I only have one left wrist. For the past 9 years I have chosen to allow Fitbit to own that real estate on my wrist as my watch of choice starting with a simple step counter. Over the years I have upgraded to get better sensors, and therefore better insights into my overall activity and health. In December 2022 there was no question I would once again purchase a Fitbit device to gain access to a whole new generation of sensors and I chose the Sense 2. The upside was that I could still buy a "fitness first watch" which is reimbursed by my employer/health plan, and not have to give up the more common features now available on Smart Watches of every brand that also have sensors now comparable to the top-end FitBits. Then came the bait and switch.
No actual third party app support. Fitbit response: you misunderstood us. No consistent syncing of data the watch is supposed to display that came from the phone (Sleep score, Weather to name the ones I would like tto use most). Fitbit response: just refresh the watch sync in the app. I was even ok with the loss of the third party apps as long as the rest of the product worked as expected. Fitbit response: Upgrade to Phone App v4.0 (just now available after being told this weeks ago) and the latest (non-existent) firmware for the watch. We are now almost a year on and I still have to pick up my phone to see my sleep score. I still have to pick up my phone to see the current weather and near range forecast. I hit sync within the phone app and I still don't get the updated sleep and weather data pushed to my watch consistently. I love Google Wallet access but it is not _really_ Google Wallet since cards added to the wallet are not available on the watch, especial the simple things like bar codes and QR codes and cards added via the Fitbit App don't backfill into the "real" Google Wallet. As a result of all of this, I have a $300 sensor on my wrist that lets me see what time it is and use NFC for purchases. The $100 per month glucose sensor I have on my upper arm that has to be replaced every two weeks is a better value proposition not because it is feature rich, but rather because it does what it claims to do without fail every minute of everyday.
As a software developer and engineering support manager for a realtime mobile application, I get these things are hard. Although hard, these problems are solvable and should not takes months or years to resolve. It is time for Google to just own up to the reality that regardless of internal policy, the public perception is that Google bought Fitbit for the sensor technology and the algorithms to embed in the Pixel watch as their flagship product. By continuing to allow the fitness first products, like the Sense 2, to be the product of choice on my left wrist dilutes the Pixel Watch market.
Me putting my line in the sand is inconsequential to Google, whose building in the West Loop of Chicago I get to look at from the window by my desk everyday. That view reminds me everyday that my customers are drawing their own lines in the sand based on whether my team performs as expected to make the hard things work. The Fitbit division of Google is failing that regard.
I wish everyone within the Fitbit division at Google nothing but the best but you are on a sinking ship. If you have not been tapped to work the WearOS side of the house it may be time to start looking for a new job, especially if your compensation is anyway tied to the continued success of the FitBit line of fitness first watches.
