Fitbit Ionic Review

The 3-Minute Fitbit Ionic Review

Smart Watch with a Fitness Twist

By Graeme Messina | March 26, 2018

The Specifics:

Features & Design: 3/5 ● Performance: 3/5 ● Value: 3/5 ● Battery: 3.5/5 

The Best:

Fitbit are known for their fitness bands, and the natural evolution seems to have been one that gravitates towards a smart watch design. We have a good screen, great battery life, lightweight materials and construction, as well as all of the usual Fitbit features such as fitness and sleep tracking.

The Bugs:

There aren’t too many apps available for this device, which is a pity, and the OS can be a little sluggish at times. There are some minor issues with the strap, specifically the quick release, but nothing major.

Is it for you?

This product only really starts making sense if you are either into fitness, or if you are starting out with an exercise program and need the extra motivation to get going. If you aren’t into physical exercise then you might not extract the full value from this device.

Meet the Fitbit Ionic

The Fitbit Ionic is a fitness device first, and a smart watch wearable as a second. This is a shame, as the device looks really good, and its fitness elements work in a solid and reliable way. What holds this device back is the overall OS and lack of apps for the smart-watch. Battery life is very good though, and users can expect to get around 4 to 5 days on a single charge.

What we like

The design, look and feel all fit nicely together in this watch, and the overall slim styling and built in fitness features are all there, creating an exercise and workout watch that you can also wear to work, or wear as a general time piece.

The long battery life, GPS, heart sensor, built in fitness apps, and Fitbit Pay service all work well, but the latter has yet to take off in any meaningful way. There are accessories for your watch, such as replacement straps and other items, so you can customize the watch to suit your particular taste, or colour scheme.

The device really starts to shine when used as a fitness tracker though, and that is probably the best reason to look at buying into the Fitbit range in the first place. The smart watch functionality is there as well, which is great news for tech fans.

What we don’t like

The biggest drawback is the lack of apps available at present on the Fitbit Ionic. As more developers start to include this platform for their applications, we should start seeing more uses for the sensors and hardware that are built into this watch.

Checking the menus with the motion controlled shake gesture can also be a bit intermittent, which can get frustrating during a workout if you are planning on taking a quick peek at your stats. 

Should you buy it?

The real emphasis on this device should be for fitness and health conscious individuals who enjoy tracking their progress on a Fitbit, but want to upgrade to a device that is pairable with their smart phone and has additional features such as a touch screen and apps.

People that are looking for a smart watch but don’t necessarily track their fitness or exercise progressions would do better with a less specialized device. The watch is made well, it works well, but the niche market that it serves is fitness and exercise.

Check out the product video: