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Fitbit Blaze — A fitness watch that’s as stylish as it is smart.
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I'm a big fan of my FitBit Charge HR (until it broke after a long jacuzzi sesh), but I'm always looking for a fitness watch that can really be an all-in-one. I'd really like a watch that looked nice and didn't require me to carry my phone. The FitBit Surge is close, but doesn't allow me to play music without carrying my phone. (Side note: Carrying a phone isn't a problem on normal runs, but in a relay race like the Ragnar, using FitBit's app to track runs is a momentum and time killer.)
TomTom's new Spark Cardio + Music seems to be the closest thing with music storage, bluetooth headphones, and built-in GPS, but it's very ugly and is very unappealing to wear as a 24/7 tracker, not to mention their mobile app looks like it could use a lot of work.
The FitBit Blaze looks like a step in the opposite direction, something more fashionable and sexy, but relies more heavily on your phone than the Fitbit Surge. I'd really like to see FitBit find a way to loose the need for a phone when you're in fitness mode, but pair nicely with your phone and fashion when you're at work or on the go.
Fitbit Blaze "received critical acclaim from the leading industry tastemakers in attendance at the Consumer Electronics Show 2016," winning 17 awards. http://www.businesswire.com/news...
Funny I was just talking about Fitbit's next move while on a long walk with my partner just on Monday. As a Fitbit Surge owner for 11 months I was really keen for interchangeable straps so this has made me very happy. Seems like gps has been downgraded so we can't track location without the phone but if I want that I guess I can still use the Surge. I strayed away from the Fitbit eco system briefly in 4 years to try the misfit but it was a lonely space. All I need Fitbit to do now is create a completely waterproof option and a 7 day challenge!
This is pretty much the ideal smartwatch for me to give to my parents, both of which have been using fitbits for a little over a year now.
For me personally however, I still don't know why smartwatch makers (Motorola, Apple, and now Fitbit) want us to wear a watch while working out. Maybe it is my personal preference to not wear a watch while working out.
@gigitsui I'll be very surprised if we see water proof versions of any of these devices before hydrophobic treatments become reliable. Their barometer which they use for height (read: altitude and knowing if you climbed stairs) require holes in the device to function properly.
Until then, charge it while you're in the shower or doing dishes. 😄
@trulyadamant Why not? Barometer hasn't exactly stopped players like Garmin, TomTom or Polar from offering waterproof fitness devices.
As a fitbit fan, I feel their product strategy is akin to the Canon/Nikon DSLR roadmap: incremental improvements in each new model but there's *invariably* missing key features so you'll be buying a replacement in 2 or 3 gens time. Guess they don't want to do a GoPro where older models still works too damn well ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
@gigitsui I don't know too much about those devices but those first two are GPS companies. Are we sure that's a piece of hardware they include?
It's huge and has a very masculine style... I guess that's a prerequisite for smart watches now?
@lancescadden the music controls work for Spotify on the Surge so I'm sure they will work on the Blaze.
@inorganik This is a big part of the reason I don't own a smart watch - they all look comically bulky to me (on my skinny wrists). I like this otherwise, but wouldn't own it for the same reason.
@lancescadden The Fitbit Blaze music controls will work with any music app that uses your phone OS's music control functionality.
Just saw all the hype about this on Twitter!
You can read announcements on Fortune, TechCrunch, Bloomberg, Business Insider, Mashable, Gizmodo, Venture Beat and The Verge
@jeremiahlee tell us more 😛
After the holiday season I'm sure this is going to be a hit!
What inspired the design? I've seen lots mentioned in the Twittersphere
It's nice. But the price point seems a little high. If I'm going to spend $199 on a smartwatch, I'd rather dish out a little more and buy an Apple Watch.
@jimmyamash I like the price point. "A little bit more" for the Apple Watch would be another $150 for the base model - which is almost double the price of this FitBit.
I think it's a good and strategic price. I bought a used Pebble for $60 because I wanted notifications on my wrist but didn't want to pay $60. However, it made my phone burn up to 200° and the LE always disconnected. From the Pebble app reviews, it looks like iOS 9 messed with the functionality of the Pebble.
If this watch can reliably deliver notifications and, of course, successfully deliver all of the fitness related features, I think they have a win on their hands. There's a reason Fitbit is still thriving after the launch of the Apple Watch - they're focusing on other USPs.
@swb1192 That's true. But I'm looking at it for its actual purpose, tracking and following fitness goals - which current Fitbit devices already do. If I need anything more than that (whether it's detailed push notifications, or an expensive interface), I would buy a device that focuses on more than just fitness.
@eli_s_kami you can make an argument that the product isn't as good as alternatives like the Apple Watch but this is the first gen and I have to give them props for exploring new things. Sometimes great products and fresh ideas come from people or companies from other industries.
@eli_s_kami Fitbit pioneered the wearable space 8 years ago. As of Q3 2015, it reported over $1 billion in revenue and 13 million devices sold this year ( https://investor.fitbit.com/pres... ). Fitbit is the industry leader, with more marketshare than Apple in wearable devices according to IDC ( http://www.idc.com/getdoc.jsp?co... ).
Download the Fitbit app in your phone's app store and try it out. You don't need a Fitbit device to get started. Hopefully you see why millions of people love Fitbit. And if not, we always appreciate constructive feedback.
@rrhoover @eli_s_kami Agree 100% w/ you on that. My point was more related to where will FitBit be in the next 5..10..years. There is no question that FitBit has done an awesome job at marketing their products & their success has proven that. To @jeremiahlee point, they've been a leader in the space for 8+ years. However, the question at hand is where will FitBit be in the next decade. If their plans are to rely mainly on great marketing campaigns then they will have to face the same market reactions as GoPro did this past year. This year alone GoPro's market value declined over 70% (I know bec. I own a good chunk of it). The reason for this is they don't have any real Patents/IPs to back them up. They're just a badass marketing agency with a camera to take them along the way. However, in GoPro's case, they've shown strength in pivoting their brand into the drone and VR space in the coming years. On the other hand, when it comes to FitBit, this first gen isn't gonna cut it. Can they bounce back? 100%!, but taking the stance that they're an industry leader & not looking to change their ways isn't going to cut it. Just check the reports for yourself, in only one year FitBit declined from 33% to 22% of the wearable marketshare (still more than apple). I only wish them the best of luck and hope this exploration into the unknown proves victorious. I'll even buy some shares to have skin in the game. (apology for typos on my iPhone)
The lack of GPS was a no-go for me unfortunately. Plus I didn't find any exciting features that would make this a compelling buy. The design is somewhat refreshing but the fact that functionality is so limited to fitness-only (by design) but I can only imagine having to tell everyone who sees it on my wrist that it is not really a smartwatch like Apple/One-of-the-many-Android watches.
Has anyone tried it yet (e.g. at CES or any other trade shows?). I have a Fitbit HR that I really love, except the vibrations from the alarms/ goal achievement are kind of annoying. They just dont feel that great so I turned them all off. Anyone have a chance to see if they improved this on the new Fitbit smartwatch?
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