49 ms·

Alphabet in bid to buy Fitbit

• philliphaydon 7y ago
  Ah nooo please. Anyone but google. I love my Fitbit charge 3 and was thinking about replacing my Fitbit scale because my original model just died after 6 years. If google is going to buy Fitbit then I’m out.
  • cascom 7y ago
    100% so annoying - going to have to throw out my fitbit stuff if this goes through
    • fyfy18 7y ago
      And this is exactly why any consumer device that relies on the cloud is a bad idea. I would never buy a Ring doorbell or Nest camera for the same reason - I'd always look for a version that can be used locally so I can host the software myself and don't need to depend on a third party that may go bust, or get aquihired and shutdown.
      • Pxtl 7y ago
        Especially one that I'd have to install into a wall. I mean, I was always thinking that the whole "IOT lightbulbs" were at the wrong spot - that an IOT lightswitch would make more sense - you get all the lights on that circuit in one go, and you don't have the "is the light off because it's set off or is the switch off" thing. But IOT device lifespan is way too short to be installed into a wall, even something as easy to DIY as a lightswitch.
        • ocdtrekkie 7y ago
          Insteon has no cloud dependency and has been producing hardware compatible with the ones sold today since 2005, and it used to be backwards compatible with X10, which is from 1975. They use powerline and RF transmission, and interface with computers or hub devices usually via a transceiver. I would actually recommend a more open standard today, such as Z-Wave or ZigBee, but the point is, plenty of IoT hardware is long-lived, it just isn't as trendy as what's marketed by Amazon or Google.
        • wlesieutre 7y ago
          I think Lutron Caseta is what you want for that. No personal experience but I know people who have some and I haven't heard complaints.
        • ericlathrop 7y ago
          GE makes in-wall Z-wave light switches that work wonderfully. No cloud dependency, and you can control them with open source software like HomeAssistant.
    • bsmith0 7y ago
      Jesus, the anti Google circlejerk is insane.
  • deleted 7y ago
    [deleted]
  • CydeWeys 7y ago
    I've found that Garmin has higher quality hardware than Fitbit anyway. Every Fitbit I ever had ended up being replaced multiple times under warranty because the hardware was very low quality (or badly designed) and broke.
    • jschwartzi 7y ago
      I wore my Charge 2 scrambling and rock climbing, scratched the shit out of the screen, dropped it, wore it to Tough Mudder, and somehow after 3 years of that it still just works.
    • dkonofalski 7y ago
      Same here. Multiple iterations of the same product and every one of them broke. While it was nice that a few of them were replaced under warranty by FitBit, the fact that every one of them needed to be replaced is asinine.
    • jlarocco 7y ago
      Garmin hardware is great, but their software is terrible. My friends and I had been using Garmin cycle computers and watches for a while, but lately we've been moving to Suunto and Wahoo devices - entirely due to software bugs. My Fenix 5 watch freezes up 2 or 3 times a month. The screen will be frozen at a particular time for 5-10 minutes and it won't respond to any button presses, not even to turn it off. And they don't sync to the app without an internet connection. And the cycle computers freeze up on boot trying to download upgrades, even when you're in the midle of nowhere and haven't had an internet connection in days. Lots and lots of little annoyance bugs like those. Definitely not designed for offline use, in any case.
  • lozaning 7y ago
    There's much cheaper wifi scales out there that sync into the fitbit app. I've got a $40 weight gurus ones, works great.
• rpmisms 7y ago
  Yay, can't wait for my FitBit to be EOL'd randomly.
  • TeMPOraL 7y ago
    I can't wait for my already EOL'd Pebble that was acquired by FitBit to be resurrected as a surveillance/adtech nightmare by Google.
    • Wowfunhappy 7y ago
      Given that your EOL'd Pebble currently uses servers maintained by an independent nonprofit using an open source stack, it's about as far from Google's influence as anything can be.
      • dTal 7y ago
        My EOL Pebble doesn't use any servers at all, with Gadgetbridge. Why should moving data from my watch to my phone, over bluetooth, require a server on the internet? Silliness.
        • calypso 7y ago
          An app store, watch face store, dictation, weather. those features are the reason it requires a server. That's what you give up by not using rebble or similar services.
          • Wowfunhappy 7y ago
            Also, any third party apps that create timeline pins unfortunately need to go through a server.
          • TeMPOraL 7y ago
            You can sideload Pebble apps AFAIR. I vaguely recall doing that recently to restore the watchface on my wife's Pebble after migrating it to a new phone.
• MaximumMadness 7y ago
  Every person I've talked to over at Fitbit (pre-this news) has been down on the company. Sounds like they've had trouble effectively scaling software/new hardware to the level of success that the initial device had. While this could easily be another money sink for Google as they attempt to figure out some sort of Android wearable, it also has the potential to be an Instagram level-acquisition. Non-Apple wearables seem to be ripe for the picking
  • atlasunshrugged 7y ago
    Something definitely has been off at Fitbit - I had their first device and then after swearing off smartwatches got a new Fitbit for Christmas. 10 months later I'm on my 3rd watch from them - the first one stopped taking a charge after a few months, the second one the screen went out in a week or two. I'm hoping the third time is the charm
    • sodosopa 7y ago
      I’m still on my g1 Applewatch. If it had as many issues as the fitbits, I sure wouldn’t buy more fitbits.
      • everythingswan 7y ago
        Probably received free replacements. I had 3 break down on me and only once did I have to pay shipping, coincidentally that was the last time I asked for a replacement. perhaps I am bitter. Their support was great but when it doesn't perform the basic function of syncing with my phone or desktop app, what good is it? I had software and hardware problems (band breaks easily) on all of them.
        • atlasunshrugged 7y ago
          Yeah, they were good about giving me free replacements whenever I had an issue, if not I definitely wouldn't have purchased a new device. I just swapped in the new replacement screen this morning, hopefully it works for a good long while
• atlasunshrugged 7y ago
  I'd definitely welcome this - it seems like Google has been way behind Apple with a solid watch competitors and given they've got the rest of the ecosystem with the Pixels, Chromebooks, and headphones, bulking up their capabilities there alongside the HTC team acquisition seems logical
  • blisterpeanuts 7y ago
    What headphones does Google sell?
    • atlasunshrugged 7y ago
      They've got the Pixelbuds, I think the niftiest feature on them was live translation
  • pfranz 7y ago
    Ugh... I get how Google's acquisition would make sense, but why does every company have to do everything? I know it's because of walled gardens and "integration" but it really sucks if you really like Fitbit because of some niche feature you're compelled to buy into the whole ecosystem. After watching what happened to Nest I don't see how any current owner would be excited. I saw a newer, lower priced version released and being forced over to Google services. They used the brand and likely the team to develop more products, but none of them seem very compelling. They're all fairly identical to products other companies make.
    • plexicle 7y ago
      Well in this case, Google kind of has to do something with wearables. Apple Watch is pulling people over. Unless you were suggesting in your comment that Apple should release the AW from the walled garden and allow it to work on Android? In that case, I agree!
      • pfranz 7y ago
        > Apple should release the AW from the walled garden and allow it to work on Android Basically. Sure, I'm generally biased towards Apple products, but it just seems like wasted effort they all develop their own phone, smart speaker, virtual assistant, watch, etc. I don't feel like its doing the traditional "competition making everyone better." Instead it feels more like a checklist of portfolio items. I do see the value in integrating with your own stuff, but I just don't see these product categories improving that much. When any big company buys one of these smaller companies I feel like the wish is that they stay the same and ignore them. I can't really think of any of these cases where I've been happier at the result. The best bet is probably something like Withings. It was acquired by Nokia in 2016 and sold back to the founder in 2018. My pre-2016 scale still works and connects great. Sure, we might not have these companies at all if they weren't acquired, but they also wouldn't have been built up the same way if their goal wasn't a big buyout.
• tempsy 7y ago
  I don't really get what Fitbit offers to Google...seems like they could easily build from scratch what Fitbit currently offers. And the Fitbit brand doesn't seem particularly strong right now...
  • mrgreenfur 7y ago
    Google gets fitness data attached to your profile for incredible insight into ad targeting and profiling. Seems incredibly valuable to me. The actual products themselves are a bit ancillary for google their real value is realized behind the scenes.
    • aries1980 7y ago
      You can export all your data and delete your Fitbit account at any time.
      • freeplay 7y ago
        """delete"""
  • albertshin 7y ago
    I agree they could probably build out the hardware and software, but they'll be getting a wealth of data from this which is pretty invaluable.
  • code_duck 7y ago
    My impression would be that as for the huge amount of data about the activity of individuals.
  • toasterlovin 7y ago
    > And the Fitbit brand doesn't seem particularly strong right now... It's the only wearable brand other than Apple Watch that has any traction whatsoever with consumers.
    • 7y ago
• yalogin 7y ago
  I somehow don't see the fit. Pardon the pun. Their watches though popular are completely self sustained, as in not connected devices. No link to the phone, cannot install Android on them most likely. So they are buying it purely for their experience making watches and not for their products. Also, I wonder how much Google will want to invest in devices that are not connected to their ecosystem and might neglect existing products which will simply dilute the brand. Could be a good thing for Fit though, as I don't see that as a growing business over time.
  • jplayer01 7y ago
    > Their watches though popular are completely self sustained, as in not connected devices. No link to the phone, cannot install Android on them most likely. So they are buying it purely for their experience making watches and not for their products. Either that changes and Fitbit is tied into the ecosystem (which sucks because I like Fitbit as it is), or the brand (and its products die) as the engineers are put to work building something else.
  • henryfjordan 7y ago
    The Versa 2 has bluetooth and talks to a phone. You can see texts and even send them back (though typing is a pain). There's also Alexa in the watch if you care to enable it. That said Google has Android Wear and a whole line of watches already so I also don't see the benefit except to squash some competition.
  • notatoad 7y ago
    >No link to the phone wut? being linked to your phone is literally the whole point of a fitbit. it syncs your recorded fitness data back to the phone, and displays notifications from the phone on your wrist.
  • soulofmischief 7y ago
    I figure they just want the data.
  • throwaway5752 7y ago
    Foothold into wearables market with established brand, manufacturing footprint, and presumably some expertise in regulatory environment. If they can pair with Pixels and stream back raw data, I hear that Google is pretty good with data analysis. Wearables + cloud is in early innings. Apple Watch afib detection is a shiny trinket but, at least to my understand has negligible clinical value in and of itself.
• spidermango 7y ago
  Great now google can track my biometrics
  • TeMPOraL 7y ago
    Google's corporate mission is "to organize the world's information" - that includes your biometrics - "and make it universally accessible and useful" (for adtech industry).
  • whydoyoucare 7y ago
    That's the whole point, isn't it? And then sell it to healthcare providers, so you can receive timely advice! :-D
    • braythwayt 7y ago
      And let's be clear that by "healthcare providers," we mean insurance companies. And by "timely advice," we mean notifications that you need to shop for new insurance, because they've detected that you have become a riskier bet and are dropping your coverage.
      • trenning 7y ago
        And higher premiums because they can detect some anomaly in your heart rhythm. Oh sorry we can't insure you because Google sold us your fitbit info and you have a preexisting condition you aren't aware of.
    • vineyardmike 7y ago
      Advice... or Adverts?
    • sumoboy 7y ago
      I don't know about selling it healthcare providers but integrating it as an audience with Google Ad's seems like the likely path. They know your location, now it's knowing your body data to target an audience segment.
  • 7y ago
• automathematics 7y ago
  My Fitbit Versa is my favorite smartwatch (and I have two Android Wear watches in a drawer that couldn't get one full WORK day of battery) I'd love to see the Pebble hardware running Android Wear (maybe fixed by Fitbit to last longer) with Pixel branding. I'm hopeful.
  • modeless 7y ago
    Pebble hardware could never run Android Wear. It has 256 kilobytes of RAM! Android Wear requires two thousand times more RAM than that. That's the really impressive achievement of Pebble. They built a smartwatch software platform that was orders of magnitude more efficient than Apple or Google, but still a joy to use. That efficiency gave them the flexibility to make hardware design choices (e.g. 7 day battery or 7.5mm thickness or $99 price) that Google or Apple could never make.
    • fredley 7y ago
      Not only that, despite the extreme technical limitations underpinning the device, they built a dev environment that was a joy to use, and an API that was intuitive and powerful, supported by great documentation. Pebble really was something special.
      • Wowfunhappy 7y ago
        I actually find the limitations are what make it fun to develop for. I can make a Pebble app that feels complete without doing any real design work. Because there's not much design that can be done.
    • akhilcacharya 7y ago
      The Pebble ran on a Cortex M3. These days the new Mi Bands offer somewhat equivalent specs for $40 with 15 day battery life on color displays with heart rate monitors. I'd be really excited to see something similar in a more traditional watch form factor.
      • 7y ago
• drcode 7y ago
  I'd still love to hear a convincing argument from someone as to the benefits of counting steps and measuring heart rate with a wrist band- Are people feeling like they are more fit because they walked to lunch "the long way" so they can reach the 10000 step goal that Fred from accounting has set for them? Do they feel healthier because they were regularly watching their heart rate reading during their hour in the gym to make sure it is in the correct target window, instead of just focusing on working their asses off for the whole hour without looking at metrics? Convince me this isn't just a distraction and fad with little benefit, besides being an advertising device on your wrist to inform others that you value fitness. EDIT: OK, looks like everyone here is convinced of the benefits- I'm pretty much on my own in my skepticism, I guess.
  • mathgladiator 7y ago
    Heart rate is an interesting way of getting bio feedback for emotions. I am willing to bet that it will be used in future as a way of improving somatic therapy.
    • coldtea 7y ago
      I am willing to bet that it will be used in future as a way of measuring ad impact...
  • catalogia 7y ago
    It's gamification of activity, to combat sloth. Users either feel better or hope to feel better. I couldn't say whether it's effective though.
  • amwelles 7y ago
    For me, at least, getting a smart watch with fitness capabilities made me realize how non-active I was before. I wasn't remotely interested in fitness pre-watch, and now I make sure to hit 30 minutes of exercise per day, even if that's just walking around the neighborhood or doing some gentle yoga.
  • downrightmike 7y ago
    I was surprised how often stress kicks my heart rate to near max for my age. That and seeing how much sleep I get. I don't really care about steps, but 10k isn't that hard.
• ignoramous 7y ago
  > Fitbits’ stock shot up almost 30 percent after the first rumors surfaced. In recent months, the company’s stock often traded below $3, down from close to $48 shortly after its IPO in 2015. Today, after the announcement, it went up to around $5.20. Good lord, must the acquisition offer feel like a relief? Surely, Fitbit wouldn't do a Groupon now. The article fails to mention Fossil, but Google recently did acquire their wearables research division for $40M [0]. It looks like Google is gearing up to launch multiple wearables. Xiaomi, Huawei, and Huami have really taken the wearables market by storm [1]. If anything, price differentiation seems to be the key. I hope the rumoured Pixel Wearable isn't comically expensive like its Phone counterparts. [0] https://www.theverge.com/2019/1/17/18187026/google-fossil-group-smartwatch-sale-40-million-wear-os-android https://www.theverge.com/2019/1/17/18187026/google-fossil-gr... [1] https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20191017005172/en/Huami-Launches-GTR-Bold-New-Fashion-Orientated-Amazfit https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20191017005172/en/Hua...
  • climb_stealth 7y ago
    I was really happy with the Fossil hybrid watch that I got for christmas two years ago. The bluetooth worked perfectly which I would never had expected. Whilst the Fossil app is great the actual bluetooth reliability has gone downhill with the latest updates and I'm wondering whether it is related to talent moving to Google.
    • gniv 7y ago
      I'm thinking of getting a hybrid too. If you were to buy today, would you still go for the Fossil?
      • JakeTheAndroid 7y ago
        I like my Fossil Q Explorist well enough. I have the Gen 3 which doesn't have the heart rate monitor or GPS, but on the whole it's a good watch. If you want a smart watch that can do all the smart stuff and last a couple days, I'd look elsewhere. Fossil watches don't have the best battery life. The Gen 4 says like 2 days on standby a day with usage. I get about 6-8 hours tops actually using the watch (looking at notifications quickly and swiping them away, looking at the time, changing songs on my phone), and the charge time is like 3 hours. They suggest it can do sleep tracking, but I've never tested it because I need to charge it every night. If you don't mind having a watch that is mostly for doing watch things, and then charging it every night - Fossil is nice. But I would look elsewhere if you want a smart watch for daily use doing "smart" things.
• borvo 7y ago
  Oh no. First they f*cked up nest and now fitbit?
  • myko 7y ago
    Nest seems to have only improved under Google? They were floundering before the purchase. That said, they ought to do Google auth integration as it's really annoying to maintain a separate Nest account for those products.
    • lostgame 7y ago
      >> Nest seems to have only improved under Google? They were floundering before the purchase I think OP is referencing that Google itself is the lack of improvement. Who cares how the company is doing if buying its products are out of the question due to privacy concerns. I’m in the majority here who would never use or buy a product attached to Google.
      • lallysingh 7y ago
        Nest may not have gone the direction some people wanted, but it's a healthy ecosystem (within the brand) and line of business.
    • nunez 7y ago
      Not if you use GSuite or IFTTT it didn't
• aluminussoma 7y ago
  I would think that Google's first choice was Garmin. In my personal opinion, they have better watch products. It was reported last month that Fitbit engaged Qatalyst for a sale. I wonder who leaked the news to Reuters, which did not mention a price: was it Qatalyst, hoping to start a bidding war?
  • gamblor956 7y ago
    Probably, but it's unlikely that Garmin would sell to Google.
    • dblock 7y ago
      For runners Garmin is far more reliable and superior in every way. Fitbit is cheap. I think google wants data from more people, and Fitbit is a distressed asset, so good opportunity.
    • mbesto 7y ago
      Why do you say that? Everyone has a price.
  • AgloeDreams 7y ago
    Sales numbers talk, happy customers walk. Fitbit sells tons (likely 10x that of Garmin), while they are poorly rated. Garmin really doesn't as much even though their products are quite well liked. Google wants the brand.
    • jcdavis 7y ago
      Its closer than you might think - Fitbit did $1.5B in rev last year. Haven't check their filings but presumably thats almost all from their devices. Garmin did $858m in rev last year from their "fitness" segment. Plus some fraction of their $809m "outdoor" segment includes the Fenix line, which is also in the same category. So probably $1B+ total
      • AgloeDreams 7y ago
• thrower123 7y ago
  Damn. I like my Fitbit. I wouldn't be looking forward to having it stop working with no notice because Google decided to just shut down the servers on a random Tuesday and shutter the product line...
  • blisterpeanuts 7y ago
    Does it really require access to a server, if you're just synching it to one phone?
    • lkbm 7y ago
      Yes, as it works right now. You can't sync it to your phone. (through your phone). You sync it to their server and your phone also connects to the server. There's presumably some caching on your phone, but the server is the source of truth, and I don't think you can get updated info on your phone without it round-tripping to their server first.
• blisterpeanuts 7y ago
  Like the Palm Pilot, Fitbit was a great idea in its time, but there are many competitors today that are better built and better supported. For example, Samsung makes a fitness bracelet that Consumer Reports rates as the best of breed, though it's expensive. After an unsuccessful foray into Android watches a few years ago, I finally broke down and got a $15 remaindered Fitbit Flex on Ebay. It was advertised as "new/other", but the battery is obviously shot and doesn't hold a charge longer than a day or two, so they refunded my money. But I still wear it occasionally, to understand the user experience, despite the inconvenience of needing to charge it every day. It's a clever design and does one thing pretty well -- recording your motion and sync'ing to your phone when in Bluetooth range. For a while I toyed with investing more in a new Fitbit that would capture heart rate, but given how much better Apple watches are both in build quality and likelihood of remaining in business, I think I'll just hold out for one of those, for when I switch from Android to an iPhone 11 or 12 next autumn. Though, Google might reinvigorate Fitbit, who knows. But Google also shelves products with distressing frequency so it might be a meaningless acquisition. Fitness trackers have become a commodity, with a few high end quality offerings from Samsung and others, Fitbit struggling to retain its market leader status, and dozens of Chinese knock-offs in the $8-$20 range that are mediocre but the price is right.
• md8 7y ago
  I love Fitbit. I dont want another brand to be destroyed.
• corporateslave5 7y ago
  Location tracking for better ad targeting if anyone is curious why they want fitbit
  • freeplay 7y ago
    They already have that from your phone. If you have an android device, no explanation needed. If you use an iPhone, unless you abstain from Google products completely, they have it from maps, wifi AP MACs, etc.
    • cannonedhamster 7y ago
      Yeah but now they can sell the data for military personnel using the devices to foreign governments to target our soldiers when they exercise. Google doesn't care who gets hurt by what they do, just want that sweet, sweet cash.
    • jakobegger 7y ago
      Phones don't have GPS running most of the time, to conserve battery. GPS is turned on only while you use navigation apps or while tracking workouts. So even if Google tracks you all day, they mostly have coarse data. Fitbits main purpose is workout tracking, so they have a lot of precise GPS tracks. I suppose those have some value for Google.
      • freeplay 7y ago
        Well, a Fitbit operates the same way your phone does. GPS not on all the time. The battery is much smaller than it is on your phone. However, Google doesn't need your precise location 24/7. Polling GPS once every 5-10 minutes is more than enough to advertise things in your area or know every place you go throughout your day.
        • jakobegger 7y ago
          Google isn't just trying to track you for advertising. They also put a lot of effort into creating their maps, and GPS tracks are very useful for that. A lot of people use Fitbits for workout tracking, so they must have a lot of GPS tracks that could be useful for mapping areas that are currently not so detailed on Google Maps (eg. many hiking trails are missing on Google Maps in my area)
• TimMurnaghan 7y ago
  Anybody know a good way to get your data out of fitbit? I've got a year's worth of decent data and it's obviously at risk if google shutter it. Also I don't want them to have it - so I guess I'm in the market for something independent.
  • jetrink 7y ago
    Fitbit is pretty good about this. I've noticed that some derived values such as resting heart rate are not available for export, but the important stuff all seems to be there. https://www.fitbit.com/settings/data/export https://www.fitbit.com/settings/data/export
    • flukus 7y ago
      And account deletion is somewhat hidden, it's under settings -> personal info -> delete account (at the bottom). When logging in I noticed there's a consent form the I was auto redirected from. Presumably this is for EU customers only and fitbit don't want to give the rest of the world privacy options. I do feel silly giving them this data in the first place though, it's not enough to trust a company, you have to trust who they will be sold too as well.
  • beckingz 7y ago
    you can download it from fitbit, though the daily activity is structured in a hostile json format.
    • diggan 7y ago
      > hostile json format This is new. Is "hostile" referring to a data format that has been created to be as un-portable as possible? Feels like a more accurate description would be to just saw "poorly designed format" as you cannot know their intent (unless they published their intent of course)
      • setr 7y ago
        You can derive/assume intent; it'd be pointless to only claim intent when specifically stated (you can't always assume stated intent isn't actual intent either...).
• cltsang 7y ago
  If Google could tap into fitbit's data, they could implement some headline features to rival Apple watch's fall detection. Sleep tracking is another area in which fitbit is one of the best, if not the best among peers.
• seanvk 7y ago
  My concern would stem from them attempting to replace the firmware with Android Wear. Because Android Wear is licenced they may feel pressure to use the same os so as not to upset licensees such that any improvements to AW on Fitbit gets shared. Or they may go the Nest route with custom firmware based on Fitbit. It will be interesting
• not2b 7y ago
  Very bad news for anyone who has a Fitbit device. Google tends to destroy any "smart" devices they acquire; first they tie it more closely to their ecosystem, too much for comfort, then they remove features, then they get bored and neglect it, then you have a brick.
  • aries1980 7y ago
    There is not much "feature" in a Fitbit. You can't even correct simple numeric values of an exercise, such as the ran distance or the bodyfat percentage of the scale reading.
    • cannonedhamster 7y ago
      You're both right. Unfortunately.
    • CydeWeys 7y ago
      I have a Garmin fitness watch, and I mainly use it to tell the time, daily step count, and the distance/pace/heart rate/duration during runs and bike rides. I do sync the resultant recorded activities to Strava but frankly that's not very important to me. And this is enough to justify the device for me. It only cost $150 or so, lasts much longer than a year, and earns its keep in useful functionality.
      • jschwartzi 7y ago
        Also the battery lasts for almost an entire week between charges, which is an awesome feature. My fiancee has to recharge her Samsung watch almost every day. This is one of those things where limiting the functionality of the device enhances the usability of it. I can easily do the 3 or 4 things I actually want a watch to do on my fitbit(stopwatch, heartrate, pedometer, see who's calling) and don't have to worry about dumb stuff like receiving phone calls or watching video on a tiny screen.
        • CydeWeys 7y ago
• dblock 7y ago
  Fitbit is damaged goods. Just read https://community.fitbit.com/t5/Ionic/Would-you-buy-Fitbit-Ionic-again/td-p/2293464 https://community.fitbit.com/t5/Ionic/Would-you-buy-Fitbit-I... - I own one of these along with many unsatisfied customers. Google is buying technical debt.
  • partiallypro 7y ago
    I love my Fitbit Versa, every product has unsatisfied customers. Anyhow, I was actually hoping Microsoft would buy them, and make an assistant agnostic device that could run Google, Alexa or Cortana.
    • Avamander 7y ago
      Versa has a terrible design (flaw#) when it lets moisture seep in in any amount.
    • lisptw102019 7y ago
      Not enough people wanted Microsoft's in-house product when it existed, and it was even back then better than the competition in many ways. I'm guessing they've learned their lesson after buying nokia...
  • whitebread 7y ago
    The Ionic was a misstep, but damning the entire brand because of one bad product feels like painting with too broad a brush. Like another user said, I love my Versa. Liked but didn't love the Blaze when I had that. I'll be searching for a wearable from a different company that is comparable to the Versa if this deal goes through.
    • dblock 7y ago
      Same customer support though.
  • maximente 7y ago
    you're still not thinking in the 21st century mindset: the data is what has the value here, not some mediocre optional hardware. read the thread - people are recommending just the app, which still fulfills the purpose of "hoover up valuable data"
• fragmede 7y ago
  Given Android, I'm not. hopeful that my Fitbit will continue to work with my iPhone, long term. Edit: I guess Android Wear does work with iOS, so maybe I'm being overly concerned about this aspect.
• throwaway123x2 7y ago
  Anybody know how to delete your data from fitbit? Looks like I have a crappy watch now, instead of a smart device.
  • paulborza 7y ago
    If you go to https://www.fitbit.com/settings/profile https://www.fitbit.com/settings/profile and click Delete Account, the data seems to be deleted after 7 days. "By requesting your account to be deleted, you will no longer be able to login. Your data will be permanently deleted after a 7 day grace period. Coach Premium plans will also get deleted."
• IronWolve 7y ago
  Was annoying Fitbit started charging for more information on sleep. Paying for details that was included, now they want you to pay a monthly fee. If it was additional details maybe, but to cripple the reports just for profit, is shady as fuck.
  • markandrewj 7y ago
    Although I like my Fitbit, this annoyed me too.
  • yellow_lead 7y ago
    Yes, I don't see why I should have to pay for my data, I already paid for the FitBit once.
• filmgirlcw 7y ago
  This makes sense. Wear OS has utterly failed, but FitBit (and the Pebble assets), offer a great experience. Plus, it's cross-platform (important differentiator). I just hope Google doesn't try to kill it/ruin it, the way they have in the past.
• jdalgetty 7y ago
  I wear a fitbit primarily for the sleep tracker. Is there a comparable non-google device that does sleep tracking? My garmin watch is not a great replacement in that regard.
  • TooCleverByHalf 7y ago
    [Whoop](https://www.whoop.com/ https://www.whoop.com/) has a lot of buzz right now and offers some interesting looking sleep insight. I haven't used one myself yet so I can't speak from personal experience.
    • Yeroc 7y ago
      Sleep tracking at $30/month? Are you joking? I don't think anyone moving from a Fitbit is going to be willing for that kind of $$$ commitment to track sleep!
      • TooCleverByHalf 7y ago
        Not really my product to defend. It does more than sleep tracking for $30/mo, however.
  • bradhoffman 7y ago
    I’m in the same boat. Supposedly Apple is working on native sleep tracking. Once that is the case, then I’ll switch over from Fitbit.
  • jimmydddd 7y ago
    My Garmin Forerunner 35 does a good job of sleep tracking. And it lasts around 10 days on a charge. (without using the GPS.) What model do you have?
    • jdalgetty 7y ago
      I had the 235 in the past and now have the 245 music. I haven't tried it in a while but it was really poor in comparison to my fitbit.
• deleted 7y ago
  [deleted]
• ChuckMcM 7y ago
  This wouldn't surprise me, Fitbit has been getting more and more "Googlish" in its slurping of data. My current irritation is that it refuses to 'sync' your device unless you have location services enabled for the app. I get that some folks like a "track" they can refer to, for others it puts their life at risk[1], and for me its not something I care about. Steps and heart rate are enough for it to compute calories (when you've added in lean body mass and sex). There are no features "missing" when I only sync it to an old Motorola X phone (no sim) which is sitting at my desk. I noticed that Apple and Fitbit have also fought over this, where on iDevices enabling location was optional (it would still sync), then an update and the location was no longer optional (unhelpful "no device found" message, but turn on location and amazingly there is your device right there, turn it off and poof your device is no where to be seen), then with the iOS 13 update it was optional again. But on Android it has never been optional. I interpreted that behavior as "profitability through data sales" strategy and they needed more data cows to get more money.
  • mafuyu 7y ago
    The location services is likely due to both Android and iOS requiring location enabled for Bluetooth, as BLE Beacons can be used for location tracking. https://developer.android.com/about/versions/marshmallow/android-6.0-changes.html#behavior-hardware-id https://developer.android.com/about/versions/marshmallow/and...
    • propogandist 7y ago
      this seems to have been an intentional change, to group bluetooth scanning under locations -- which would mean most people leave location feature always enabled, and all the apps that access location (especially play services) gains consent to transmit your location information to Google.
      • amaccuish 7y ago
        Not really because bluetooth and wifi scanning can give you location, so it makes sense programmatically to put it under the "location" banner.
• lostgame 7y ago
  I keep seeing new Apple Watches being released, and I keep seeing them add new features I haven’t seen people asking for instead of focusing on the obvious issue - the atrocious battery life. Putting a 3G modem in my watch is the antithesis to what I see most people asking for - a watch that can actually last more than 24 hours without having to charge it. When my phone lasts longer than my watch, there is something fundamentally wrong. Hopefully this purchase will result in some half-decent Android smart watches - that I’ll never purchase anyways because Google - but for those willing to sell their data out at least they will have the option to do so on decent hardware and hopefully software.
  • scarface74 7y ago
    If you are outside running or even in a gym, having a cellular Apple Watch + Bluetooth speakers is a godsend. You don't have to lug your phone around. Many women have clothes without pockets or a convenient place to hold a phone.
    • lostgame 7y ago
      I’m a woman XD
      • scarface74 7y ago
        Well, I guess I got caught mansplaining.....
• armandososa 7y ago
  They should change their dumbass unreliable piece-of-crap custom charging port.
• jammygit 7y ago
  Fitbit has a privacy policy that says they won't sell or transfer your data IIRC, but that does not prevent them from doing so in the case of a sale or merger. I hate those clauses: the hypothetical argument is always 'what if some data miner buys them' ? This is health data we're talking about
  • giancarlostoro 7y ago
    Interestingly, if we had something like the GDPR in the USA, we should be able to force them to delete our data before the merger. I assume people in the EU who may have Fitbit devices might be able to have their data scrubbed from the Fitbit servers. Also they do use open formats if I remember correctly so some people have utilities to extract data and chart it and such.
  • zerkten 7y ago
    Ironically, the security of the data is probably higher when controlled and operated by Google. That protection is at the cost of linkage with the other data which Google has.
    • Invictus0 7y ago
      If it gets linked to your other data, it's already breached.
  • gnicholas 7y ago
    > If we are involved in a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, we will continue to take measures to protect the confidentiality of personal information and give affected users notice before transferring any personal information to a new entity. from https://www.fitbit.com/legal/privacy-policy https://www.fitbit.com/legal/privacy-policy
    • interestica 7y ago
      "we're giving you notice. You can't do anything, but we are letting you know."
• sys_64738 7y ago
  It’s probably a good exit strategy for Fitbit as they might not have a sustainable business.
• ilikehurdles 7y ago
  Might not be a bad time to request to have all your account data deleted from their servers before Google forces a ToS change and sells advertiser access to users' biometrics.
• nyxtom 7y ago
  I still appreciate my Pebble watch
• nunez 7y ago
  No good options. Based on media coverage about the company, it's either this or Fitbit dies
• alanthedev 7y ago
  I don't care much about FitBit but sure wish I could get Pepple back.
• mxuribe 7y ago
  Oh i see what's happening...this is Google' play to place microphones onto the wrists of those who don't use android phones - via fitbits - in order to capture ever more info for ads! Ah-ha google, you didn't think i saw where you were heading did you, eh!?! /s
• carniaurelius 7y ago
  Uh oh.
• at-fates-hands 7y ago
  So glad I got my GF to get rid of her Fitbit. She had the first two models and both were a nightmare in terms of issues. I got her a Polar Vantage and she just loves the thing. Never had any issues with it and the data you can get out of their apps are incredible.
• aiyodev 7y ago
  I look forward to reading the "What an adventure" blog post when Fitbit shuts down in like two years.
• noja 7y ago
  Anyone have a recommended cloudless alternative?
  • vanous 7y ago
    Sorry to post the same link twice here but since you asked... Look at Gadgetbridge and supported devices. I just also posted a link to the new relase... please see here: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=21381818 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=21381818
• colechristensen 7y ago
  Is anyone aware of body-metric-tracking devices that natively allow you to collect your own data directly from the device? (i.e. no clouds, subscriptions, or preferably smartphone apps)
  • cosmic_ape 7y ago
    Apple Health seems to allow exporting all the data as a file, including individual measurements from the watch (those come every second some times). Haven't tried it yet though.
  • vanous 7y ago
    Look at Gadgetbridge and supported devices. I just also posted a link to the new relase... please see here: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=21381818 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=21381818
  • lrem 7y ago
    I'm happy with my Pebble Time, gathering data via Gadgetbridge. Well, that technically is a smartphone app, but an open source one that I don't mind.
• shmerl 7y ago
  Let them bring back Pebble.
• olliej 7y ago
  I was not happy to find the Fitbit only works by syncing through their service - eg they get all of your data, and vigorously opposed requests to just link to HealthKit and not upload data. Now it seems they were deliberately making sure they had your data so they could (in effect) sell it. I’ve held off on an Apple Watch for the longest time due to battery life and size, but it seems like that is now the only option. You can’t trust any company to have access to your data.
• sailfast 7y ago
  At what point are regulators going to start denying these bids on anti-trust grounds? I suppose there might be enough players in the "wearables" space but I'd imagine this purchase could potentially be denied because of the risk to personal data being further consolidated? I have no idea if the laws on this actually reflect the problems in the market at this point.
• deleted 7y ago
  [deleted]
• datavirtue 7y ago
  Another merger? Is this good for consumers? If Google had to license the tech or start a competitor from scratch it certainly would be good for consumers. Instead, now Fitbit customers are dealing with the thought have having Google hoover up that data too.
• Oblouk 7y ago
  It will be interesting to see how Google uses the fitbit data. I could see them synchronizing a user's searches with their heartbeat information to try to gauge emotional response to topics.
  • akhoja 7y ago
    :)
  • eckza 7y ago
    That's not absolutely fucking horrifying or anything.
    • B1FF_PSUVM 7y ago
      Around 2005 or so, Google floated (and let sink) the creepy idea that you should let them listen to your mic, so that they could supply useful info, for instance about the football game you were watching. This is now the new normal. Pretty sure whatever is now weird will soon be normal too, given a spreadsheet or two to push it through. (Heinlein was not nearly imaginative enough about the Crazy Years, no one could be. Might as well blame him for not thinking of the "Walk on Your Hands" thing.)
      • deleted 7y ago
        [deleted]
      • pstuart 7y ago
        Thanks for the Heinlein reminder. For some reason, The Moon is a Harsh Mistress has been in my thoughts, but I couldn't really say why....
  • spectramax 7y ago
    This obsession of pervasive targeted ads, and A/B testing methods needs to stop. I have stopped using all google services except for search and YouTube. Apple Maps is fine now, if you need a free email account, you can get one on iCloud.com. Who are these soulless marketing execs that are OK with using this type of extremely personal health data!? There should be a moral objection, which evidently isn’t there. That’s more horrifying.
• danrl 7y ago
  Hah! That's the benefit of integrating with Google Fit, a major feature request they have been ignoring for a long time before solving it: https://community.fitbit.com/t5/Blaze/syncing-FitBit-with-google-Fit/td-p/2051863 https://community.fitbit.com/t5/Blaze/syncing-FitBit-with-go...
• johnchristopher 7y ago
  Good. Let them see if the quantum AI powerbots of Google can fix the sync issues.
  • instafail 7y ago
    Haha, funny because its true. Maybe a neural core co-processor do the trick
  • xenospn 7y ago
    Maybe now they'll fix a 3-year old Android bug that prevents simple BLE scanning from working after several weeks.
• WheelsAtLarge 7y ago
  Ok, who wants to put bets on when they will kill it after they acquire it?
  • xenospn 7y ago
    2 years max is my guess.
    • dwighttk 7y ago
      I'll take the under on that
      • ethbro 7y ago
        Under. They're obviously buying it just to harvest the biometric data to build a more accurate synthetic human, which can then click on ads to generate more revenue.
      • cdolan 7y ago
        Link BTC addresses or its not real! !RemindMe: 2 years
• cordite 7y ago
  Hmm, I don't suppose they will revive pebble. https://www.theverge.com/2017/2/22/14703108/fitbit-bought-pebble-for-23-millionw https://www.theverge.com/2017/2/22/14703108/fitbit-bought-pe...
  • solarkraft 7y ago
    Best watch I ever owned. Huami Amazfit Bip comes close, but has no apps and needs touch input to function (no music control either). It does measure your pulse and last 30+ days, though. I would easily pay hundreds of € for the best of those watches with an open source OS. But instead manufacturers stick to touch operated OLED screen watches that last no more than a few days, with Android Wear ones often not even lasting 1. Dude, why?
    • fullstop 7y ago
      The bip can sort of do music control on Android if you use third party apps instead of the Huami one. Notify & Fitness, for example, can control different things when the button is pushed. It's a fantastic smart-ish watch.
  • leevlad 7y ago
    One can only dream. It was so far ahead of its time, and I still consider it superior to any smartwatch out on the market. I have mine from 5 years ago that still works great. We need more products like this.
    • andromeduck 7y ago
      Apple watch is better for most people IMO. The health features, notifications, apps and other integration at least. Max battery life isn't as great but charging once a day isn't so bad for the much better data.
      • baroffoos 7y ago
        Pebble didn't really get a chance to do health properly. They were making massive leaps in progress with each release and had all of these features before anyone else did.
• koiz 7y ago
  Do it, the Versa 2 should have google not alex.
• beambot 7y ago
  > Google’s parent company, Alphabet, made a bid to acquire Fitbit, a source familiar with the matter tells CNBC. More like: the source "leaked" to create negotiation pressures...
• Datenstrom 7y ago
  I deleted everything Google and switched to iOS a few years ago so Google would have less of my data. Now they are going to get detailed location, activity, and sleep history for all of those years anyway. You really can't win can you. I bet there is no option to download my data and nuke what they have before this happens either.
  • remus 7y ago
    > I bet there is no option to download my data and nuke what they have before this happens either. Are you based in the EU? If so then you can do exactly that under GDPR.
    • rhexs 7y ago
      I’ve always wondered, how do they know if you’re in the EU? Can I change my address to somewhere in the EU and get my data deleted or will they check?
      • eanzenberg 7y ago
        Maybe where the data originated? So, if you are a EU citizen, but use a google device in the US on vacation, is the data generated in US bound by US-only regulations, so no GDRP?
        • Normal_gaussian 7y ago
          When you are geographically in the EU the GDPR rights apply to all your data. The location of the data does not matter. The origin of the data does not matter. Citizenship does not matter. These are the reasons many US firms tried to call GDPR overreaching. However if it didn't apply in this way there would be too much wiggle room to be effective.
        • metal13 7y ago
          It's...complicated: https://www.dataprotectionreport.com/2018/12/edpb-clarifies-territorial-scope-of-the-gdpr/ https://www.dataprotectionreport.com/2018/12/edpb-clarifies-... "The Guidelines note that the processing of personal data of EU citizens that takes place outside the EU will not trigger the GDPR so long as the processing is not a specific offer directed at individuals in the EU or to monitor their behavior in the EU." So it may be safe for google...but given it would apply to a user profile in general, including EU, maybe not?
• gambiting 7y ago
  Wow. I was going to buy a Fitbit recently, really glad I didn't.
• jdofaz 7y ago
  I bought a fitbit (the $200 one) to replace my microsoft band when it broke. The heart rate monitor was so bad I returned it to the store in less than 24 hours.
• peterwwillis 7y ago
  > Alphabet in bid to shut down Fitbit in two years FTFY
• mcv 7y ago
  Nooo! My wife has a Fitbit and she's really happy with it. I don't want Google to kill it the way they killed Nest. That's honestly my first thought reading this. I lost my faith in Google about these sort of things.
  • robbyking 7y ago
    What did Google do to Nest? I have a Nest cam and haven't noticed any difference in service.
    • eldenbishop 7y ago
      All the works-with-nest integrations got killed recently. Infuriated me as that was a major selling point of the platform. I used to have my lights rotate evenings when I wasn't home. Also had my outside lights activate based on nest cam motion detection. All that is gone now and they haven't improved the base services for ages. It's too bad since the hardware is all really top notch.
• all_blue_chucks 7y ago
  Fitbit bought and killed cool wearables like Pebble and Vector. If this deal goes through they will probably kill WearOS as well. Fitbit: the grim reaper of wearables.
  • ac29 7y ago
    Eh, the market is the reaper of wearables. There doesn't appear to be much of a market for non-Apple wearables (at least after the initial novelty wore off - tons of people bought fitbits and wore them for a couple weeks a few years ago). These companies are only being acquired because they failed to build a profitable market niche.
  • ChrisCinelli 7y ago
    I think that Fitbit provided them an exit. Is anybody of those company still working for Fitbit? I doubt it...
• jhymn 7y ago
  The Fitbit brand-name has become a generic term like Aspirin, Kleenex or Google. That must be a big part of it's appeal for Alphabet. When you own Fitbit, you own the category.
• krick 7y ago
  Ok, are there any wearables left that can be trusted with personal data? I want to use it to track my own activity/heartrate, not to be used and tracked by somebody else for their shady purposes.
  • dfcagency 7y ago
    I’d say Apple Watch and Apple’s health app.
  • underwater 7y ago
    Withings, Garmin, and Polar might be worth looking at; they're in the hardware business and not the data business.
  • amatecha 7y ago
    Is there a personal data vulnerability/risk with Apple Watch? I don't know of any "tracking" or other shenanigans around the personal health data gathered from it.
    • eugeniub 7y ago
      You can turn off iCloud sync for your Health data, but even if you keep it on, it's encrypted end-to-end across all your devices, which is nice.[1] (Some caveats apply.) 1: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT202303 https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT202303
      • amatecha 7y ago
        Ah yeah, I have iCloud sync off for everything except the one free iCloud email account. :)
        • eugeniub 7y ago
          Ironically, the only iCloud service that is not encrypted at rest. :P https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT202303 https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT202303
• amatecha 7y ago
  Still bitter that Fitbit bought Pebble and did apparently nothing worthwhile with the tech or the team they acquired. I loved my Pebble OG and kept searching for a nice secondhand Pebble Time Steel to upgrade to -- until the Fitbit acquisition where we learned the Pebble ecosystem was unfortunately doomed. I've since "upgraded" to an Apple Watch S4, but to be honest it's really just a "side-grade" as there are major downsides compared to the Pebble OG, like battery life, lack of always-on display, and the lack of useful tactile buttons. Being able to switch the currently-playing music track _without having to look at it_ is one thing the Apple Watch can never provide for me. I have to look, see where the UI button is, and tap on exactly the right spot on the screen. It frequently doesn't recognize that I tapped on the fwd/next track button either (presumably because I didn't tap perfectly within the hitbox). This hugely defeats the purpose of a subtle wearable that can stay "out of the way" and not steal your attention.
  • eugeniub 7y ago
    FWIW you can upgrade to the S5 to get an always-on display. I upgraded from S2 to S5 and I love it. Better late than never. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
    • amatecha 7y ago
      Ah yeah I am aware of that -- though I understand the S5 also has quite a bit less battery life? Is that correct? I'm pretty happy with battery life on the S4!
      • briandear 7y ago
        Battery life is the same for me.
      • eugeniub 7y ago
        Officially it has the same battery life. Unofficially there are mixed reports, but I think it's just too early to tell. It's worth noting that the S5 40mm model has a new battery design that has 10% more capacity than the S4 40mm model.
  • 7y ago
• ChrisCinelli 7y ago
  I do not understand why somebody would buy a Fitbit... I would never buy one. All the ones I owned were gifts. All the ones I owned broke in a way that showed a flawed process and engineering. Their Bluetooth stack is sooo broken. The devices cannot sync if there are other Bluetooth devices around or only some very specific phones are supported. Their forums are FULL of complains for the hardware breaking (ex: https://community.fitbit.com/t5/Charge/Fitbit-charge-battery-problems/td-p/1322842 https://community.fitbit.com/t5/Charge/Fitbit-charge-battery... - https://community.fitbit.com/t5/Charge/Charge-band-falling-apart-Requesting-replacement/td-p/1673536 https://community.fitbit.com/t5/Charge/Charge-band-falling-a... - https://community.fitbit.com/t5/Charge/Button-fell-off-my-charge/td-p/1169524 https://community.fitbit.com/t5/Charge/Button-fell-off-my-ch... ) and updates that brick the devices (one of the recent examples: https://community.fitbit.com/t5/Ionic/Fitbit-OS-4-0-2-Firmware-Release-27-68-9-15/td-p/3823022 https://community.fitbit.com/t5/Ionic/Fitbit-OS-4-0-2-Firmwa... )... nevertheless people still buy them. I think the only good things Fitbit has may be the community and that it is not easier to replicate. I guess Google can buy the company at a bargain price. They could fix up the technical/process problems, create good devices and use the FitBit brand to sell to their user base.
  • baroffoos 7y ago
    > nevertheless people still buy them. Because most people do not research a product before buying it. They just go to the store and pick the one with the nicest box and price.
• dznodes 7y ago
  Fitbit is a fad of a brand. Why would google buy them?
• badrabbit 7y ago
  Alphabit!
• akulbe 7y ago
  I've been wanting to get some kind of fitness tracker to go with my Pixel 3XL, but it seems like nothing can touch the Apple Watch at this point. So I keep my iPhone around. If Apple would play nice with PCs and let you type texts from Windows I'd ditch the Android.
• nl 7y ago
  Fitbit's market cap is ~$1.5B on $1.5B/year revenue. Garmin's market cap is $16B on $3.5B/year. Garmin's products are much better, but they have a big range outside the wearables market.
• _hao 7y ago
  I guess I'm not going to buy a new Fitbit device ever again. I own two Fitbit watches (Charge HR 1st and 2nd generation) and the 2nd gen is still ticking along just fine and I use it daily. I refuse to give Google any money.
• zaarn 7y ago
  I fear that if Alphabet buys Fitbit, then Alphabet will kill of the efforts to keep the Pebble Watches alive, since they then own the various sites and domains necessary. I hope Fitbit stays independent.
• Glosster 7y ago
  I can’t wait to see how Google will manage to strip down all of the best parts of Fitbit and not use them to make a decent product of their own.
• investologia 7y ago
  I can’t wait to see how Google will manage to strip down all of the best parts of Fitbit and not use them to make a decent product of their own.
• HNLurker2 7y ago
  Buying a worthless app. Maybe it's because is better than Google fit
• s09dfhks 7y ago
  I didnt see anyone mention Verily, the company Google already bought to try and make a wearable device. Did that whole company just flop so they decided to go out and buy FitBit?