Is the oximeter going to be accurate for dark-skinned people? Or will it have the same problems that other blood oximeters have?
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Fitbit Sense Debuts With Health Features Missing on Apple Watch, Including Stress, Skin Temperature, and Blood Oxygen Tracking
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Even after all these years, Apple still can't get their battery life up. It will be good to have a week of battery life. Removing Apple watch at night is so counter to a device pitching health benefits. Why would apple mix lifestyle apps and health apps and screw up the one offering they have?
It’s easy to bash Fitbit on a competitor website that reports Apple related news, but say what you want, Fitbit put out a great product here, and it will do very well. This should be interesting to see what Apple has planned in the next month.
Welcome to see something worthwhile brought to smartwatches from a competitor. I like Fitbit that I no longer wear. I have an Apple Watch that I also like. Both have things I don't like. Each has features that make them better than the other. Ultimately that competition helps ensure we get better watches down the line.
That is incorrect. Google has entered into an agreement to acquire Fitbit but does not currently own them pending regulatory approval in various jurisdictions (the attainment of which will likely involve some data privacy concessions at least in the EU).
In any event, I think I'm more likely to trust my data to Google than I would be to Fitbit (which is saying a lot) and, regardless of who owns the company, I would never pay $330 for a Fitbit gadget.
See my comment above. The Google deal has not closed (and may never close).
A lot of bashing the product. On paper it’s phenomenal. If Apple did this we’d all be going crazy & praising them. I gotta say im impressed by Fitbit’s Sense.
Fitbit is notorious for putting out products that have issues.
Trying to connect a fitbit scale for simple programming and setup is a nightmare task that even fitbit has issues with. Their common response is there are some issues and we are working on it..... NOT!
I have a Aria scale and a charge 3 and fitbit NEVER fixed the issues nor did they replace the problems and both problems were listed all over the forums as known issues.
These were not issues with my units but design flaws that never got fixed until a newer version released..
Shame on Fitbit!!!
Trying to connect a fitbit scale for simple programming and setup is a nightmare task that even fitbit has issues with. Their common response is there are some issues and we are working on it..... NOT!
I have a Aria scale and a charge 3 and fitbit NEVER fixed the issues nor did they replace the problems and both problems were listed all over the forums as known issues.
These were not issues with my units but design flaws that never got fixed until a newer version released..
Shame on Fitbit!!!
And we'll get EDA sensor in 2021, skin temperature sensor in 2022 (at best). One feature at a time to sell more upgrades each year. Apple Watch should have been leading in the sensor department. ECG is still not available in a lot of countries.
Well, if you do decide to give health data to any company, Google would probably be the best choice. First, they take good care of data (security). Secondly, if anyone could do something useful with this data, it would be Google.
Interesting. Thank you for the info.
But I would wager the deal goes through at some point in the future.
Been really wanting an AW since day one (really want to go full Apple here), but battery life and (until recently) sleep tracking have been holding me back. As such, have had 3 FB's in last 6 years, and every release they seem to push their products before being properly tested and refined. Software is always buggy AS at launch, hardware is junk (literally, had to replace all 3 FB's 1st year I had...albeit warranty covered), and in addition, no way I'm paying for the subscription money grab BS. However, I generally really like their fitness/sleep tracking UX, the price point, and absolutely love the battery life.
Until today, I was prepared to finally take the AW plunge on the AW6. But gotta say, the FB Sense feature list is pretty damn sweet, the price continues to be significantly cheaper than the AW, and love that battery life with all that tech (if true out in the wild). I really, really want to get to an AW, but hate to say that everything advertised by the Sense continues to sell me. I eagerly await to see what Apple unveils in a few weeks, as well as the real world reviews of the FB Sense...
PS: Not a fan of the pending Google acquisition.
Until today, I was prepared to finally take the AW plunge on the AW6. But gotta say, the FB Sense feature list is pretty damn sweet, the price continues to be significantly cheaper than the AW, and love that battery life with all that tech (if true out in the wild). I really, really want to get to an AW, but hate to say that everything advertised by the Sense continues to sell me. I eagerly await to see what Apple unveils in a few weeks, as well as the real world reviews of the FB Sense...
PS: Not a fan of the pending Google acquisition.
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As a Netlist (NLST) shareholder, I am very aware about Google's ethics, or lack thereof. Hard pass from me, will stick with Apple watch.
Still a problem with sophisticated devices, much less a consumer level add-on. My question remains the utility of oximetry reported every 5-10 minutes - or longer.
Given Apple’s use of personalized machine learning, I would expect them to be able to learn and set a baseline for each individual, regardless of skin color.
Switching to a watch that requires a subscription plan for a lot of the new health features to work?
The nice thing about the Sense/Versa that it isn't as high as the as the Apple Watch, so when you have it on, it doesn't stick out as much. The Fitbit app is so much better than health app.
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Apple added automatic workout detection in watchOS 5 (2018). It is pretty reliable and goes back to the beginning of its detected workout.
If one is doing a workout (the app has gone into workout mode), one gets updates more frequently.
The best and most accurate information on Apple Watch as a sports tech device is from Ray Maker’s blog - DCRainmaker.com. Here is his Apple Watch Series 5 review.
My Basis Science Basis Band had a galvanic skin response sensor (serves a similar purpose to the EDA) before my first Apple watch but never had any actionable data. If I need to stop what I am doing to get a reading with the EDA, I am not sure it will be useful enough to matter for me. Willing to do that for EKG, would have to be convinced for something else. The biggest problem that skin temperature sensors have had is the large variability of skin temperatures over the body based on other factors (exposed to the air vs. covered, in the sun vs. shaded, etc.). I will be curious how (or if) they solve the problems they have had.
Apple does not add ”sensors” they add functionality. We will see new sensors when Apple has a way to get interesting actionable data from them. Apple considered a skin temperature sensor for the Series 0, but could neither get around the variability nor figure out actionable data from it, so they did not include it (this was from a discussion with some of the designers at WWDC 2019 (back when one could actually meet some of the Apple people in person).
it only works for running or walking. no clue why it is so limited. the fitbit could do a bunch of sports. but my garmin can only do running or walking. though there are a couple that can do multiple sports. the fitbit started having issues with getting my heart rate right.
According to iMore, it automatically detects walking, running, elliptical, swimming and rowing. My bet is that if you wore it on your ankle, it would detect cycling.
The “sensor fusion” (silly name) functionality that works for dancing, might make cycling detection possible.
thr you go (G) I could live with it if it did not drain the batteries so much using it for cycling and it was not all that accurate and the heart rate every minute misses a lot if you sprint up a short hill. the garman is far more accurate sometime the apple watch has me at 70 flights of stairs when I may done 3 I think it gets some of it when cycling though not always.According to iMore, it automatically detects walking, running, elliptical, swimming and rowing. My bet is that if you wore it on your ankle, it would detect cycling.
The “sensor fusion” (silly name) functionality that works for dancing, might make cycling detection possible.
Most data can become actionable data. If you have a year archive of your daily heart rate or temperature or something else, you’ll notice the difference when suddenly it slightly raises or drops for no obvious reason. For example if your daily resting heart rate becomes higher, you’ll get a clue that something is off, you may need to check your health. Same for temperature or other data. You may not need to read or interpret some data yourself, but your doctor may find it useful.
Technical issues are a different story. If skin temperature is so unreliable then ok, do something else or find a workaround. Hire talented people, innovate. It feels like Apple Watch has a huge unrealized potential to be the real health tracking device. And Apple is the most valued company right now with huge profits. What else do they need?
iPhone was a revolutionary product developed when Apple wasn’t so rich or popular. In a few years it changed the world.
They are moving too slow with some products, yet they are going to expand to other areas. One day someone will make something way better, smarter, cooler and no Apple logo or brand will help Apple to save the current status quo.