Downgrading from Surge to Charge 2

[steveting99]

Finally have given up fighting the Surge to work as expected became a daily frustration. Issues that's been coming up includes:

1. Syncing with the iPhone 6 plus;
2. Touchscreen not working;
3. Back light not working;
4. Condensation under the screen;
5. Reduced battery life.

I've had the Surge of about 1.5 years and while item 5 can be expected, there came a tipping point where charging the Surge about every 5 days become every 2 days. Activities and use remained the same. For a flagship device from Fitbit, this is extremely disappointing.

Condensation under the screen became the last straw where legibility of the information on screen can longer be ascertained. It was time to throw in the towel and look for alternatives.

Looked hard at the competition and decided to downgrade to a Charge 2. It has the same functions as the Surge but two things.

• Needs a mobile device to get GPS. This was easier than I thought, as I already had an arm strap for the mobile device (weather proof) and develop a procedure to enable GPS tracking. The nice thing is that another app can be running in the background for GPS tracking as a check against Fitbit.
• Need to tap the screen or flick the wrist to see the info. A bit of an inconvenience and outdoor sunlight legibility (when wearing sun glasses) is hard to do.

The plus side is additional features offered on the Charge 2 that's NOT available on the Surge. This includes:

1. Sleep insights; 
2. VO2max score; 
3. Relaxation exercise; 
4. Smaller device and less conspicuous on the wrist; and
5. Lower cost.

Item 5 was the main reason for sticking around with Fitbit. So far the Charge 2 is working as expected (for the price paid) and I don't see the need to up-grade when the new smartwatch device that Fitbit will bring to market towards the end of the year. Unless the new smartwatch has a must have feature, the Charge 2 will be serving me for the foreseeable future.

[MakMak]

Thanks for the feedback, @steveting99! I've been pretty happy with the Charge 2, also. Another added benefit is the replaceable bands!

[WendyB]

I love my Charge 2. I agree on the replaceable bands as well. Love to change them out

[steveting99]

The Charge 2 battery is as good, if not better than the Surge. Whilst doing the same activities, getting an average of 6 days of use with the Charge 2, compared to a few days on the Surge - pretty good! 

Haven't tried changing the bands, will wait and see how long the current bands hold out. As I'm not having any allergic reactions to the material, so not in a hurry to replace it.

The VO2 max score and sleep insights are pretty neat features. 

Can't believe the Charge 2 is a lower cost unit than the Surge. Wish the Charge 2 was available when I was looking for an activity tracker and decided to get flagship device from Fitbit device (Surge). A note to oneself that getting a top of the line Fitbit product does not mean it's the right device. 

Unless the new smart watch from Fitbit has a killer feature, will be sticking with the Charge 2 for a long time.