It has been three years since Google accomplished its acquisition of Fitbit. Since then, the corporate has launched three new smartwatches beneath the Pixel model, together with the Pixel Watch 3 at today’s Made By Google event. In the meantime, Fitbit’s not launched a single new smartwatch because the unceremonious announcement of the Sense 2 and Versa 4 two years in the past. The writing has been on the wall for years that Fitbit won’t make smartwatches anymore, as a substitute specializing in lower-profile exercise trackers that final lengthy. Engadget can affirm that that is certainly true shifting ahead.
In an interview with the senior director of product administration for Pixel Wearables Sandeep Waraich, I requested whether or not we might ever see one other Fitbit-branded smartwatch anytime quickly. Waraich stated “Pixel Watch is our smartwatch a part of the portfolio.” He confirmed that shifting ahead every thing from Fitbit would give attention to the extra minimalistic, long-lasting trackers the model has turn out to be synonymous with.
Whereas the Sense 2 and Versa 4 will proceed to be accessible out there, a Google spokesperson stated “Pixel Watches are our subsequent iteration of smartwatch for Fitbit.”
As for the units Fitbit continues to make, “trackers is the place customers clearly inform us they need one thing discreet,” Waraich stated. “They need longer battery life, they need a easy expertise and we’re very happy with our Encourage line.”
Waraich additionally shed some gentle on how the Google and Fitbit groups have collaborated to construct Pixel watches, referencing the previous’s AI prowess and the latter’s established experience in deciphering heart-rate sensor knowledge for higher insights. In line with him, Google introduced its experience in machine studying, offering “superior fashions that in any other case in all probability externally weren’t available.” Fitbit, in fact, had deep data on issues like knowledge and sign seize and the way that translated into how your fingers are shifting or what you are doing. “HIIT has a really completely different coronary heart fee algorithm [and] implications than a working exercise,” Waraich defined.
There’s little doubt that the Fitbit model stays priceless to Google and the business at giant, given the very fact its title is mainly the catch-all noun for exercise trackers. Whereas it may be jarring to see the Fitbit title and app in units just like the Pixel Watch, the place integrations ought to really feel extra seamless and unified, Waraich instructed me “it is not an app in Pixel Watch. It is deeply built-in at a system stage.”
Exterior of the Pixel portfolio, the Fitbit app and Fitbit Premium each nonetheless exist to the massive chunk of the inhabitants that need one thing easy that may assist them keep on prime of their general well being. With the trackers and Pixel watches having now matured into units that may log your exercise very properly, Waraich stated “There’s a large alternative by way of going from monitoring to teaching, real-time steering included.”
Time for everybody’s favourite buzzword and pattern for 2024: AI. With the Pixel Watch 3, Fitbit Premium customers can get AI-generated personalized exercises primarily based on their exercise and restoration. Of all of the options Fitbit Premium has provided (and paywalled) prior to now, this looks like a more-suitable use of AI and charging for it. Fitbit and Fitbit Premium are unlikely to be going away, and whereas we could not see a Fitbit-branded smartwatch once more, this looks like a wise transfer.
Make amends for all of the information from Google’s Pixel Watch 3 launch event right here!
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