Fitbit Sense and Versa 3 Battery Performance Program

The Google Fitbit Sense and Versa 3 is are Smart Watches / Fitness Trackers designed, developed and marketed by Fitbit now owned by Google. Both devices have reached its end of support.  Google announced its Fitbit Sense and Versa 3 Battery Performance Program to users:

"Google has determined that certain Fitbit Sense and Versa 3 devices require a mandatory firmware update to prevent the battery from overheating and possibly burning the user.  An automatic update to the firmware will roll out to all affected Fitbit Sense and Versa 3 devices starting January 8, 2025. For some devices ("Impacted Devices"), the software update reduces available battery capacity and impacts charging performance. [...] users of these Impacted Devices are eligible for an appeasement from Google."

Google has also received a 12.5 million dollar penalty for failure to immediately report serious burn hazards with their Ionic Smartwatches

Aging lithium-ion batteries

Lithium-ion batteries face degradation as they age:

• Loss of active lithium ions through repeated charge cycles
• Growth of the Solid Electrolyte Interphase (SEI) layer
• Physical expansion & contraction stress during charging cycles
• Potential for dendrite formation in aged cells
• Increased internal resistance over time

• The compnay states that a limited-number of units are affected. This would suggest a manufacturing batch issue<refhttps://www.techradar.com/health-fitness/smartwatches/fitbit-issues-battery-overheating-warning-over-two-of-its-most-popular-watches-and-it-might-compensate-you-if-youre-affected</ref>

Potential manufacturing variables

Several factors could explain why only certain devices are affected:

• Different battery suppliers or manufacturing batches
• Variations in battery cell chemistry or construction
• Manufacturing date ranges coinciding with specific material supplies
• Quality control variations between production runs

These technical considerations suggest the update may be a preventative measure against potential battery safety issues, rather than planned obsolescence. However, Google's limited transparency about the specific technical justification has left users unable to verify this interpretation.

Criticism by community

The following concerns have been raised regarding the Fitbit Sense and Versa 3 Battery Performance Program:

1. This update is an automatic update users can not opt out of.
2. Google's use of Payoneer makes it impossible for people to receive the $50 that Google offered as an option. The most someone can receive is $47 if they share personal financial information with an unknown-to-them company including their social security number, and promptly cancel the Payoneer service to avoid additional fees.

References