Google announces the acquisition of Fitbit, carried out for the wearable market
Rumors of a possible Google acquisition of Fitbit, a well-known fitness device brand, have been in the air since November. The $ 2.1 billion deal closed a few hours ago, leading the Mountain View founders to absorb a community of over 28 million users. Fitbit, the well-known brand of wellness devices, is in fact very popular thanks to the immersive wellness experience of its wearable devices.
Google's move seems almost aimed at approaching a field that until now had never been taken into consideration. Even Amazon in recent months had presented its first Halo Band wearable device, enjoying enormous success in the market. One of the reasons that could push companies like Google and Amazon to approach this field could be the possibility of easily obtaining the data of their users.
And it is precisely here that one of the thorniest issues of the acquisition lies.
Google guarantees privacy on the data collected through Fitbit
The agreement was put under scrutiny by the European authorities mainly due to concerns related to the privacy of user data. The founders of your companies have reassured the market by assuring that Google's acquisition of Fitbit will only affect devices. All data collected with the use of fitness devices will in no way be used by Google for advertising purposes.
"We will work closely to create new devices and services that help you improve your knowledge, success, health and happiness"
These are the words reported by Rick Osterloh (Senior Vice President, Devices & Services) of Google. The contribution of the American company seems to be linked only to the improvement of the devices and not to the way in which the data can be used. Fitbit devices will still be able to connect with third-party apps without any problems.
Let's make a rundown of the main new Fitbit devices.
Fitbit's 2021 devices
With the acquisition by Google, Fitbit is not giving up on the launch of new models. Fitbit's fame is essentially linked to its devices which can be divided into three types: smartwatches, trackers and smart scales. This is a very wide range of products and for all budgets as we move from the simplest and most accessible trackers to the most complete smartwatches. The company's philosophy is to accompany the consumer in choosing the most suitable product but also in sharing experience with other users.
The well-being of the person is put at the center of the activity, without forgetting that without the right motivation, achieving one's goals can become very complicated.
Fitbit Sense smartwatch
Fitbit Sense is the forerunner of the new Fitbit home line. With a 1.58-inch AMOLED display it is readable in all lighting conditions, thanks to the super reactive ambient light sensor. Its weight of 40 grams and thickness of 12.35 mm make the device really comfortable. The sensors are unprecedented: 3-axis accelerometer, gyroscope, altimeter, and the optical sensor for detecting the heartbeat. The goal, as always, is to calculate the steps taken, the floors climbed, the distance traveled, the heart rate, the calories burned and the hours of sleep. But that's not all because the Sense features specific electrical sensors for detecting skin temperature. Without forgetting the electrocardiogram and an accurate geolocation system.
Even in terms of aesthetics Fitbit does not miss anything. In fact, there is a wide availability of official straps of many materials and a thousand colors, to be customized to your liking.
- Battery life: 6+ days of autonomy and fast charging
- Compatibility: Compatible with iOS 12.2 or later & Android OS 7.0 or later
- EDA Sensor & Stress Management: The EDA Scan app detects electrodermal activity from your wrist, which can indicate your body's response to stress to help you track and manage it better
- Fitbit ECG app (Electrocardiogram): With the compatible ECG app on your wrist, you can monitor your heart for potential signs of atrial fibrillation – an irregular heart rhythm – and share the results with your doctor (Fitbit ECG app is available select countries only; not intended for use by persons under 22; see additional details at fitbit.com/uk/ecg)
- Wrist skin temperature sensor: Fitbit Sense records your body temperature each night to show you how it varies from your average reading, so you can track trends over time
Fitbit Tracker Inspire 2
The Fitbit Inspire series is a bit simpler than the Charge one of the same type, both in design and functions. It is a fully touch wearable of 3.7 cm in length x 1.68 cm in width x 1.29 cm in thickness and the weight is only 30 grams. The Fitbit Inspire 2 fitness tracker does not have a wide range of colors like that of the Sense but only has three colors for the band: black, white or pink.
The classic functions are always those of step count, distance traveled, calories burned and includes alerts for inactivity if you spend too much time without moving. There is also the uninterrupted detection and control of heart rate and sleep monitoring.
- Battery life: Up to 10 days
- Compatibility: Compatible with iOS 12.2 or later & Android OS 7.0 or later
- Fitbit Premium Free Trial: Inspire 2 includes a one-year free trial of Fitbit Premium service, which gives you tailored fitness and nutrition programs, personalized advice and motivation, sleep tools and more
- Minutes in active zone: This feature alerts you to the cardio zone you are in to help you find out if you are working hard enough to reach your goals
- Continuous Heart Rate Tracking: Use Continuous Heart Rate Tracking to accurately track calories burned, optimize your workout, and discover personalized trends that motivate you to move towards your health and fitness goals
Fitbit Aria Air
Aria Air is one of Fitbit's smart scales. The device stood out in the market for its competitive price . It has some limitations compared to more expensive devices: it does not allow you to connect to the network directly via Wi-Fi but sends data to the smartphone using the Bluetooth connection. Another missing feature, but which justifies the low price, is the ability to detect the BMI (ie the percentage of fat mass).
The colors available are white and black.
- Measure and display the weight on the screen
- Synchronize stats on your Fitbit dashboard thanks to wireless Bluetooth technology.
- View your progress on the Fitbit app with clear, easy-to-read charts
- It allows multiple users to check their stats when their phone is connected to the scale
- Easy setup via Bluetooth in minutes with your smartphone
We are confident that the acquisition of Fitbit by Google will soon bring more news to the wearable market and certainly also a reshaping of prices on the market.
The article Google announces the acquisition of Fitbit, carried out for the wearable market comes from Tech CuE .