[lmartin68]

Just thought I upgraded to the Alta HR from my Fitbit One only to discover no altimeter. How disappointing! I LOVE the slim design of the Alta (as I did the FB One). Disappointed that they didn't include flights in this product. Seems like a missed opportunity.

[sjhowe]

My Fitbit One finally died. I also have a Charge HR that I stopped wearing because frankly, it's ugly. Fitbit keeps telling me to get the Alta HR but it doesn't have the feature to track stairs climbed. As someone who hikes and takes the stairs a lot, the feature to track stairs is very important to me!

Please release a new generation of the Alta HR with an altimeter for those of us who want a small tracker that tracks stairs (and heart rate is also awesome)!

I've been told multiple times that they can't "fit" an altimeter in the Alta/Alta HR, but my little One was very powerful and track stairs (and most importantly it was delightfully discrete). I wish they hadn't discontinued the One...

[sjhowe]

As a side note, I honestly think that Fitbit it going in the wrong direction. Instead of trying to stay loyal to their current customers or to stay unique and innovative, they are trying to go "smartwatch" way by releasing a weird copy-cat of the Apple Watch (see new Fibit Versa).

[MarreFitbit]

Hi @sjhowe and commenters!  Nice suggestion, thanks for sharing. We look forward to hearing what other community members think. 

[CDE]

I agree—I want a tiny device to keep in my pocket, not a wristband style device. Fitbit should re-issue the One...or at the very least have all the main trackers including stair tracking in a small pocketable device. 

[sjhowe]

@CDE Unfortunately Fitbit has said numerous times that they will not even consider re-issuing the One. Quoting them directly: "Though it has been an incredibly popular product, we're discontinuing Fitbit One to keep our product line focused".

I don't think they realise how many people out there want a product like the Fitbit One or even the Flex (but with stairs tracking) that don't post here on Fitbit Community. They simply don't buy Fitbits. I can't even count the number of times my coworkers have asked me about my Fitbit One and have been so disappointed when I tell them that it's discontinued.

What I think Fitbit also doesn't realise is how much Fitbit customers actually love Fitbit and are so disappointed with stupid things like not being able to wear their wristband trackers to fancy events (all you obsessive step-tracking ladies like me desperately trying to figure out how to stuff your bras with your Fitbit when you're going to a wedding and you don't want to loose those dancing steps).

[SteffC]

It is so obvious that they are researching and developing what most people are doing, ie., the Apple Watch. I get competing with Apple for that business but they are losing sight of us who are hanging on loosely hoping that they do the right thing and see what we are saying. For the many people that don't have the Apple Watch or don't want the Apple Watch.... PLEASE make something and keep something for us! The minute that someone else makes what want I and we want, I will definitely consider moving from FitBit.

[sjhowe]

Hi @SteffC , please share if you do find a discrete tracking alternative! And I completely agree. The new Fitbit Versa looks like a knock-off of the Apple Watch!

I've been looking into "smart jewelry" now and the Bellabeat Leaf seems like a pretty neat option, especially for women!

[SteffC]

You know... I have called them and have written them to please please please make the Alta HR count floors. I have a Charge 2 and I absolutely agree, not only is it ugly, it is big and bulky and when you sweat it gets all wet under the strap... I so hate that! Do you know what they told me? Buy more than 1 type to do what you need it to do.... are you serious right now? I had a Jawbone UP that did everything and it was skinny like the Alta HR!!! If I didn't hate their customer service so much- I had a broken unit and it took them 9 months to contact me back. I am in between a rock and a hard place... I have gotten used to and love having a tracker, but absolutely refuse to buy more than one FitBit to do everything I need it to do. Hello FitBit???? You have customers that you are going to lose if you don't listen to us and what we want.

[Scrapjen]

@sjhowe  I've heard others say Fitbit's response is not being able to "fit in an altimeter" as you said ... what I can't understand, is the regular Alta and the new "Ace" (which looks exactly like the regular Alta to me) doesn't have all the heart rate technology that the AltaHR does, yet they are the same size, and also about the same size as the One. I never really understood why they had two Alta types (although I guess they did that with the Charge/ChargeHR originally too, people paying more for the heart rate feature if they wanted it). My question is though, if there is room enough to add the heart rate feature, which seems more intensive that a simple floor count, it seems there would be room for an altimeter in the basic Alta model that is missing all the heart rate technology. I realize adding floors to just the basic Alta model wouldn't help those of you who want both the HR and floors functions, but it would make the Alta (worn in a 3rd party clip) almost the same the discontinued One, which is what SO many of the original, non-wristwearing customers want!

[krussell47]

This would be huge as I am an active stair climber but don't like wearing watches but have decided to be better about tracking my movements. I bought the Alta HR yesterday because it's perfect for someone like me who dislikes accessories especially large ones (work with computers/servers daily).

Hopefullythis is a feature that could be pushed to current models via a firmware update. Please help us Fitbit!

[scutrone]

I love my fitbit. I've been using fitbit since the first Flex came out. I then upgraded to the Alta and then the Alta HR which I am currently using. However, the #1 thing missing from it is the ability to count floors. I synced my fiance's tracker to my account when we went on vacation to see how much I was really missing out on. We went everywhere together. We were on a cruise, which I'm sure as you know has a lot of stairs on this ship. The first day alone, we tracked 40 floors. That's only in 1 day!! I am sad that I don't get this ability with my Alta HR, but the Charge 2 is too bulky and cumbersome and not very sleek and lady-like. Please add an altimeter to the Alta HR. I know there are others out there like me who want this.

Thanks,

Shauna

[ChrPreece]

I have a Fitbit one and love it, but I am looking for more advanced tracking: more specifically a heart rate monitor!  My son has a Fitbit Charge 2, and I admire all of its features, but it is far too large and clunky looking for my wrist.  I was very excited to discover the Alta with heart rate!  It had everything I was looking for in wearable technology ... until I noticed it didn’t track floors!  I have loved, over the years, the different badges I have earned, and thinking about how high I have climbed. I would hate to loose that information, or stop tracking it, but I do NOT want a Charge 2. Please, Fitbit team, consider adding the altimeter feature to the Alta hr. It’s funny, but the ‘floors climbed’ feature, or lack of it, has become a deal breaker for me.  I am actually considering a Garmin for heart rate, so I can keep tracking the other info with my Fitbit, and the devices won’t interfere with each other.  If anyone has suggestions or solutions I would be very open to hearing them!  Thanks! 🙂

[Lishthedish]

I agree with you wholeheartedly! I think the people have spoken FitBit. Time to add the altimeter to the Alta Gen 2!

[Rach_Roo]

Completely agree, was really disappointed to find it doesn’t log stairs. 

[stefscarf]

i just learned, literally just, that the Alta HR doesn't count floors.  whats up with that! so disappointed.  i went from the Charge HR to the Charge 2.  now i wanted something more sleek and the Alta HR was it but since i am forced to climb stairs every day, it sucks that it wont track it. 

please add it.

[purplegirl029]

I have 3 products the One, Alta HR and Flex2 - I LOVE how the One tracks the "floors" and would LOVE the other two to be able to do the same, it seems all the trackers you make should have this capability - we do a lot of stairs but only get counted if I have the One on - lose a lot of calorie burned.

[jnorton193]

I agree; I have the Ultra which is slim and fits easily in my pocket.
A Charge 2 was given to me for Christmas; it was bulky and ungainly. It
eventually stopped counting stairs. I replaced it with an Alta HR, but was
very disappointed to find it does NOT keep track of stairs. It seems as
sleek as the Alta is, and as sleek as the Ultra is, they should be able to
combine and provide stairs and Heart rate monitoring. My Ultra still works
fine, but Fitbit will soon discontinue supporting it 😞

[murailles]

Just discovered it doesn't count stairs 😞

Like the small profile and interchangeable bands but it would be nice to have stairs without increasing the size

[SunsetRunner]

That would be a great idea.

[cheery_0]

How is it that a phone can count stairs/flights climbed but an fitness tracker can't. Would love an upgrade that can count stairs. My business is downstairs. I climb a lot of stairs to let customers in and see them out. I don't carry my phone every time I go up and down. Please add this feature.

[scaredofspiders]

I had a One for many years and I loved it. I decided I wanted a HR monitor and my One love diminished. I thought it'd be nice to be able to check my daily progress on my wrist. One love diminished further until I bought a Charge 2. I am in agreement with everyone here. It's bulky. It's ugly. I don't have man hands or wrists and it looks disproportionately large. I miss my One (which I gave to a friend who couldn't afford a tracker but needed validation that she is as amazingly active as she is). The ONLY reason I don't have an Alta or AltaHR is the lack of an altimeter. I thought I cared about the HR monitor but I find I really don't. I just want to track my activity, sync it to my phone and see where I'm at. 

I hike mountains. I want to know how high I've gone and how many floors total, too, because rare is the hike that goes straight up with no decline. 

Right now, there's no real difference between an Alta and a Bellabeat Leaf, except the Leaf is prettier and more versatile. The price is even similar, when the Alta isn't on sale.

Please, can we have an Alta capable of tracking floors?

[splitpink]

Please add this feature to the Alta HR  - I have it on my charge 3 and the wife is very disappointed she does not have it on here new Alta HR and she is up and down stairs all day and really really really wants this feature.

[jen_fisher18]

Hi there!! I'm torn between an Alta HR (because its slim and I have very small wrists) and a Charge 3 (because I specifically want to track multiple activities - multi sport mode)

Im aware the Alta can do Smart Track but its not ideal! Any chance the next generation Alta will have all the functionality of the Charge 3? And if so, when would the next generation be released? I'd happily wait 🙂