Google’s begins to strip away Fitbit’s online store as integration deepens

What it’s good to knowAlthough Google accomplished its acquisition of Fitbit in 2021, the wearable model has largely remained unbiased up till very just lately. Last week, the corporate shut down the standalone Fitbit.com store, as an alternative directing clients to finish purchases on the Google Store shifting ahead. It’s one of many remaining nails within the coffin for Fitbit, which is now taking the backseat at Google after as soon as being a dominant firm within the wearable area. Since lastly finishing the Fitbit acquisition just a few years in the past, Google has steadily built-in the model’s merchandise, companies, and underlying tech into its portfolio. The Google Pixel Watch and Pixel Watch 2 each clearly take notes from Fitbit’s design and know-how, with curved edges and a minimalist kind issue, for instance. Fitbit has borrowed issues from Google, too, comparable to its Material You design language. However, up till very just lately, Fitbit has maintained a reasonably excessive stage of independence from Google. That run appears to be formally over, following just a few massive adjustments this month. In early April, Google overhauled the Fitbit app to make it extra consistent with Material You, particularly within the Sleep pages. The overwhelming majority of Fitbit customers did not just like the transfer, as evidenced by many social media posts and even just a few emails I acquired immediately from customers. Now, Google has determined to close down the Fitbit.com store, with 9to5Google first recognizing the change over the weekend. If you attempt to buy a Fitbit machine from the native Fitbit web site, you may be redirected to the Google Store to finish your buy. “Fitbit is now part of Google, so your checkout and purchase will be completed on Google Store,” a banner explains. (Image credit score: Future / Fitbit)This transfer is not precisely stunning as a result of Google has been additional integrating Fitbit into the corporate all through 2024. First, it mixed the Fitbit and Google Help Centers in January. Then, in March, Google added extra wearables and straps to the Google Store. At that time, the writing was on the wall. Fitbit’s time as a standalone model was operating out.While it is easy to criticize Google for making adjustments to Fitbit, it is also straightforward to see that the model, or no less than its {hardware}, is taking a backseat in Google’s wearable technique. People simply aren’t shopping for Fitbits—and sensible bands typically—like they used to. It is smart that Fitbit’s future will dwell on by way of Google merchandise, and we are able to look to a different massive tech acquisition to foretell what that future would possibly appear to be.People are more and more turning to smartwatches over sensible bands(Image credit score: Andrew Myrick / Android Central)Market habits are altering, and that is partly why Fitbit would not survive if it tried to maintain the established order. Back within the early days of wearables, folks have been all-in on tiny and sporty sensible bands. Now, customers want smartwatches to offer extra data and utility on their wrists. Even minimalist patrons now have sensible rings as a extra interesting various to the normal sensible bands. I’ve seen this in my very own shopping for habits, too. My first wearable was a Fitbit Charge HR, and now I put on a large Apple Watch Ultra on my wrist in 2024.The numbers again up these anecdotes as properly. In the fourth quarter of 2022, a Canalys report discovered that the sensible band market skilled its first double-digit decline in a This fall ever. The drop was 18%, and that is very uncommon for a This fall that normally sees nice gross sales figures because of the vacation season. While the market rebounded barely in 2023, in line with a more moderen report, sensible bands are nonetheless dropping out to smartwatches. By the second quarter of 2023, the market share for fundamental bands was lower than that of fundamental watches and smartwatches.Get the newest information from Android Central, your trusted companion on the planet of AndroidMoreover, an IDC evaluation from March 24 lists sensible wrist bands as the one wearable class projected to say no in gross sales year-over-year. Smartwatches, earwear, glasses, and rings all have constructive outlooks.Fitbit has made smartwatches, however they have not been superb in comparison with the very best smartwatches, comparable to these by the likes of Samsung, Garmin, and Apple. With Google now making its personal smartwatches utilizing Fitbit tech, Fitbit’s main merchandise are sensible bands — which customers appear to be turning away from. Google’s current choices recommend that Fitbit seems to be much less of a precedence than a few of its different {hardware} choices, and that is smart once you take a look at the state of the wearable band market.We’ve seen this type of main acquisition earlier than(Image credit score: Beats)So, what does the way forward for Fitbit appear to be? Although the model is unlikely to be the highest-priority {hardware} division at Google — that can belong to the Pixel household of units — it is not essentially a full shutdown, both. To get an concept of what the way forward for Fitbit at Google holds, we are able to study how Apple dealt with its acquisition of Beats roughly a decade in the past.Apple acquired Beats, partially, for its software program. The streaming service Beats Music was the muse for Apple Music. There’s a parallel right here to what’s taking place with Google and Fitbit since Fitbit’s software program remains to be very a lot alive and is used to energy health and well being options on Pixel Watches. Eventually, Apple shut down the Beats on-line retailer, as an alternative redirecting patrons to Apple’s on-line retailer. The firm launched AirPods and its personal earbuds and headphones lineup, seemingly changing Beats. And but, Beats remains to be round eight years after Apple launched the first-generation AirPods. Sure, the model is not as dominant and ubiquitous because it as soon as was, however there are nonetheless new Beats headphones and earbuds being launched at this time. I count on Google will observe an analogous technique to Fitbit. We will not see Fitbit ever be the highest wearable model once more, however we’ll see Fitbit tech energy Pixel merchandise in addition to extra refined Fitbit wearable releases. In different phrases, Fitbit is now utterly built-in into Google, and that has and can proceed to deliver main adjustments. This is partly as a result of customers aren’t as fascinated with Fitbit’s choices as they have been prior to now and partly as a result of Google has its personal priorities. But Fitbit is not going anyplace and can seemingly dwell on as a small a part of Google for a very long time.