Windows Phone Compatibility .

[LightWizard]

Hi, I have my new Fitbit Force and I'd love to able to sync it with my Windows Phone.  While my current phone doesn't have Bluetooth 4.0 (the Nokia 1020, which support Bluetooth 3.0), I will likely be upgrading when the next versions of Windows Phones come out...

IF they have Bluetooth 4.0, I very much hope that Fitbit will support the Windows Phone at that time.

Moderator edit: updated subject for clarity

[Jim_M]

You can vote for this in the "ideas" section, but my gut feel is that the supported Andriods will be expanded long befoe the Windows Phone of Blackberry is supported for syncing.  Andriods supports the generic software interface that the fitbit app needs as of Andriod 4.3, and both Windows Phone and Blackberry would need the proper interface in their respective OSs.

[happytoon]

@MatthewFitbit  Now that almost all recent windows phone have Bluetooth 4.0 LE onboard since last year (amber release for the Lumia range was summer 2013), this is no longer an idea but a must for fitbit ... This is one of the most voted idea (so far 214) and this doesn't take into account all the people who want WP Sync but are not aware that they need to ask Fitbit to develop it...

In my case, I found the "vote for the idea" page by pure luck in a comment on fitbit facebook page... I have been using Windows Phone (lumia) for almost 3 years now and only found that page 2 weeks ago !!! look at Windows phone dicussion group (such as WPCentral) and you will see that Sync support with WP 8 is high in demand...

If you don't want to do the app, fine, but at least release the sync Api to developer so that third Party Fitbit apps (such as the excellent Fitbit Tracker) can sync with WP 8...

Furthermore, WP 8 apps are cross platform (ie WP 8.1, Windows 8 etc) with a minimum of effort (thank you Microsoft)...

Furthermore, the WP 8 ecosystem is not as fragmented as the android platform, ie Lumia and HTC represent a large part of the WP devices and based on the same WP OS APIs (WP 8 is not open sourece, not every manufacturer can do what they want with it, ie can't break it as easiliy as in Android)...

How long would we need to wait for this to turn from an Idea to a reality  ??? 

You have a large community of WP 8 users who are feeling neglected as "second class citizen" in the fitbit world...

Please.... (do we need to beg ?) 

[happytoon]

@Jim_M I agree that WP doesn't have yet the market share of Android or iphone, but WP is getting stronger everyday and there are countries (outside the US) where WP is even progressing better than iPhone and android (UK for instance)...

Furthermore, the WP ecosystem is not as fragmented as the android platform... No need to "extend cover" with WP as most of the device run the same OS, the same API and often the same chipset... OEM have far less liberty to "tweak" (ie brake) a component than in the open source android where everyone can have their own implementation of a component, leading to imcompatibility and apps runnings on one android device brand and not on another... the effort spent on expending the Android Support could be far shorther and to a greater effect if put on wp8,  resulting in the support of an entire plaform (not only a specific model of a specific brand running a specific flavour of an open source OS)...

Furthermore, WP 8 apps will be compatible with WP 8.1 and can be cross compiled for WIndows RT, Windows 8 and Windows 8.1... Microsoft is aiming at developing 1 app running on all platform in a very short (next year) future... one app = millions of devices supported !

I still hope that Fitbit will address this urgently as a lot of WP user are not even aware that they have to vote / ask to get it done... I only discover that "idea" page by pure luck 2 weeks ago...

If by the "Androids supports the generic software interface that the fitbit app needs as of Andriod 4.3" you mean Bluetooth 4.0 LE (Low Energy) support, this is available on most WP 8 Lumia device since summer 2013!

Lets still hope that Fitbit will address this quickly...

[Einstein]

I can not find a single fitness tracker from any vendor that works wirth WP, so there is nothing odd with fitbit not supporting it.

[happytoon]

Indeed, since nobody did it, why should they do it ? To capture market shares perhaps...
Were there any fitness tracker Syncing with iphone before Fitbit? Lucky that Jawbone did one before otherwise fitbit would have never existed, if I follow your way of thinking 😉
If nobody never do anything first, nothing happen... No innovation etc...
There is no fitness tracker that sync with WP (how many device like fitbit is there on the market anyway... an handful) but there is now an HR monitor belt which connect to WP over Bluetooth 4.0 LE...
"Sports-Tracker.com" did it (first) as soon as WP 8 supported BT 4.0 LE....and now are way ahead of there competitors... I only wished fit it had the same "fighting" spirit...

[SunsetRunner]

While Windows phones have been capable of supporting BT 4.0 LE, the Windows Phone OS will not support it until they release 8.1. That is probably keeping everyone on the sidelines. It doesn't mean no one is getting an app ready.

[happytoon]

Hi Patruns,

If Bluetooth 4.0 LE was a WP 8.1 feature only (ie not yet released), I guess that:

-  the press has been lying to us (WP users and developers) for nearly 1 year now...

- Nokia Support team probably have no clue about their products since they announced the support for Bluetooth LE in Q4 2013...

- and companies like Addidas and Sports-Trackers should be taken to court for selling product with false claim since they are currently selling HR monitoring belt which exchange data with Windows Phone 8 (not 8.1) ... !!!

See the links below...

- Nokia support (2013):

- WPCentral Nokia Amber release (Nov 2013)

- Adidas Mi Coach: Many users confirm (jan 2014) that indeed the HRM Belt work and sync perfectly over Bluetooth LE (BTLE)... One also confirmed that a TomTom HRM connect well with his lumia 520!

- Addidas Mi-Coach has a Nokia + iPhone + Android device on their page, they support all 3 platforms

- Sports-Trackers HRM Bluetooth LE supporting all platforms, Windows Phone 8 included

As stated previously, Bluetooth 4.0 LE has been released on Nokia Lumia devices during Q4 2013 with the Nokia "Amber" software release... This is now also widely available on all Lumia devices who have the Nokia "Black" release (Q1 2014)...

On Nokia devices (the vast majority of WP devices) Bluetooth 4.0 LE is NOT a  WP8.1 feature but a WP 8.0 feature available for the past 7 months !!! 

In case of any doubt, perhaps the FitBit developer could look at the Nokia developer documentation for the Windows Phone 8 (not 8.1) Bluetooth LE API documentation and how to program it !!!

Also, the Lumia 920 Bluetooth hardware certification (dated 2012)... Bluetooth 4.0  and Low Energy Controler are supported...

Or perhaps those guys have invented this report as well 😉

@Patruns, nothing personal of course, but I have seen too many "technical" excuses from FitBit and alikes for not developing on Windows Phone 8.0... WP 8.1 simply make it simpler !

Please, Fit Bit developers, wake up !!!

Hopefully a WP8 FitBit app soon !

[SunsetRunner]

Yes, some updates to Windows 8.0 on Nokia phones have added support. But, not all phones running 8.0 have it. Until there is widespread support of BT 4.0 via Windows Phone 8.1 I do not think developers are spending much time on it with all of the compatible Android and iOS devices out there. Give it time, 8.1 is due out very soon.

You might find this article in particular relevant to Fitbit and the other players and the SDK availability:

http://www.wpcentral.com/fitbit-hiring-product-manager-windows-phone

[happytoon]

Hi patruns...
Indeed, the article you quoted gave me some hope last year, but nothing since... Therefore, I am very concerned that the release on WP 8.1 upgrade next month may not necessarily means an official fitbit WP app...
Also, Nokia represents a very large part of WP devices. 1 device, the Lumia 520, on its own represents 1/3 of all devices worldwide...And contrary to the very fragmented Android platform where most vendors can tweak the OS... Microsoft has a tighter control, hence support one device and you support all...
Anyway... I do hope you are right and we will have an app for WP next month with WP 8.1...
Lets see...

[Jim_M]

It's not just Bluetooth Smart (BLE) that is needed.  To support the WP, a whole, brand new app needs to be written.  And it was just last fall the WPs passed Blackberry in sales - when Blackberry was about to go brankrupt.  WP is a TINY part of the mobile market (something like 3%).  That is why there aren't any vendors supporting WP with their activity trackers.  Or Blackberry with theirs....

[Jim_M]

Can you name a single vendor of activity trackers that have anounced a plan to allow syncing or a "view only" with a WP?  WP is a tiny part of the market (3-5% at best)

[happytoon]

Well, the app is already written... A developer did the Fitbit Tracker, an excellent free app which only needs to sync with the device... I've already suggested to Fitbit that if they don't want to support the WP platform, they could either buy the app from the developer and add the Sync code or give the Sync Api to the developer so that he can add the Device sync support... Job done to a minimal effort...
look at how many people are,asking for fitbit sync with WP on this forum but also wpcentral etc... Small market share but well targeted to the Fitbit user population... Whereas Blackberry targets the business segment etc...

[PureEvil]

...and now iPhone is about 10%.  And it easily gets more than three times the attention as Windows Phone by Fitbit.  Android is burying iOS and still iPhone gets more attention.

If we were looking strictly at marketshare, then Android should get 4x as much attention as any other platform.

Windows Phone marketshare is the one that is growing the fastest (by year over year percentages).  To quote Wayne Gretski, "I don't skate to the where the puck is; I skate to where the puck is going to be."

-Frank.

[happytoon]

Gentlemen, 

I have recently received the official release of Windows Phone 8.1 a couple of days ago...

I am pleased to report that my Fitbit One paires and connects nicely with my phone...

See my other post for screenshot : Fitbit One connectED with Windows Phone 8.1

There is no longer any excuse about WP not officially supporting BLE 4.0 ....

The question now is: WHEN can we expect the official app (with sync) from Fitbit ???

The WP 8.1 SDK is now available for sometime and they already have a Win 8 app towork from !

Surely they must have already progress quite a bit on the WP official app and be ready for the WP 8.1 roll out (happening now)...

OR are they still thinking about it ? (ie "under review", not under development)...

I, as many WP users (see the commentS on the forums) are eager to know WHEN the official app will be released, even if in a basic form at first with following update.

Sync with the phone is essential... (and now technically possible)

I can use other means (web dashboard, Fitbit Tracker app etc to see my data)...

When is WHEN?

Tony.