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Fitbit will lay off 110 employees amid challenges in wearable market
- throwaway_374 10y agoI always thought this was simply nothing more than an overpriced step counter and nothing changed the perception for me - if anything, the glorified marketing felt quite deceptive. Strangely, on the contrary, I find myself addicted to the "step counter" on my Galaxy S6 everytime I go for a run.
- teach 10y agoI have a Fitbit for exactly two reasons: sleep tracking and heart rate. The step counter is interesting, but I wouldn't have bought a device just for that.
- CN7R 10y agoI have a charge hr -- mostly for silent alarms to wake me up without disturbing my roommates, and timer function in case I need to track something. Oddly enough I don't care about the step counter or the heartrate sensor.
- teach 10y agoThey used to say that most people only used 40% (or 80% or whatever) of Microsoft Word's features, but that each person used a different 40%. I suspect that fitness trackers and smartwatches are like that, too, but that it's more like 20% of the features.
- deleted 10y ago[deleted]
- clavalle 10y agoWhat is the most programmable wearable? I'd love to have access to my watches display, sensor, and communications features.
- IanCal 10y agoWell, the future state will be a bit more unknown but pebbles are very easy to program and add do, and can be had pretty cheaply.
- diego_moita 10y agoAndroid Wear is very open, it is very much the same api as normal Android. The main limitations are on the UI and a few specific issues like bluetooth advertising. Tbh, even Pebble didn't allow you so much access as Android Wear (e.g.: Pebble's bluetooth api was very limited). Samsung's Tizen and Garmin's ANT seem quite open too, but I just studied the documentation, didn't actually wrote code for them. Xiaomi's Mi band, FitBit and Apple Watch are very restricted.
- kejaed 10y agoI've started working on my take over the world side project and it has a watchOS component. I've been pleasantly surprised with the access to the CoreMotion and HealthKit data on the watch, as well as the ease of access for accessing the network directly or passing data and files back and forth with the iOS companion app.
- ffef 10y agoWell, that was fun while it lasted.
- r0muald 10y agoSo buying Pebble was nothing but their previous try at surviving in a challenging wearable market? It's really difficult to wrap my head around these two recent moves in a way that makes sense.
- ChuckMcM 10y agoI think its pretty easy, Pebble adds some additional "watch" market, and if you lay off the people you've added more customers without adding a lot of additional cost. Long before it was 'trendy' the monitoring your hearbeat etc market was there for serious athletes. That is, and continues to be a niche market. So there are too many players chasing too few customers who aren't going to upgrade their equipment every year and aren't willing to pay a monthly service charge for reading that equipment so the market seems quite a bit smaller than it once appeared.
- sundvor 10y agoAt the same time, you've got disgruntled Pebble fans such as myself who were dying for the Pebble Time 2, and majorly upset about not getting it. Unless they actually launch a revised Time 2 under a different name, I'm flummoxed as to how they'll capture my interest.
- rubidium 10y agoThey bought the Pebble assets for <$40 million. The engineering knowledge and brand awareness was a steal and must-do, even for a struggling company. Remember, they still did $500 million in revenue in Q4. Fitbit and the entire wearable industry is in a similar position to Pandora and Twitter. There's a massive need to re-adjust expectations. You can build a very successful music streaming business, social communication company, and wearable manufacturing company... if you gauge the size of your market correctly. Guess wrong and Expenses > Revenues = panic (unless you've got Uber's pocketbook).
- patmcguire 10y agoI've been acquired into a company that dumped 90% of employees six weeks later. (Acqui-fired) Either the group buying and the group firing didn't talk, or they just changed their minds right after. Kind of a bummer, our company made money and was just deleted as it got sucked into their black hole of failure. Spent a lot of time trying to reconcile the two events, sometimes there just is no larger plan to figure out There's also the matter of how the acquisition was paid for: if you're a company at risk of going under, offering stock compensation is very, very cheap for you.
- sremani 10y agoI have bought my share of fitbit, Band etc. The only way to make wearables tolerable is making them less smart and more accurate. Accurately measure my heart rate and stop bugging me about a stupid text!
- Johan-bjareholt 10y agoTotally agree. The only wearable I have is a Xiaomi Band 2, and the only reason I use it is for its 18 day battery, detects when I go to sleep so I don't have to toggle it every night, that it vibrates when I get a call so I can have my phone on silent and has a clock. I rarely check how many steps I take even though that's what is supposed to be it's primary functionality. I use that wearable to make my life easier, not to interrupt me every time I get a notification, and I certainly don't want to charge it every few days.
- trendia 10y agoThe new Charge costs more than the old one and doesn't have a GPS. Now I have to run with my phone on me to get accurate location data. They're regressing.
- CN7R 10y agoThe charge 2 is the same price as the old one -- but I'd agree if they could put an actual gps tracker on a $150 watch -- like with polar m200 -- it'd be a better competitor to other fitness bands.
- deleted 10y ago[deleted]
- Quppa 10y agoOnly the Fitbit Surge has built-in GPS (the first generation Charge and Charge HR didn't). The Charge 2 does cost more at retail presently, however.
- TarpitCarnivore 10y agoThis is why I've been eyeing a Garmin Vivoactive HR. I know people slam Garmin because they feel behind but if there is one thing they know it's accuracy. There's a reason they're the goto brand for cyclists, runners and triathletes. It's because they work reliably.
- brunoluiz 10y agoI am quite curious to see what will happen with Android Wear devices and Apple Watch, as the weareable hype is kinda declining (and once it was "the next big thing").
- grzm 10y agoMy impression is that Fitbit is seeing a lot of pressure from devices like the Apple Watch. Though I've encountered people who still like and use a Fitbit even after purchasing an Apple Watch, I can see that declining in the future. I think wrist devices like the Apple Watch and similar Android devices are here to stay, especially as they get smaller, have added features, and the UX improves.
- dkonofalski 10y agoSo long, farewell! Don't let the door hit you on the butt. Fitbit totally killed itself for me when it decided to launch its own ecosystem without integrating itself into HealthKit and Google Fit. I understand that they thought they were creating an ecosystem for their users but by choosing to ignore the platforms that the major OS manufacturers had created, they essentially locked everyone out of integration with non-Fitbit devices. I bought a Fitbit Aria scale and a Fitbit device and was furious when I found out that I couldn't integrate that data with MyFitnessPal or RunKeeper or Strava without buying another app to allow syncing to the Fitbit website. Now I have an Apple Watch and we traded our scale for a Withings scale that works with HealthKit and Google Fit and everyone in the family is happy whether they're on Android or iOS. Walled gardens are fine but not if they're locked, walled gardens.
- dec0dedab0de 10y agoI have an aria and it syncs with my fitness pal just fine.
- dkonofalski 10y agoYes, but it doesn't sync with HealthKit/Google Fit directly. You have to go through MyFitnessPal and login to your Fitbit account. You're two steps removed from direct integration and sharing with any other apps on your device.
- CN7R 10y agoI can see why there's no direct integration -- isn't it better for a company to ask permission for your data before using it? Like how if you want to sign up for a website through Facebook or Google, they ask first.
- dkonofalski 10y agoThat's precisely how HealthKit and Google Fit work, though. You have to allow them access to the app data. The thing with the Fitbit data, though, is that there is no option to even access the data. It doesn't share it at all and doesn't have an option to share it. You either use the Fitbit website or you don't get to see your data. Some apps have hacked work arounds to get the basic data by scraping web data but it's not a true integrated solution. It's crap.
- samblr 10y agoTo me it looks like only big Internet companies or companies in CE space can pull of in this space. Because both have an unbelievable advantage in terms of ecosystem. If outsider fails to integrate into this existing space - there is likelihood of they not making into longer runs.
- akshayB 10y agoEven if you are a premium fitbit user and use their customer API you don't have access to some data point for heart rate, cardio time-frames and performance stats. They not only need to catch-up but also provide people their own health data forget HealthKit and Google Fit integration that is like step 2.
- snuxoll 10y agoThey don't WANT to provide people their own health data, I'm guessing. They demoed a full integration with HealthKit years ago but canned it, I'm guessing for the exact same reason. And honestly, I think this is exactly why Fitbit ended up failing. They tried to create a walled garden where you would collect all your data into their service, the hardware wasn't what they wanted to sell you, but their premium services.
- akshayB 10y agoI am a developer and I was a fitbit premium user for long time but I cancelled my subscription. I went over all their APIs but failed to get data where I can export my detailed workout and cardio stats. My main purpose was train myself for even more intense workout looking at the data. It was just a very disappointing experience.
- mholmes680 10y agoFWIW, I set up IFTTT to export to a Google Sheet daily. Not sure if it will give you the level of detail unless the API is already providing it though.
- diego_moita 10y agoWearables only have 2 "killer applications", so far: notifications and fitness. To broaden their appeal they need to find others. I don't think that will happen this year. The next likely killer application for wearables is probably automation, authentication and interaction with other devices. However the problem in this area is that the standards are too fragmented (AllJoyn, Homekit, Google's Brillo, etc) and the devices didn't reach critical mass, yet. But you can be sure wearable devices won't fade away.
- Analemma_ 10y agoThe Apple Watch can do authentication to some extent: Authy has an Apple Watch app, and there's Apple Pay. This is the kind of stuff I don't think Fitbit can easily duplicate, which is why I think they're going to struggle in the future.
- diego_moita 10y ago> authentication to some extent The "to some extent" part is precisely a big part of my point when I mention fragmented standards and absence of critical mass. An incomplete killer application is not really "killer". Other devices (e.g: Android wear with smart-lock and Google Pay) also suffer from the "to some extent" illness. But you made a very good point about FitBit not being able to replicate. Their devices are too focused on health and notification. They don't even have the hardware to go beyond that.
- stcredzero 10y agoThe Apple Watch can do authentication to some extent: Authy has an Apple Watch app, and there's Apple Pay. I'd love it if I could securely store all of my passwords on an Apple Watch, which would require my fingerprint to unlock. But only if there was Bluetooth integration for macOS and USB devices for integration with random computers.
- kejaed 10y ago1Password has an Apple Watch app, and you can choose the passwords you want to have on your watch. With a PIN on the watch that locks it when taken off one's wrist, I'm pretty happy with that sort of security. Another step would be a extra 1Password pin, of some other kind of something you know code. A 4 pad touch screen that could use a combination of short press, long press, force-touch press as a combination would be pretty cool, come to think of it.
- phhlho 10y agoAfter 3 Fitbit Charge HRs dying on me within a year, I've left FitBit and moved on to Garmin. It's a shame because my Flex was solid for multiple years.
- CydeWeys 10y agoI've had the exact same problem both with the Flex and then with the Charge HR. Their hardware quality is just terrible, especially given that they're expected you to pay >$100 on their devices! I now go out of my way to actively dis-recommend Fitbit (as I've done in this comments thread).
- 2-4-Flinching 10y agohmm, that is the opposite of my experience. My mom has an original fitbit and me and my wife have the fitbit charge HRs. I actually thought when I read the title that it was due to lack of demand as everyone I know has one and sees no reason to get a newer one.
- shanemhansen 10y agoI'm surprised. It seems like for the last several months I've been noticing fitbits on the wrist of several prominent people. Maybe their product is just too simple and does it's job too well. Judging by trends in the market, people won't be satisfied until their watches have about 8h of battery life and are privy to all the 0-days of android. Ignore my grumbling, I'm just an old fossil who wants phones to at least be phones and watches to at least be watches. Call quality on my phone seems to drop every year, and my wife's $500 smart watch barfs on syncing her music library.
- Periodic 10y agoNine months ago I had an offer to join Fitbit's engineering team. When I first started interviewing I didn't even realize the company had gone public a six months before. I guess I missed the news. Looking at the stock price and talking a little with the employees, it was hard to get excited. It had gone from an initial surge of $47/share to $14/share. It looked like an overeager IPO to raise funds for a company that really hadn't quite figured out its market yet. We've seen them many times, but I'm not yet sure what the commonality is. Not having a lasting market? Not having the growth potential? Most people at the company had an optimistic outlook, but it would be hard to work there and do recruiting otherwise.
- CydeWeys 10y agoI've said it before and I'll say it again: A big part of Fitbit's problem is the poor hardware quality of their products, especially considering the high price. A lot of people, me included, will never buy another Fitbit after having been burned. Their warranty only lasts one year, yet I've had to replace both Fitbit devices I've had twice within that one year. I'm now Fitbit-less because the latest, a Charge HR, failed for the third time, and it's out of that one year warranty. To give you an idea of how bad the Charge HR is, its charging plug attaches with metal prongs, but it plugs into a slim plastic housing that is only glued to the rest of the device. The obvious result is that the plastic housing eventually gets pulled off with the plug. That's how two of my three Charge HRs have died. It'd be like if your laptop were ruined within four months because the power cable pulled off an essential piece of the laptop housing rather than detaching cleanly, and now it won't attach in order to charge. The third Charge HR bricked itself during an unprompted firmware update, which started randomly and then I guess got interrupted midway through when I moved my phone too far from the device. It never recovered. I don't know what the hell they're optimizing for over at Fitbit HQ, but they're trying to sell $10 throw-away quality devices for >$100. It's outrageous. I actively discourage everyone I know from ever buying anything from them, and many other people I know have also completely sworn them off for the same reason. Their product just sucks.
- wccrawford 10y agoYup. I've owned quite a few of their devices, and every one of them died within 3 years. Previously, though, they were pretty good about replacing them even if they were out of warranty. I often eventually upgraded to the newest, knowing that I didn't really have to worry about the hardware, as they had great customer service. Last time I had one die (it literally fell apart, the glue letting go) they told me that they have changed this policy and are no longer doing that. I now wear a Withings activity tracker watch. I haven't had it long enough to know how long it'll last, but I know one thing: When the band broke, I was able to buy an after-market replacement cheap and put it on myself. This was not possible on most Fitbit devices.
- nemild 10y agoIs your experience emblematic of the that for most customers? Some of the things you mention seem like fundamental design flaws, so I'm curious if most customers have issues?
- puravidas 10y agoFitbits are poor quality, that's their actual challenge.
- nfriedly 10y agoBummer, I hope they can recover from this. I just got my wife a Charge 2, and she really likes it. It definitely does a better job at tracking things and encouraging fitness than any of the other devices we've owned (Flex, Charge, Apple Watch, Huawei Watch). I can't comment too much on quality yet, but the charging cable now grips the entire device, so that should help avoid some of the issues they've had in the past.
- hboon 10y agoRelevant to those mentioning the build quality of Fitbit devices: FWIW, my wife and I used several generations of Jawbone UP over a few years and, we roughly go through 1 every 3-6 months. It's certainly not Fitbit only. Compared to the Apple watch, we have a pair of 1st gens, one of them's battery and display spoilt after 12-13 months, the other is still going strong at ~14/15 months.
- omouse 10y agoWhy not let people work but for fewer hours instead of laying them off? This is ridiculous.
- supergirl 10y agoI'm not surprised. fitness wearables turned out to be pretty bad quality. sold only because of the buzz.
- tsaoutourpants 10y agoI just saw job ads from them last week. WTF?