It’s been three years since Google completed its acquisition of Fitbit. Since then, the company has launched three new smartwatches under the Pixel brand, including the Pixel Watch 3 at today’s Made By Google event. Meanwhile, Fitbit hasn’t launched a single new smartwatch since the inglorious announcement of the Sense 2 and Versa 4 two years ago. It’s been clear for years that Fitbit may stop making smartwatches and instead focus on less flashy, durable activity trackers. Engadget can confirm that this will indeed be the case in the future.
In an interview with Sandeep Waraich, the senior director of product management for Pixel Wearables, I asked if we would ever see another Fitbit-branded smartwatch in the near future. Waraich said, “The Pixel Watch is our smartwatch part of the portfolio.” He confirmed that Fitbit will focus on the more minimalist, durable trackers that the brand has become synonymous with in the future.
While Sense 2 and Versa 4 will continue to be available on the market, a Google spokesperson said, “Pixel Watches are our next generation of smartwatch for Fitbit.”
As for the devices Fitbit continues to make, “with the trackers, users are telling us clearly that they want something discreet,” Waraich said. “They want longer battery life, they want a simple experience, and we’re very proud of our Inspire line.”
Waraich also shed light on how Google and Fitbit’s teams collaborated to develop Pixel watches, citing the former’s AI prowess and the latter’s established expertise in interpreting heart rate sensor data for deeper insights. According to him, Google brought its expertise in machine learning and provided “advanced models that probably wouldn’t have been readily available externally otherwise.” Fitbit, of course, had extensive knowledge of things like data and signal collection and how they affected the movement of your hands or your activities. “HIIT has a very different heart rate algorithm (and) different effects than a running workout,” Waraich explained.
There’s little doubt that the Fitbit brand remains valuable to Google and the industry at large, as its name is essentially a catch-all for activity trackers. While it can be jarring to see Fitbit’s name and app on devices like the Pixel Watch, where the integration should feel more seamless and unified, Waraich told me, “The Pixel Watch is not an app. It’s deeply integrated at a system level.”
Outside of the Pixel portfolio, there’s still the Fitbit app and Fitbit Premium for the large segment of the population that wants something simple to help them keep track of their overall health. With the trackers and Pixel watches now mellowing into devices that can log your activity very well, Waraich said, “there’s a tremendous opportunity to move from tracking to coaching, including real-time guidance.”
Time for everyone’s favorite buzzword and trend for 2024: AI. The Pixel Watch 3 will allow Fitbit Premium users to get AI-generated, tailored workouts based on their activity and recovery. Of all the features Fitbit Premium has offered in the past (and hidden behind a paywall), this seems like a more fitting use of AI and the ability to charge for it. Fitbit and Fitbit Premium aren’t likely to go away, and while we may never see a Fitbit-branded smartwatch again, this seems like a smart move.
Find out all the latest news from Google’s Pixel Watch 3 launch event right here!
