My Fitbit died. Out of warranty and with no safety net, the only course of action was to get a new one (because I wanted to continue with the Fitbit thing, obviously).
I jumped on their website and fired up a chat session to see what my options were. Fitbit went away, looked at my customer records, and then offered me a 30% discount on a new one. Yay! Guaranteed 24-hour delivery. Yay!
Well, the discount happened but the delivery wasn’t rapid because, unsurprisingly, we don’t make Fitbits in this country. My new Fitbit got held up in the Netherlands for a week while they sorted out which forms to submit to HMRC, and generally how to import high- value electronics to this sceptic isle.
The new device arrived on Monday. Setting the thing up was slick and beautifully automated, thanks to the seamless integration of the Fitbit app on my phone.
There have been quite a few enhancements in the new Versa3, compared to my old Versa. I’m still learning how some of the new fun stuff works, but the basic functionality is the same.
However I have a niggle.
The strap that comes with the Versa3 as standard is not a good thing. It’s as though Fitbit said to themselves ‘We make the gadget. If the customer wants a decent strap, they’ll have to buy one separately’.
And so I did. Ordered it from a different supplier on Monday; it arrived yesterday (Tuesday). I’ll fanny around with it this evening.
So the strap that comes as standard isn’t much cop, but the impressive physical upgrade (apart from software and functionality enhancements) is the charging device. It’s a magnetic-based device; the magnetricity prevents from accidental bad connection. And it’s neat as you like.
I have to write-off this week’s exercise challenge (there are a clutch of us who are ‘connected’ via the Fitbit app – we try to outdo each other in our weekly exercise endeavours). But next week I’ll be back. As Arnie said.
I have a Fatbit.
It’s like a Fitbit, but it counts the number of biscuits I’m eating.
My daughter has a Fitbit and had the same issue with the strap, eventually ordering a third-party one from somewhere online.
I like the idea of a Fatbit/Fatbot. It could count the number of steps that you don’t do, as well as the number of biscuits you eat. It could also count the calories not being burned by not doing your steps. It could be a kind of reverse fitness device. Or just call it a fatness device?
I have a Withings watch which counts my steps, which to be honest doesn’t really tax it very much. They have a new watch out now which measures, steps, sleep pattern, pulse and provides an ecg, plus I think there’s some other stuff I’ve forgotten. I also have a set of their scales as well and the handy app on my phone co-ordinates all of it. I am pretty certain they are talking about me behind my back.
Dave, that’s essentially what I use the Fitbit for: steps/day, sleep/night (never enough but gradually getting better), heartrate monitor (currently 69bpm). I’m not a fitness freak, but I keep a close eye on those things
My watch is a Seiko. It tells me what the time is.
Usually, it’s time to get a biscuit.