Fitbit replaces some Sense smartwatches due to ECG issues

The Fitbit Sense is the the most ambitious smartwatch for a long time – in large part because the device was the first Fitbit with FDA-approved ECGs. However, it appears that the company is now chave contacted some Fitbit Sense owners for replacements, citing an unspecified “hardware issue” that could impact its ECG function.

The news first surfaced Fitbit Forums. Users reported receiving an email from Fitbit customer service stating that the company had “identified a hardware issue” that could “be affecting its ability to function properly.” The company then said it would replace the Sense for free. While some users have raised suspicions that the email was a phishing scam, Fitbit moderators confirmed that the email was in fact legitimate.

A Fitbit spokesperson said the edge that the problem was with the ECG application on a “limited number of Sense devices”. The problem was basically that the app could incorrectly judge a person’s reads as “inconclusive”. Fitbit then confirmed to the Verge that no other batch of Sense smartwatches or other Fitbit devices were affected.

TL; DR – Don’t panic just yet. If you’ve purchased a Fitbit Sense in the past few months, or if you find that the ECG app is providing a fairly high number of inconclusive readings, check your email. Fitbit says it’s going directly to customers for replacements, so if you born have an email, your particular shipment of Sense smartwatches probably hasn’t been affected. At least not for this particular problem.

That sort of thing doesn’t necessarily mean all Sense smartwatches are bad and should be thrown in the trash. Sometimes material snafus occur during the production process and affect a number of devices produced in a particular facility or shipment. A similar case occurred in October when some Apple Watch SE devices overheated but appeared to be hyperlocalized in South Korea. And if you browse the user forums for a particular product, you’re bound to see customers reporting various issues, because unfortunately sometimes you pull the short straw and get a sleeper unit. (It has certainly happened to this review multiple times in multiple companies.) Other times, endemic bugs at launch are then fixed through future software updates.

In the case of the Sense, when the smartwatch shipped at the end of September, it did so without some of its features of the marquee. Although you got stress readings via its shiny new electrodermal activity sensor, ECGs weren’t available. up to a month later due to the FDA regulatory schedule. It might sound like a rushed product launch, but it’s not unique to Fitbit when it comes to wearable devices. The ECG also didn’t come to the Apple Watch Series 4 or Samsung Galaxy Watch 3 at launch. Meanwhile, we’re still waiting for extended cardio fitness metrics for the Apple Watch that were announced with the Series 6 and Watch SE. Likewise, neither the Sense nor the Versa 3 are compatible with Google Assistant. until november with the Fitbit OS 5.1 update.

What matters most is how transparent businesses are in solving widespread problems and whether they are completely jerky to address consumer concerns, give replacements, or issue refunds. In this case, it’s a good thing that Fitbit is offering free returns and proactively reaching out to customers who may be affected – although it would have been better if their emails only revealed the so-called hardware issue. had an impact on the ECG application. Either way, don’t be a model. Check your emails and spam folder.