Fitbit Surge - Is Fitbit Surge being discontinued?

[MP1322]

I was told by a salesperson at Best Buy that the Surge was being discontinued and not ordered by them anymore. Is this true?

Moderator edit: Clarified subject.

[akocleo]

I honestly hope it does get discontinued.  I'm at my 2nd Surge, my original had wristband falling apart and Fitbit can't fix it... really?  Some external companies actually sells replacement bands now... so why can't the real company do it?  My 2nd one is a replacement through warranty, which is just 5 months old, now has condensation on the screen and guess what, the remedy is put it in a bowl of rice... put a 200$ piece of equipment on a bowl of rice... mind blown.  It's not even worth trying because the problem comes back.  And if you are out of warranty they just give you a 25% discount to buy a new one.  So... with that being said... just put this device out of its misery, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE discontinue it.  Save other people from wasting their hard earned money.

[YojanaFitbit]

Hi @akocleo, so glad to see you here again! Sorry about the issues you experience with your Surge bands. I truly appreciate your thoughts in regards our product. We've taken your feedback and I can tell you that as company we try to give the best service and product so user can have a rich experience while they work towards their goals.

Once again thanks for your comments and let me know if I can help you further! 

[akocleo]

@YojanaFitbit sorry for being a pain, I love that you admins have so much patience, I love how customer support that I talk to really tries to help within the limits of what they are allowed to by Fitbit.  But Fitbit as a company has to wake up and take responsibility with product defects, the condensation thread on Surge has been open since Dec 2014. That's a loooong time to not have a permanent solution for what looks like a very common problem.  Fitbit asking support staff to give instructions like putting Surge in a bowl of dry rice should stop.  It makes the whole company look like a joke.  I know that method works for drying up stuff, I've done it before for things which were never meant to get wet... but an expensive fitness device is by common sense expected to withstand moisture and sweat, Surge is even advertised as "water resistant" so it should never need to be put in a bowl of rice... ever.   Before ever wearing any fitness watches, my regular watch which I wore always even during workout... for more than a year... never had to put it in a bowl of rice.

[steveting99]

Hi akoclea,

I agree with what you've said. My Surge is now having issues syncing with both the iPhone 6+ and Samsung Galaxy C7 Pro. The app on the iPhone won't even let me log onto Fitbit 😞

Think the Surge is now on it's last legs and should go in the direction of the dinosaurs. 

Issues are coming up when the warranty has just expired, so kinda disappointed in the Surge. For a flagship device from Fitbit and having paid the premium as well as the full price, having issues indicates some compromises were made. Either in the design or production stage. I expect better from Fitbit.

If the next flagship device from Fitbit has the similar quality issues as the Surge, will be looking at alternatives. I.e. bye-bye Fitbit.

[YojanaFitbit]

Hi guys, it's great to have you around @steveting99 and @akocleo! 

Thanks for getting back @akocleo! It's good to know that your feedback pinpoint some positive things about what you experienced. As mentioned before, Fitbit is always trying to give excellent service providing exceptional products. I understand you point and your comments have being heard. I hope you can keep enjoying your activities with us!

@steveting99 I appreciate your comments, but I think that this post is a duplicate from the one you have a different syncing thread. Let me address your issue there to keep the information on the correct board!

Have a great day! 

[steveting99]

Hi Yojana,

Yes, agree that issues on the Surge should be taken to a separate thread. Have responded there accordingly.

Keeping OT, when do you think a replacement for the Surge is coming along from Fitbit? The Surge is getting long in the tooth and there's been no flagship device from Fitbit in years. In the past few years, have to wonder what those $100's of millions in R&D are being spent upon by Fitbit management team?

If Fitbit's management team is continuing to delay a flagship device that will keep consumers interested, expect to see competition from the likes of Garmin to take away the high end customers. Just a thought and an opinion my part.

[YojanaFitbit]

Hey @steveting99, totally understandable! Your opinion is welcome here! We all are expecting what will be the next generation regarding Fitbit trackers, at this moment I have no insights about it, although I'm pretty sure Fitbit team is already aware of the necessity of innovation but we'll have to wait until we get more information about it. Thanks for your comment and keep posting around we're happy to see you're active in the Community!

Excellent day to you! 

[SwampMonster]

Well after reading all the comments that have gone before I'm a little bit well shocked I've had my surge for over two years and yes the strap did start to split and Fitbit exchanged it straight away. I personally have probably given my surge quite a bit of abuse and its still going strong after two years i wear it every day for training and when doing such silly things as Total Warrior races which involves a lot of water and mud but a quick wipe down at the end and still its going strong. I have been hoping however that Fitbit would release a new version of it along the lines of the blaze or upgrade the Blaze to include the built in GPS.

I have just been on the Website and can no longer find the Surge as a product under the store part of the site and if you select compare devices and select builtin GPS no devices are listed.

Big shame, as much as the Blaze and some others can be linked to you phone to use the GPS not realy advisable when you do some of the runs i do the poor phone wouldn't last two minutes.

So come on FItBit lets see an new Surge or an update to the Blaze to incorporate the GPS built in. 

[YojanaFitbit]

I'm glad to see your comments here in the Forums @SwampMonster. Welcome! 

I really appreciate your feedback, I think that you've really enjoyed your Fitbit Surge, that's good! In regards to your inquiry, you can suggest that option in our Feature Suggestions board: Fitbit Blaze with built in GPS. The more votes and comments an idea has the more visibility and momentum it gains. Implementing enhancements to Fitbit trackers and services take time. 

We all are waiting for more options with Fitbit! Stay tuned! 

[Higs456]

Apologies for raising an old thread but I did look for something more recent. 

It looks like the Surge is no longer available in the FitBit store so I guess it is now formally discontinued.

I know we're not going to get new products launched on the community forum but I'd be interested to hear what's coming next. Any rumours? Must have onboard GPS for me - I'm not taking my phone with me on a run.

Edit - just a bit more info. I'm from the UK (and that's where my FitBit is registered) but currently in The Netherlands. It seems the Surge is no longer on the Fitbit UK Store or the NL one but is still on the US Store so maybe it's just discontinued in Europe?

[Frenk]

My Surge wristband is broken and im offered a replacing Surge. 

Or 50% discount for another device. Surge is not sold any more at fitbit.com. 

Will there be a new fb with gps any time soon? Because then i would buy the new one instead of another Surge. Grtz

[shipo]

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@Higs456 wrote:

Apologies for raising an old thread but I did look for something more recent. 

It looks like the Surge is no longer available in the FitBit store so I guess it is now formally discontinued.

I know we're not going to get new products launched on the community forum but I'd be interested to hear what's coming next. Any rumours? Must have onboard GPS for me - I'm not taking my phone with me on a run.

Edit - just a bit more info. I'm from the UK (and that's where my FitBit is registered) but currently in The Netherlands. It seems the Surge is no longer on the Fitbit UK Store or the NL one but is still on the US Store so maybe it's just discontinued in Europe?

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I ran across a web site last night which showed pre-production images of the new Fitbit SmartWatch, a device which is supposedly going to be released in Q4 this year.  Funny thing, during the spring of this year I ran across an article in a financial magazine which referenced the new Fitbit Surge replacement as being delayed so they can work out some manufacturing issues and to make sure the condensation issues with the Surge are fully solved.  If that happens to be true, I applaud Fitbit for not rushing the new device to market.

Off the top of my head, here are the features I remember reading about last night:

• Replaceable bands
• Red LEDs for the Heart Rate Monitor (which allows for more accurate and detailed information such as O2 levels in the blood)
• In-built GPS
• Full color display (don't remember if they indicated whether it was an "always on" display)
• Four day battery life
• On the market in time for the 2017 holiday shopping season

For my part, I really like a lot of the things about my Surge; the inability to easily replace the bands is a minor annoyance for me, however, fogging has really been the Achilles heel of this device.  Long story short, if the new device is waterproof enough to survive being on my wrist for long daily runs in hot humid weather, it should pretty much be a slam dunk hit.

[SolangeE]

Hey there, @Higs456, @Frenk, @shipo! It is nice to have you here. As you said the Surge has been discontinued from the Europe stores by now. 

However I encourage you to check out some of the latest released trackers that are awesome, like the Fitbit Blaze or Fitbit Charge 2! About the new trackers we do no have details yet, or specific release date but I can assure you that it will be based on the feedback you've all provided and a better experience than before. So keep an eye on the page!

You can also take a quick quiz to see which one fits you better. Let me know how that goes! 

See you around friends.

[shipo]

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@SolangeFitbit wrote:

Hey there, @Higs456, @Frenk, @shipo! It is nice to have you here. As you said the Surge has been discontinued from the Europe stores by now. 

However I encourage you to check out some of the latest released trackers that are awesome, like the Fitbit Blaze or Fitbit Charge 2! About the new trackers we do no have details yet, or specific release date but I can assure you that it will be based on the feedback you've all provided and a better experience than before. So keep an eye on the page!

You can also take a quick quiz to see which one fits you better. Let me know how that goes! 

See you around friends.

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I'm not at all interested in either a Blaze or a Charge 2.  Why?  Because I hate carrying a phone with me when I run so I want a tracker with in-built GPS.  I noticed on the Fitbit page yesterday the only Surge currently available is the "Small" size.  All others are "Out of stock".

Speaking strictly for myself, I have no interest in either a Blaze or a Charge 2.  Why?  Because I refuse to carry a phone with me when I run which in turn means I want a tracker with in-built GPS.  With the Surge now discontinued and only still in stock in the "Small" size, that means I'm going to try to hold out for the new Fitbit SmartWatch, or failing that, look further afield.

Moderator edit: merged reply

[Higs456]

@SolangeE

I already have a Charge HR which I wear most of the time. I put the Surge on when I need GPS i.e. when running or MTBing so neither the Charge 2 or the Blaze would work for me as a replacement for my Surge.

I look forward to seeing the replacement for the Surge, hopefully you are keeping the GPS sport tracker (Surge) separate from the 'smart watch' (Blaze) line. 

[steveting99]

Looks like the roll out for the new smart watch from Fitbit is starting soon. 🙂

Unfortunately for me, since my Surge just recently died due to the screen becoming useless when condensation got in, got a replacement device. Charge 2 is doing well for me and have little to no intention of getting the new smart watch.

[VF31AE3]

Looks cool. Sounds cool. But what about replaceable bands and battery? I know it's too early to tell. I'm prepared for the worst and hoping for the best!

[SwampMonster]

Would like to see it with interchangeable straps but it does look like a fixed strap in the video let's hope it's not. As much as I love my Surge the strap now after almost two and a half years of use is starting to look a bit tatty 

[AlessFitbit]

Hey everyone! I wanted to clear up any confusion about this. We do not plan on discontinuing Surge anytime soon. It will remain available on Fitbit.com and if this changes, this thread will be updated with more information. 

@shipo Sorry to hear about the condensation issues on your Surge! I checked in with our Support team and noticed you were previously given a replacement due to this same issue. If you're still experiencing this, please know we're always working towards improving our products and all your feedback is appreciated. If you have any questions, please let me know. 

[shipo]

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@AlessFitbit wrote:

Hey everyone! I wanted to clear up any confusion about this. We do not plan on discontinuing Surge anytime soon. It will remain available on Fitbit.com and if this changes, this thread will be updated with more information. 

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I'm curious, how can you say there is no plan on discontinuing the Surge when they went out of production months ago, and other than a few "Small" sizes, they are basically sold out world wide, including on the Fitbit web site?