Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Fitbit Announces New $200 Smart Wearable 'Blaze' With Touchscreen Display
- Thread starter MacRumors
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
I am REALLY bummed out. My timing is really bad.
My Fitbit Surge that I have been punishing for almost a year was coming apart at the seams. The one thing I wanted that it didn't offer was decent looks. Since I already have an iPad and 6 plus and Bestbuy was offering the Apple watch at $100 off I was able to add some coupons and credits to get an Apple sport watch for less than $200 out of pocket. In the meantime I caught the band of the Surge and it separated completely so I thought OK that's it. On a whim to see if I could get a replacement band I called Fitbit, and after a few questions about where and when I bought it (Best Buy) they said it is still under warranty and are sending me a new one.
Sorry I got side tracked.
Yesterday my new Apple watch showed up. It is attractive (I go the Rose Gold face). It isn't the most attractive smartwatch in my opinion, I prefer a round face like the Moto-360. However it was my hope that with the exception that I couldn't track sleep etc. because of the poor battery life I would be ale to get the same tracking as my Surge by combining sensors with the phone. Unfortunately that doesn't appear to be the case. It doesn't seem to track heartbeat nearly as well, doesn't seem to track stairs climbed except during workouts and for anyone used to Fitbit the "dashboard" is pathetic on Apple Health. Runtastic premium ($29.99 for a year) seems to track workout metrics with better granularity but only during workouts.
The Apple watch has a lot of additional features that are really nce and apps that do a lot that the Fitbit wouldn't dream of. However I get all of them and more on my phone and other devices.
OK so today I open my news and see this product announced. It isn't as pretty as the Apple watch bout it isn't as ugly as the surge and it does everything I really need.
My Fitbit Surge that I have been punishing for almost a year was coming apart at the seams. The one thing I wanted that it didn't offer was decent looks. Since I already have an iPad and 6 plus and Bestbuy was offering the Apple watch at $100 off I was able to add some coupons and credits to get an Apple sport watch for less than $200 out of pocket. In the meantime I caught the band of the Surge and it separated completely so I thought OK that's it. On a whim to see if I could get a replacement band I called Fitbit, and after a few questions about where and when I bought it (Best Buy) they said it is still under warranty and are sending me a new one.
Sorry I got side tracked.
Yesterday my new Apple watch showed up. It is attractive (I go the Rose Gold face). It isn't the most attractive smartwatch in my opinion, I prefer a round face like the Moto-360. However it was my hope that with the exception that I couldn't track sleep etc. because of the poor battery life I would be ale to get the same tracking as my Surge by combining sensors with the phone. Unfortunately that doesn't appear to be the case. It doesn't seem to track heartbeat nearly as well, doesn't seem to track stairs climbed except during workouts and for anyone used to Fitbit the "dashboard" is pathetic on Apple Health. Runtastic premium ($29.99 for a year) seems to track workout metrics with better granularity but only during workouts.
The Apple watch has a lot of additional features that are really nce and apps that do a lot that the Fitbit wouldn't dream of. However I get all of them and more on my phone and other devices.
OK so today I open my news and see this product announced. It isn't as pretty as the Apple watch bout it isn't as ugly as the surge and it does everything I really need.
Seems like a mistake for Fitbit to move away from simple fitness band. Wall Street doesn't seem pleased either as stock is down 13% right now.
I'm sure Watch 2 is done and dusted so I doubt anything we get from Apple will be a response to this thing.
I'm sure Watch 2 is done and dusted so I doubt anything we get from Apple will be a response to this thing.
Blaze just sounds like another Amazon product.
Why not go with ice/weather/storms? Fitbit Tempest sounds pretty cool.
#BlazeIt
Why not go with ice/weather/storms? Fitbit Tempest sounds pretty cool.
#BlazeIt
Does it send/receive text messages?
Can you play music on it?
Can you use Pay on it to buy things?
Can you make phone calls on it?
Can you read your emails on it?
Can you get notifications from major news sources?
Can you get navigation services on it?
Can you check your daily calendar on it?
Can you get weather reports on it? How about stock quotes?
Yes, I want other companies to succeed to push Apple to be more innovative, but we should also be pushing other companies to make better products. Apple won't care if it doesn't pose a real competition with their own product.
While I don't think either one looks bad, I kinda prefer the Blaze's design slightly more.
The Blaze is like the iPhone 5 with its straight/flat edges and the AppleWatch is like the iPhone 6 with its rounded edges/sides.
Yeah, I prefer the iPhone 5's design over the iPhone 6's too.
I am interested. I just wish Fitbit would incorporate interval training in their workout app. I'm a longtime Fitbit owner (having owned every Fitbit model since the original, including the scale). However, I no longer wear one, opting for the Apple Watch.
the logo on the front is really bad though. Especially if you're a lefty as it's upside down.
As much as I'm not a fan of Apple's Tubby Watch.
God, this is bad.
I really have to worry about designers, I mean, come on.
How come anything like this can be put into production, when a blind baboon can tell it's ugly within seconds of laying eyes upon it.
Really makes you wonder.
God, this is bad.
I really have to worry about designers, I mean, come on.
How come anything like this can be put into production, when a blind baboon can tell it's ugly within seconds of laying eyes upon it.
Really makes you wonder.
This.
What made Macs so great in the late 90's and 00's?
Spoiler: wasn't a whopping market share.
Apple slacks crazily when enjoying comfy market share.
Glassed Silver:ios
I'd love to see your stats on those sales.....
I don't want to track my sleep, I have an iPhone for that if I do and a very good app
Its no bother to me to leave my watch on charge overnight with 40% left if I forget.
Plus, I know I can wear my Apple watch out and it looks good. No comparison Apple Watch is the best of both and this Fitbit wont do anything better than Apple Watch on the fitness tracking side.
FaceTime is just the reason I would not get an Apple watch. Just the wrong direction and I would prefer a smartwatch that does not require an iPhone to work. A good HRM, customizable display and and other health options is where it should be going. I will wait for more info on the FitBit watch before I decide on one but one problem I have that others have not seemed to notice is that the active display is rather small, you can see that there is a large gray border around the display that looks to be just inactive dead space.
Last edited:
I don't think you have the entire picture.Withings, TomTom and Polar are also stepping up their game. Still, none of them (including this Fitbit design monstrosity) comes close to the Apple Watch in terms of design and utility (apps etc.).
The only thing where Apple is really behind the curve is in the actual advice that the health measurements need to generate in terms of improving health. Apple only measures and does nothing more. A severe oversight.
Couldn't agree more; it's a huge oversight imo. Im still debating on returning my Apple Watch due to this.
I am of sound opinion that the Apple Watch is a hideous bong, especially for one they seem so eager to market as "jewelry".
How much can be done without a bunch of government interference? At what point does Watch then become an FDA approved device which would slow down speed to market?
Doesn't make this better looking.
Virtually nothing, because if they are not making money and getting their piece of everyones pie, then it will be halted. Like drones, vapor, and now wearables.
Nail on the head. SO many people don't get this concept.
The biggest leap in iPhone history came between the 3GS and the 4. It came because suddenly there was competition in the smartphone market and parsing out overdue hardware/software features like MMS and landscape wouldn't cut it.
Apple felt a legitimate threat in the marketplace and dropped the hammer with a device that blew everything else away. HD Recording, Retina display, Facetime...it was Bob Beamon-esque.
Competition is a good thing. It pushes Apple to improve and be better. The WORST thing for Apple is fans blindly ripping other products sight unseen and telling Apple they'll automatically accept whatever they roll out as superior.
This is the fundamental problem with the apple watch in my opinion. Would you want to do all those things on your watch? I'm sure some of you would, but are they really all that good of a user experience?
