Fitbit app still lacks features compared to competitors - OS flaw or neglect?

[MikeSo]

I posted this in the comment thread, but figured I'd start a specific discussion here, so I'm copying some of what I wrote there.

We have confirmation that the WP Fitbit app will NOT have some of the more exciting features like music control (which Android is listed as lacking as well) and text/phone notifications. WP gets far fewer features than iOS and Android:

WP: https://forums.windowscentral.com/e...t_SupportedDevices_Windows.pdf&token=QP0MvyG9

iOS: https://forums.windowscentral.com/e...itbit_SupportedDevices_iOS.pdf&token=PdKYvkj0

Android: https://forums.windowscentral.com/e...t_SupportedDevices_Android.pdf&token=2l3ZIIpT

I'm glad they support WP, just sad to see that even when they are working with Microsoft we still don't get close to the functionality that iOS and Android get. It's sad that we'll have to keep being happy that they give us anything at this point.

Is WP so fundamentally flawed that these functions can't be provided, or are they just not interested in providing more than the bare minimum? Either reason is sure to be disappointing, but I'm going to have to assume that it's due to a flaw in the OS, like how it can't handle keyboard support for Microsoft's own mobile keyboard.

What do you guys think? As of now, none of these new products can be used with WP to the extent they can be with iOS and Android. Does Microsoft expect WP to be competitive when even when they "work with" a company they can't match features (except Cortana, apparently)?

 

[theefman]

Maybe the best bet would be to wait for the oft-rumoured Microsoft watch, but then again that same disparity has been a trend with Microsoft apps so that may still not be the answer....

 

[MikeSo]

There's always the "let's just wait for..." approach to everything with WP it seems. If there is a flaw in the OS that simply makes it unable to handle these types of communications, a Microsoft Watch wouldn't really fix that anyway. I think you're right that it might end up like the Microsoft keyboard I mentioned - works on iOS and Android, but no Windows Phone support. I wonder if MS is already just stalling for time while waiting for Windows 10?

 

[MikeSo]

Someone posted this link in the comments for the Fitbit article:
http://m.windowscentral.com/smartwatch-support-windows-phone-81-found-gdr1

So it seems that the OS finally has support for smart watch functions. Since GDR1 is very limited "in the wild" maybe Microsoft will start out supporting iOS and Android first and support WP once GDR1 is on more devices. I think it's only on the M8, 730/735, and 830 right now in the US. Who knows when the carriers will release GDR1 though. It would be pretty demoralizing for WP users to see an MS smart watch come out without full WP support though, I think. Hope that will not be the case.

 

[FredBloggs007]

All the info you need is here... http://help.fitbit.com/articles/en_...-Fitbit-Surge/?l=en_US&p=surge&fs=Search&pn=1

There's a clear indication of support for WP

 

[GCrane1982]

WP does support these functions with the latest Dev Preview update so I think it is more of a case that Fitbit will launch these features on the platform they are most comfortable with prior to rolling out support for WP, plus as some above said 8.1 update 1 is only officially supported on 1 or 2 devices at the moment, once this rolls out to the majority of handsets im sure things will change.

 

[MikeSo]

All the info you need is here... Help Site - About Fitbit Surge

There's a clear indication of support for WP

I'm not sure what you mean by "all the info". Fitbit supports WP in the form of an app, that is obviously true. But if you look at the features available in iOS and Android, the majority of those features are not available in the WP app.