Finally, we have received the working GM feature and despite not having my expectations high it is kind of underwhelming. There are several things that could have been done better and considering how long it took to release it and the fact that Fitbit is owned by Google I expected a bit better integration (something like WearOS GoogleMaps, maybe without displaying an actual map if it's too difficult for Fitbit engineers).
The first thing I have an issue with is that the Maps records activity rather than the activity (maybe through the Exercise app) should initiate maps. We can choose navigation types for which we will see the direction: Walk, Bike, Drive and Walk and Bike are going to be recorded. Drive will be ignored (I will go back to it).
Activities record but missing crucial data
So where is the problem here? First of all, The Walk and Bike are recorded without GPS. It is kind of strange that while using the satnav we end up with non-GPS activity. I understand that the whole navigation is done on the mobile phone but this is where the integration of two companies should in fact shine. It doesn't. That is only half of the problem. We will have Walk and Bike recorded but not the only map is missing but any other metrics like distance or pace/speed.
Where's elevation gain?
There is a metric that appears in the in-watch app and doesn't appear on the Fitbit app - elevation gain. I find it bizarre that we can see the elevation gain in the summary on the watch but the metric is nowhere to be found later. Pity.
No sound
Here's another issue I have. The watch vibrates when something changes but does not emit any sound which sometimes would be better. Those devices have been equipped with speakers for two generations now and somehow Fitbit doesn't want to use them. Why lack of sound is an issue if we can feel the vibration? I have two use cases - cycling and driving. These are use cases that, if the watch is used for navigation, would probably require taking it off the wrist. I don't know how to cycle and look at the watch at the same time (especially when using drop bars when the watch faces the left or right side). It is unsafe and I could sacrifice HR for that (because anyway it's always recorded wrong on my Sense 2). I could do this:
I can attach the watch to the handlebar to see the navigation (btw, that elevation gain of 34m is visible in the summary) but then I can't feel vibrations. Looking at the road I need to observe the watch, too. Otherwise, I don't know how else this can be used for cycling (any ideas?). I do that with other watches, too and it works. The same problem would occur during driving
Should I use it for driving? I did it so you don't have to.
Driving works, too. There is a fair warning in the app about using it but I gave it a go anyway with a little hope in mind (that later). I kept the watch on my wrist and here's the problem. While driving, there is no way to see directions with the watch sitting on the wrist (at least, I'm not brave enough). However, the annoying bit is constant buzzing. This is a perfect use case for sound (if Sense 2 sits on my wrist, I'd rather have audio feedback than vibration). I thought about attaching the watch to the dashboard (and could use driving time to charge it). The reason was that I counted the driving will log Driving as an activity. Wouldn't it be nice if finally all the steps acquired during driving could be erased automatically? It's just a workaround as not everywhere we go using the satnav but still, it would be a useful feature - navigation in driving mode, log Driving and erasing false steps automatically. I thought Fitbit did think about it. Well... it didn't. Nothing is logged at all. This makes driving mode rather useless from that standpoint (and dangerous if wearing a watch on the wrist during driving).
What about walking?
That works quite well but mind, you won't be able to see metrics like your HR or pace (which isn't tracked) or even steps. You can pause navigation on the watch to go back to the watch face but then it will record each segment as a separate activity.
At first, I expected that the "Pause navigation on watch" button will pause it and allow me to resume it within the same activity. It's not like that. Pausing will cause recording multiple activities despite it being the same navigation session on the mobile phone:
Probably, it will work as walking with directions only but for people who want to see the stats and record everything as one activity, it will be disappointing.
I also tested one corner case. I started manually tracking activity and then started navigation on the mobile phone. I wanted to know what would happen then. Luckily, developers thought about it and we will see a popup screen asking whether we want to launch GoogleMaps (which will kill current activity) or stay where we are. In other words, we can't navigate while we are already tracking. This is also an issue in some use cases. Let's say we are on a long hiked and got lost. We still want to track it but continue with in-watch navigation (I've been in such a situation myself). This cannot be done. Pity. Again.
No way to start navigation from the watch.
Which is a surprising thing as WearOS GoogleMaps do it. WearOS offers a tiny touch keyboard (working surprisingly well) to find where we want to go but let's leave that alone. It would be useful to have a list of destinations (home, work etc.) and with a single tap start navigating from the watch. It's not asking for much, is it?
Not sure what else to say. It's a rather underwhelming implementation. Especially, if compared to what WearOS offers (and as a reminder, Fitbit is now Google so I see no reason not to compare) it is incredibly limited and for many, who cares what they track (hiking, running - no way to track that) and want to have a map in recorded activity this won't work. WearOS implementation is also a separate app but here's the difference - WearOS can multitask. I can track exercise independently by running GoogleMaps and quickly switch between two apps (on Galaxy Watch 5) by double pressing the top-right button. Sense 2 doesn't multitask so we have something like previously Spotify - kind of there but not there yet.
What I don't understand is why Fitbit didn't add metrics or at least showing to users' HR. Just add another screen. Is it really that hard? Or simply, send direction notifications into the Exercise app as a non-intrusive popup?
I will see if there's anything else to it. Considering all the problems with the release and how long it took to develop it I am disappointed. Does it really take this long to write pretty much "notification viewer"?
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