Google isn't known for being merciful when it decides to kill beloved products, but this time, the company claims, it's really not killing anything.
The future of Fitbit smartwatches has been shrouded in confusion in recent days after TechRadar reported that Google would stop producing new products for this line. According to TechRadar, the company had decided to reserve the smartwatch design for its Pixel Watch line, a move that would essentially kill the Fitbit Sense and Versa models.
Going forward, TechRadar stated, Fitbit would only produce fitness trackers like the Fitbit Luxe or Charge.
As the "RIP Fitbit" posts started to pour in, though, Google came out to say they weren't necessary. The TechRadar report was wrong, a Google spokesperson told ArsTechnica.
A death that never was. The Google spokesperson told ArsTechnica that while they couldn't confirm any specific upcoming Sense or Versa models, Google had not discontinued the lines.
"We are very committed to Fitbit, and even more importantly to the customers that use and depend on those products and technology. It's also worth noting that many of the health and fitness features we launched in Pixel Watch 3 were because of Fitbit's innovation and ground-breaking fitness advancements," the Google spokesperson said, according to ArsTechnica. "In addition, we just launched Fitbit Ace LTE, and you’ll continue to see new products and innovation from Fitbit."
The last time Fitbit launched a smartwatch was in 2022. That year, it released not one, but two models: the Versa 4 and the Sense 2. They were the first smartwatches Fitbit launched after Google acquired the company.
Google buys Fitbit. It’s no secret that Google bought Fitbit for two reasons: its 12 years of experience (at the time) in the world of wearables and its connected health platform. The idea wasn’t to keep the Fitbit OS and improve it but to take the best of this operating system and stick it in Wear OS. As such, Google ended up burying its own platform, Google Fit, to focus on the Fitbit app. The company paid $2.1 billion for Fitbit, and the results are already starting to show.
Two years of silence. Google completed its purchase of Fitbit in 2021. While there hasn’t been a single new Fitbit smartwatch since 2022, Google launched three Pixel Watches with Wear OS seamlessly integrated into the Fitbit platform.
Is the Pixel Watch the future? Sandeep Waraich, senior director of product management at Pixel Wearables, confirmed in an interview with Engadget, “Pixel Watch is our smartwatch part of the portfolio.” Waraich went on to say that Fitbit would focus on more minimalist trackers with greater autonomy going forward. This includes devices like the ones in the Inspire line, which is the company’s best-selling line.
Google unveiled the newest version of the product, the Pixel Watch 3, at the Made by Google event earlier this month. The device offers a full suite of health and fitness-related features. It also includes six months of Fitbit Premium, which, in addition to more comprehensive metrics, allows access to AI-tailored recommendations and workout videos.
Google Pixel Watch 3. Image | Xataka On
Fitbit's future still isn't clear. While the Sense 2 and Versa 4 will continue to be available, “Pixel Watches are our next iteration of smartwatch for Fitbit,” a Google spokesperson told Engadget. Fitbit’s future involves deep integration into Wear OS, the Fitbit Premium subscription, and more affordable and discreet devices such as the Inspire fitness trackers.
Notably, Waraich's interview with Engadget and Google's other statements appear to directly contradict what the company told Ars Technica: that it's committed to Fitbit and not killing the Sense and Versa.
This article was written by Jose García and originally published in Spanish on Xataka.
Images | Xataka On
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