Fitbit is a renowned American company that manufactures wearable consumer electronics. It’s mostly known for its amazing smartwatch series. Since the beginning of the company in 2007, Fitbit managed to amaze its customers with each and every smartwatch it released. Proving the success of the company, Google bought the company in 2019. Google bought the company from the original owners for a whopping $2.1B. With this, it was predicted that the company will be more efficient. Reviewers believed that Fitbit will be able to innovate newer features and products much faster than ever.
It’s more justifiable to say that these smartwatches are activity trackers rather than watches. Depending on your needs you can choose either a Fitbit tracker or a Fitbit smartwatch. The tracker version allows you to track a whole lot of your activities. Whereas the smartwatch type presents you with more smartphone-like features. Tracker mode Fitbit watches present you with a wide variety of features to track your activity while you engage in your daily routine. Whether you walk, run, cycle, swim, or work out at the gym Fitbit can keep track of you and give you a detailed report of everything afterward.
What can they do?
In terms of activity tracking, Fitbit uses 3 axis accelerometer to track your motions. Fitbit can accurately determine the number of steps you have taken, the distance you have moved, and even the number of calories burned. Using Photoplethysmography, Fitbit can determine the volume of blood in your wrist and in turn determine the heartbeats per minute. Fitbit tracks your motion throughout the night as well and delivers a personalized sleep score in the morning. Other than that Fitbit can provide you with workout routine tracking as well. Oxygen Saturation (SpO2) measurements, skin temperature tracking breathing rate tracking, and heart rate variability are also important tracking features. If you are a woman you will be fascinated by this feature of Fitbit. It also considers your menstrual data when giving a detailed health report.
By adding friends to your account in your Fitbit app you can monitor your friends and family’s progress in workouts as well. You can even send them a message of encouragement within the app. To make it more interesting Fitbit will also present you with Fitness challenges. You can complete these challenges personally or even as a team with your friends and family. If you are overwhelmed with what Fitbit offers you can even get a premium subscription to the Fitbit app. With this premium subscription, you will unlock many new features. Personalized challenges and much more detailed health and wellness reports are highlights. You will also unlock newer sleep features. Guided programs on how to sleep better, and eat less while being more mindful will be definitely useful as well.
For stylish you
Fitbit smartwatches also come in a variety of styles. It does not matter whether you are a man or a woman. Fitbit got the latest styles on both the watch face design and band design. Be it a simplistic, minimal design, a cute design, or a cool design Fitbit got it all. Most importantly there is plenty of colors for you to choose from. So with Fitbit, it’s easier for you to track your fitness data while being stylish. Hence Fitbit smartwatches are loved by their users spread all over the world.
Now that we know what Fitbit smartwatches are, let’s move on to the highlight of the article. With this article, we will answer all your questions. What feature did Fitbit decide to remove from their watches? Did the users hate this feature so much that the company decided to remove it? Or did the company simply decide that this feature is no longer needed in their smartwatches? Let’s get into the business.
No more PC Syncing
This is a feature that many Fitbit watches released until now had. Which is the ability to sync data with your personal computer. But no, users did not hate this feature at all. In fact, users who used it loved the idea of syncing data with their PC. Other users dint mind the feature being there. As it just solely existing didn’t compromise any other feature or facility they enjoyed in their watch. Even though the feature was there for quite a long time there was no significant uproar from the user community about this. We assume this is mainly because the majority of the users use their smartphone for syncing data with their Fitbit watch rather than their PC.
The biggest downside caused by this drop in syncing function is that users won’t be able to sync local music files on their personal computers into their Fitbit watch. Earlier, users could sync local music files from their computers using the Fitbit PC application but due to the discontinuation of the feature user won’t have the luxury of doing so anymore. Since they won’t be supporting desktop syncing the Fitbit Connect desktop application will also be discontinued. As per the company notice, nothing will happen to the music that you have already synced into your Fitbit so you don’t have to worry about losing the existing music in your Fitbit at all.
No more music?
Now you might be probably asking the question. Does this mean that you can’t get new music onto your Fitbit at all? Yes, you can. You will simply need to install Deezer or Pandora app onto your smartphone. Yes, you will have to rely on two not-so-popular streaming services for your music syncing from here onwards. Can’t call that a great change, but you will have to get used to that if you wish to listen to new music with your Fitbit smartwatch.
This comes with another downside. You have to pay a monthly fee to use both of these services. You will have to say goodbye to the days when you just simply downloaded a song to your PC and listened to it on your Fitbit while working out in the morning. Instead, you will have to use a paid streaming service. Fitbit does mention that you might be eligible for a 90 days trial period from Deezer or Pandora but afterward you will have to pay to continue using the service. Deezer comes with a price tag of $9.99 per month while Pandora comes with a price tag of $4.99 per month for normal service and $9.99 for the premium subscription. But Fitbit might extend this to Spotify and Youtube music as well in the future so that you can use your existing Spotify subscription if you are using one.
Even though this means a huge oops for many users of Fitbit, this won’t deem a big problem for newer Fitbit smartwatch users. Devices like Fitbit Versa 3 only support music downloads through Deezer or Pandora apps. The changes will come into effect from 13th October 2022. Until then you can peacefully use your music syncing feature and desktop connect app. From there onwards you will have to use their mobile application. If you are not using it already which is very doubtful. Since the mobile application is available for both android and IOS platforms you can use the mobile application, on whatever smartphone you use.