Does Versa include SPO2?

[rcooked]

I am curious if this device contains the SPO2 sensor that is hopefully going to add to the Fitbit abilities moving forward.

Moderator edit: updated subject for clarity. 

[MasterHigg]

Still not resolved.

Moderator edit: Word choice 

[Pceeeee]

Adding my dissatisfaction. C'mon Fitbit I'm almost done waiting...

[Michaelg68]

Just wanted to reply so I would get updates... I really want the O2 sensor active. Sometimes it seems to work for the sleep cycle, but there's no pattern to it.  Is Fitbit testing it at times?

[MasterHigg]

has never been enabled

[DreamDriver]

 I need SpO2 monitoring for when I fly my private turbocharged aircraft at altitude.  I use a portable pulse oximeter but would like to have the functionality on my Fitbit Versa.  I don’t need it for sleep apnea.  Any idea when this will be available?

[pbug56]

There are a great many people who have been asking that question for a
couple years now. No clue, none of us even know if it works.

[Turbohoje]

100% agree, half the appeal of this was the ability to make a js app to
incorporate this

[MasterHigg]

Precisely never

[pbug56]

I don't understand their attitude. That's why I doubt that even if there
is a sensor, that after multiple watch models having it, that it is
actually usable. Because if it is usable, it would have taken little
effort to add the % to a watch face and to the sleep app. And, they would
make it available in the API's that external developers use for apps and
watch faces. That they don't do any of this, plus reports we've heard that
a sensor with a red light showed up during a beta test, strongly suggests
that if it works at all that it works very poorly. What it doesn't answer
is why they would have model after model with the sensor not enabled - if
it doesn't work, find another supplier.

I don't know how many others in this discussion have experience as software
developers - I was an active developer for 20 years. I'm guessing that a
fair number of us are. Fitbit has to know that techies like us and others
would question this situation. That they have no answer at all suggests
what they think of their customer / sucker base.

[pbug56]

You are missing our point. We are not experts on the subject, rather we
read ads and bought these watches based on the ads. I needed 2 main
things, heart rate AND SPO2. Heart rate is fairly accurate, usually works
ok. Accuracy has been tested against finger clips AND live EKG equipment
(professional in medical offices and a hospital.) We are not asking for
perfect 100% clinical accuracy, but enough to see what's going on. For
instance, in analyzing my sleep, I know I have apnea but lost a huge amount
of weight. The sleep app looks good, but without O2 numbers I can't verify
that! And when I do a brisk walk or long walk, it would help to see how my
O2 level is.

[Parapilot]

You can see my post (Parapilot). My daughters bought me mine for my 60th birthday for the same reason as I often launch at 11,000ft and thermal up to 14-15,000. I am beyond pissed off with this company. I ended up buying a cheap rip off https://www.banggood.com/Bakeey-G20-Dynamic-UI-Weather-Target-Setting-HR-Blood-Pressure-Oxygen-Monit... . This does actually work in that it goes down as you go up in altitude but I rely solely on a huge bulky SPO2 clip on which is built into my thermal glove. Unfortunately all of them require you push the button to display a reading which is hard when you are cranking thermals. Personally I would like one inside my helmet like my vertical speed vario that gives different audio tones for different levels. The whole idea of the Fitbit was so I didn't have to carry the clip on finger SPO2. Epic Fail Fitbit to quote my youngest daughter who spent her hard earned cash whilst at college to buy this with her sister.

[pbug56]

What bothers me the most is that they still advertise it when after so long
they appear to not be able to or willing to make it work.

[DGH74]

Sooooooo i suppose fitbit now wants me to buy the versa 2 for the promised SPo2 for just 199 euros ?

shame

[Gabro]

Maybe you are right!

[FieryFox99]

Will the original Fitbit Versa indluce sleep features like Sleep Score and smart wake, and use the SP02?  The hardware is there and we were promised it would record SP02 as per initial advertising....

If they don't I will never buy a Fitbit product again.

[pbug56]

The specs of the Versa2 include the mythical SPO2 sensor.  But the features make no mention of it, so it sounds like the vaporware has extended itself to the newest product offering.

[SteveH]

---

@FieryFox99 wrote:

Will the original Fitbit Versa indluce sleep features like Sleep Score and smart wake, and use the SP02?  The hardware is there and we were promised it would record SP02 as per initial advertising....

If they don't I will never buy a Fitbit product again.

---

Yes, sleep score and smart wake will be coming to the Versa. See footnotes 1 and 6 in the press release for the Versa 2

[SteveH]

@pbug56 wrote:

The specs of the Versa2 include the mythical SPO2 sensor.  But the features make no mention of it, so it sounds like the vaporware has extended itself to the newest product offering.

---

@pbug56 I think this section of the press release is probably related to the SPO2 sensor:

"Estimated Oxygen Variation Graph : Coming soon, this graph will provide users with an estimate of the variability of oxygen levels in their bloodstream. The data is derived from a combination of the red and infrared sensors on the back of your device. Being aware of short-term variations in the oxygen levels in your bloodstream may indicate variations in your breathing during sleep."

[starst]

All analysis charts, of which there are far too many, are based on the data.

If the data is weak it will be like looking through a foggy window. No chart is going to clear that up.

So, obviously, with more detailed heart and O2 data reliably gathered from a finger-based sensor that’s where we’ll go. For some crazy reason, we aren’t there yet.

Of course, that means the watch is superfluous. It can be used but so can the phone. The watch, or phone, can be sitting on the nightstand, if you’re gathering heart and/or SPO2 data at night; which is where it should be. 

The finger-sleeve format has other benefits. It may be stable enough for exercise. There are entire fields of data-gathering and analysis waiting to be tapped. But it's possible these watch companies are more interested in marketing on current and nearly un-deliverable promises…They can still make money on unwitting customers today.

But if you’re going to waste your money for those heart and sleep charts, at least wait for the device which can give you the data properly… the finger-based, Bluetooth-enabled sensors. I think I’ve cautioned this for the last time on this thread (the first over 2 years ago).

[pbug56]

But it sounds like O2 level info MIGHT come to Versa2, not Versa?