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What hazardous competition ? Apple Watch is the leading smart watch maker by more than a mile. You then have Samsung, Garmin, Oppo etc. with their own OS Fitbi

What hazardous competition ? Apple Watch is the leading smart watch maker by more than a mile. You then have Samsung, Garmin, Oppo etc. with their own OS Fitbit would be so miniscule. sounds like BS to me.

jariel 6y ago
FitBit sells 16M devices, Apple 30M watches. With Google behind fitbit it could easily double.
- bilal4hmed 6y ago
  Based on this, FitBit is way behind. Its Apple, Huawei and Garmin taking the lead positions https://www.forbes.com/sites/andrewwilliams/2020/08/20/apple-watch-grabs-over-half-of-all-smartwatch-revenues-as-sector-grows-by-20/?sh=4522e2267784 https://www.forbes.com/sites/andrewwilliams/2020/08/20/apple...
  - jariel 6y ago
    The category is bigger that smart watches esp. for which 'fitbit' is known. Google is a Giant, Garmin is an ant, in the bank and massive distribution power, brand. Lastly, region/quality matters. A customer in China is not the same as a customer in Africa, as a Customer in Europe etc. in terms of revenue, market power etc..
jniedrauer 6y ago
At the professional level, there is literally only one brand which can be used to certify world records[0]. Garmin's track mode will eventually be competitive. But more competition would be a good thing. [0] https://the5krunner.com/2020/08/29/joshua-cheptegai-gutted-about-his-strava-gps-track-5000m-world-record/ https://the5krunner.com/2020/08/29/joshua-cheptegai-gutted-a...
- 99_00 6y ago
  I don't understand that article. Was he running at a official race? What does it matter what his personal device uploads to STRAVA since there are offical time keepers.
  - dc443 6y ago
    You took the words out of my mouth. What on earth did I just read? Don't they have video recordings?
  - joking 6y ago
    It goes very far pretending to be serious for what is otherwise a very ironic article. Maybe if it was on the onion...
- nradov 6y ago
  Just in case anyone was confused, this is a joke. The IAAF relies on certified courses and timing systems for world records. No brand of fitness trackers are officially used for competition. Some of the better fitness trackers do now have a "track run" activity mode which will use the known shapes of running tracks to smooth out the errors in GNSS signals. That gives a nice perfect oval shape on the map and ensures the distance is accurate. But that's still just for training and bragging rights, it doesn't really count for anything.
cwhiz 6y ago
It is specifically the data collection. Other companies are competing in the wearable industry, but no other company is collecting and aggregating data like Google is. If you give Google your wearable data they will have an even more extraordinary advantage when it comes to targeted advertising. This maneuver to acquire Fitbit should be blocked at all costs. Google should not be allowed to obtain this data.
- jeffbee 6y ago
  Can you explain why it's in the public's interest for Google's ad targeting (and search results, since the two are isomorphic) to be worse?
  - cwhiz 6y ago
    The burden is on you to prove why this could possibly be better for any single person, ever.
    - jeffbee 6y ago
      That's weird. Usually the person advocating extraordinary action ("at all costs" were your words) should be able to articulate a supporting argument for their position. But OK, lazy Internet person, I'll go first. Targeted search results and advertisements are very valuable time savers in my life. I strong prefer local results, results in my language, results relevant to my age and marital status, results relevant to my past purchase and shopping habits, results related to my upcoming calendar appointments, and so forth. All of these are quite valuable to me. If Google were to target ads for me based on my resting heart rate and number of miles I run every week, that seems fine to me. God only knows what Garmin and Strava are already doing with that data.

jariel 6y ago

FitBit sells 16M devices, Apple 30M watches. With Google behind fitbit it could easily double.

bilal4hmed 6y ago
Based on this, FitBit is way behind. Its Apple, Huawei and Garmin taking the lead positions https://www.forbes.com/sites/andrewwilliams/2020/08/20/apple-watch-grabs-over-half-of-all-smartwatch-revenues-as-sector-grows-by-20/?sh=4522e2267784 https://www.forbes.com/sites/andrewwilliams/2020/08/20/apple...
- jariel 6y ago
  The category is bigger that smart watches esp. for which 'fitbit' is known. Google is a Giant, Garmin is an ant, in the bank and massive distribution power, brand. Lastly, region/quality matters. A customer in China is not the same as a customer in Africa, as a Customer in Europe etc. in terms of revenue, market power etc..

jniedrauer 6y ago

At the professional level, there is literally only one brand which can be used to certify world records[0]. Garmin's track mode will eventually be competitive. But more competition would be a good thing. [0] https://the5krunner.com/2020/08/29/joshua-cheptegai-gutted-about-his-strava-gps-track-5000m-world-record/ https://the5krunner.com/2020/08/29/joshua-cheptegai-gutted-a...

99_00 6y ago
I don't understand that article. Was he running at a official race? What does it matter what his personal device uploads to STRAVA since there are offical time keepers.
- dc443 6y ago
  You took the words out of my mouth. What on earth did I just read? Don't they have video recordings?
- joking 6y ago
  It goes very far pretending to be serious for what is otherwise a very ironic article. Maybe if it was on the onion...
nradov 6y ago
Just in case anyone was confused, this is a joke. The IAAF relies on certified courses and timing systems for world records. No brand of fitness trackers are officially used for competition. Some of the better fitness trackers do now have a "track run" activity mode which will use the known shapes of running tracks to smooth out the errors in GNSS signals. That gives a nice perfect oval shape on the map and ensures the distance is accurate. But that's still just for training and bragging rights, it doesn't really count for anything.

cwhiz 6y ago

It is specifically the data collection. Other companies are competing in the wearable industry, but no other company is collecting and aggregating data like Google is. If you give Google your wearable data they will have an even more extraordinary advantage when it comes to targeted advertising. This maneuver to acquire Fitbit should be blocked at all costs. Google should not be allowed to obtain this data.

jeffbee 6y ago
Can you explain why it's in the public's interest for Google's ad targeting (and search results, since the two are isomorphic) to be worse?
- cwhiz 6y ago
  The burden is on you to prove why this could possibly be better for any single person, ever.
  - jeffbee 6y ago
    That's weird. Usually the person advocating extraordinary action ("at all costs" were your words) should be able to articulate a supporting argument for their position. But OK, lazy Internet person, I'll go first. Targeted search results and advertisements are very valuable time savers in my life. I strong prefer local results, results in my language, results relevant to my age and marital status, results relevant to my past purchase and shopping habits, results related to my upcoming calendar appointments, and so forth. All of these are quite valuable to me. If Google were to target ads for me based on my resting heart rate and number of miles I run every week, that seems fine to me. God only knows what Garmin and Strava are already doing with that data.