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Fitbit

Last night, I took off my Fitbit. I’m not planning on putting it back on.

I’ve worn a Fitbit almost every day since 2011. I started with the Ultra, moved over to the One, and for a very short time, wore the Charge HR. I ended up having that nasty rash everyone was talking about.

I’ve had dozens of friends wear a Fitbit over the years, with very few sticking with it more than a year. My friends list is a ghost town of inactivity, with probably only four users active on any given week. I’m soon to join the ghosts.

I’ve struggled to understand, especially in the Apple Watch era, how Fitbit remains so arrogant. They throw their weight around pretending to be the big kid on the block, when, from my perspective, they’re a mid-size semi-niche company. They get market share, but their customers don’t stick around. The move that’s emblematic of this misplaced confidence is their adamant refusal to add support for Apple Health, as if doing so would yield market share to Apple.

Fitbit’s business plan has them moving towards all-wrist trackers with the sole exception of the cheap, and easy to lose, Zip. They discontinued my One in the last few months, including the accessories (clip, sleep band) that need replacing about every 12 to 18 months. I’ve never liked wrist trackers for step counts because they’re less accurate than a waist-worn one.

I’m ending my near decade long relationship with the company. They failed to capture my imagination or loyalty, which is shocking given how long they’ve had.

In the end, I’m no longer motivated by a step count. I’m going to stick with my Apple Watch.

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