Hello, I write within this section as the proper "Product feedback" requires me to agree some T&Cs and the button to agree them is buggy and doesn't work, so I resorted to writing here.
I would like to express my concerns over the fact that Fitbit, after Google stepped in, is mainly focusing on removing features instead of adding them.
I'm in the market for a new smartwatch/smart-tracker and I will likely end up buying an Apple Watch, even though I, alongside many other people, would prefer a smartwatch suitable for very basic things.. things which most Fitbits, in their current hardware form, would be able to greatly achieve at a lower price and with a substantially better battery life. If Google/Fitbit implemented with very low efforts a few software features, they would ultimately increase their sales and customer satisfaction and would cover a market which neither the Apple Watch nor the Pixel Watch properly address (that of people who already have enough devices to charge daily and who do not need any crazy/complex features).
Basic features such as a calendar app, a reminders app, the ability to control playback (of ANY app) and the possibility to use the device as a remote camera shutter-button are some of the main reasons why one would buy a wearable in the first place. Also, newer Versas and Senses could definitely support (at least on Android) a Contacts app to place calls straight from the device itself. Enabling ALL of these features would require a simple software update issued to virtually almost any Fitbit. Previous Charges and Versas had some of these features, but the trend was that of deprecating playback controls and the Agenda app (and even the Google Assistant) to clearly favor the Android-only Pixel Watch, which only took the worst parts of the Apple Watch, such as higher price tag, a poor battery-life and platform-exclusivity.
Fitbit is clearly pursuing the strategy of offering devices which will no longer partly replace a phone, given that no third-party apps are available and that music, audiobooks and podcasts cannot be downloaded locally...hence what's the point of paying for a (seemingly lackluster) GPS antenna, if you're still forced to carry your phone to go running (which I do fairly often).
At this point, buying a Fitbit is like playing Russian roulette, as you never know which features will be removed next, with future software updates. This further confirms and exacerbates Google's reputation for killing off features rather than sticking to them and improving them.
Ultimately, many would welcome it, if Google allowed Fitbit to position itself to cover a specific market and release the potential of its products.
Hopeful that this (loooong) message reaches some Fitbit/Google exec, I thank you for you attention.
Best Regards,
(written by a Fitbit user for 8 years)
