Fitbit doesn’t back its products. So why should you?

Tech gadgets have an intrinsic expiration date– ultimately batteries pass away, soldering breaks, capacitors stress out. You never ever understand precisely when it’ll be, however that day does come.

It’s a completely other circumstance when the business that produces the gadget likewise eliminates it with a software application upgrade. Not just that– it then cleans its hands of the issue.

That is what you can get out of Fitbit.

Back in 2021, PCWorld acquired a Fitbit Charge 5 for assessment. It succeeded– I wound up calling it a leading choice amongst the Fitbit designs you might purchase then. After months of usage, I proceeded to evaluate other equipment. At that time, I believed Fitbit had actually lastly turned the corner with dependability. Earlier trackers didn’t constantly act after app updates, however this one had actually held up efficiently.

Late last year, I pulled out the Charge 5 to inspect a function. I synced it to a phone, configured it, and ran the firmware upgrade. It went dead. Black screen. No action.

Fitbits can be picky after firmware updates. I did the normal initial steps– attempted reset, tried re-pair with the phone. I let it alone for a battery drain, in an effort at a difficult reboot.

Cue the New Year. I pulled the Charge 5 back out, however its screen still would not begin. Ends up it’s a recognized problemand one occurring given that summer season 2023. Client assistance acted precisely as explained by other Fitbit Charge 5 owners: I was advised to attempt a basic reset, then charge the battery for a bit. After neither of those actions worked, I was informed my gadget ran out the 1 year service warranty duration and provided a 35-percent-off voucher towards a purchase on the Fitbit site.

Yes, Fitbit Charge 5 owners have pay to change a gadget broken by the business who made it.

The discount coupon likewise features a huge constraint: You can’t utilize it on a Fitbit Charge 6, which is the only similar tracker on the website. (The Charge 6 prospered the Charge 5 in fall 2023, and Fitbit does not offer older variations of its trackers.) The code is just relevant to the complete rate of a gadget, too. Now with New Year’s sales going on, it counts for little.

I connected to Fitbit for talk about why this policy remains in location, however at press time, I had actually not heard back.

Fitbit might make this circumstance right– provide a much larger discount rate, for beginners. I would choose to simply repair our Charge 5. As finest I can inform, the screen is merely not being informed to fire up: a software application concern, not a hardware one. I ‘d enjoy to be able to press a more recent firmware upgrade (or roll back to a previous variation) through a computer system. I really did some browsing to see if I might sideload the firmware myself, however absolutely nothing showed up.

Things goes sideways in some cases with tech. I get that. This anti-consumer habits is why I’m now altering how I suggest physical fitness trackers. You need to see Fitbits as a 1 year purchase in the United States, and 2 years in areas with much better service warranty securities. Any extra time you get is a “perk.” When you’re taking a look at the expense of a Fitbit, you ought to envision how you’ll feel about paying that on an annual (or biannual) basis to remain in the environment.

Personally, I do not think that design deserves your hard-earned money.

Author: Alaina YeeSenior Editor