Key Takeaways
- Google is set to discontinue Fitbit-branded smartwatches and ramp up the launch of the Pixel Watch.
- But Fitbit has never really made a great watch, and the Pixel Watch 3 is a much more appealing offering.
- Fitbit’s cheap fitness trackers are still hanging on for now.
Something you might not have noticed at the recent Made by Google event was the complete absence of Fitbit products. You weren’t expecting Fitbit to announce anything — after all, Google wouldn’t want the company to leave the Pixel Watch 3 in the shadows. But the complete absence of Fitbit devices is even more notable considering it’s been two years since the Fitbit division released the Sense 2 and Versa 4.
There seems to be a reason for the silence: Sandeep Waraich, senior director of product management for Pixel Wearables, told Engadget, “The Pixel Watch is our [Google’s] We have added a smartwatch to our portfolio.”
So yeah, we might see new versions of the Charge and Inspire fitness trackers, but we probably won’t see any more Sense, Versa, or other Fitbit-branded smartwatches. Ultimately, it’s a smart move on Google’s part, even if some aspects of Fitbit’s approach may leave some people nostalgic.
Do your best or go home
Fitbit watches have long been thought of as a middle ground between fitness trackers and more advanced smartwatches. Step, heart rate, and GPS tracking are good enough for keeping you healthy, but better data can be found in Apple and Garmin products, which sometimes cater more directly to athletes and adventurous types. If you can’t afford a device from one of those brands, the Charge 6 will do the trick when it comes to fitness.
Fitbit watches have long been thought of as a cross between fitness trackers and more advanced smartwatches.
It makes even less sense to choose a Fitbit watch for non-fitness activities. The top-end Sense 2 is easy to use and has a two- to three-day battery life thanks to its always-on display tech, but it’s not the fastest and doesn’t offer some of the platform integration features that Apple, Samsung and Google watches offer. For example, aside from Alexa voice commands, the Sense 2 doesn’t have a camera or smart home controls. Similarly, quick message replies are limited to Android users, but that’s because of Apple’s walled garden.
Speaking of walls, there’s Fitbit Premium, and some watch-based features are unnecessarily blocked without a subscription, like daily readiness score and emergency detection and messaging. You could make the same complaints about the Pixel Watch, but at least it’s a more stylish device with its own proposition.
A clear vision
Consolidating product lines is sometimes the best thing. I’ve covered technology for so long that I remember Fitbit not innovating much leading up to its 2019 acquisition. The company never got a foothold in smartwatches, and its early attempts were shoddy. Not many people will be nostalgic for the Blaze or Ionic; in fact, the Ionic was recalled in 2022 for a burn hazard.
Not many people will be nostalgic about the Blaze or Ionic.
The Pixel Watch seems to breathe new life into what’s left of the Fitbit ecosystem. The design is instantly recognizable and arguably the most fashionable thing the Fitbit name has ever released. Given that Google is aiming to take on the Apple Watch, it also comes with more everyday features like the ability to control Google TV and watch live video from Nest cameras.
It’s possible that Fitbit would have faced increased competition had it been left alone — Google is also notorious for launching products only to quickly cancel them if they don’t meet initial sales projections — but with the Pixel Watch now in its third generation, hopefully it will not only become a real Apple Watch rival, but also evolve into an ideal wearable for casual users and hardcore fitness enthusiasts alike.
Goodbye Fitbit?
If anything, my deeper concern is that Google might lose interest in lower-cost fitness trackers. The $350 Pixel Watch is more profitable than the $160 Charge, and the latter isn’t a compelling reason to buy a Pixel phone. Fitbit sales have also been declining for years. Taking the axe could help cut costs and allow the Pixel Watch to thrive.
Instead, my deeper concern is that Google may lose interest in low-cost fitness trackers.
But the world needs affordable fitness wearables. They can be truly life-changing, and it’s not right that better options are limited to only those who can afford to spend as much on them as they do on a smartphone. I can only hope that the logic makes sense from Google’s business perspective.
