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FitBit has a brand. You can't build that in a weekend. In fact, you don't need to build one at all. AliBaba returns over 14k results for "fitness tracker", and

FitBit has a brand. You can't build that in a weekend. In fact, you don't need to build one at all. AliBaba returns over 14k results for "fitness tracker", and I imagine many of them are exact FitBit clones. However, consumer product businesses are about way more than just the product itself. Marketing matters. Distribution matters. Apple bought Beats not because they couldn't create headphones, but because they wanted the brand. FitBit is Beats for "3-axis accelerometers with some firmware and software that you wear around your wrist".

avn2109 11y ago
Honestly I thought Apple bought Beats because they wanted Dr. Dre for future marketing purposes. Is that not the case?
- cheriot 11y ago
  It's been 9 months since the acquisition. If they don't do something soon it will start looking like Cook's first flop.
- wodenokoto 11y ago
  As far as I can understand, they wanted a few other things more: The manufacturing process. I don't know much about this, but apparently beats can produce colour and shine in plastic of a very high quality in high volume. It's a team that have manage to not only build a valuable brand, but create a whole new, high-end market segment. That kind of skill is definitely something Apple wants. They also have a music service and Apple wants in on streaming and their other streaming acquisitions weren't good enough (or they had launched using them) I'm no expert, but these are the value propositions of Beats that I've gathered as a regular on HN.
encoderer 11y ago
A separate fitness tracker is the PDA-and-flip-phone combo of 2015. Once there are popular and mainstream wearable computers, I have no need for a separate fitness tracker. And that will happen as surely as things will continue to get smaller.
- clarky07 11y ago
  It already exists. Apple watch does what fitbit does along with plenty of other useful stuff. I can't imagine why anyone would use a fitbit instead, other than perhaps cost. That's not a great thing to be your only way of competing. As it happens, while typing this comment, my watch let me know it was time to stand up and move around :-P
  - commandar 11y ago
    > I can't imagine why anyone would use a fitbit instead, other than perhaps cost. Battery life. Apple Watch will improve over time, but it's nowhere near there yet when it can't be worn overnight.
    - clarky07 11y ago
      For the sleep tracking component, or just in general? Personally I have no problems charging my watch daily, just like my phone. But it does present an issue if you want to wear it while sleeping. I've never wanted to wear a watch sleeping though... As a complete side note, i've been impressed by the battery life. I haven't gone below 50% in a day yet, and I have so little concern that I will I took battery percentage off of my watch face.
- andyidsinga 11y ago
  hmmm, not sure. fitness trackers could evolve to be 25 (100?) sensors all over your body with data flowing to a backend that could comprehend all sorts of things a single cellphone in your pocket cannot. fitbit's current product is v 0.5 of that future. all of their energy as a company can be put to improving health through their product line ..much different than the ingrained processes and motivations of cell phone makers. edit : s/cellphone/wearable/ ..same comment applies.

avn2109 11y ago

Honestly I thought Apple bought Beats because they wanted Dr. Dre for future marketing purposes. Is that not the case?

cheriot 11y ago
It's been 9 months since the acquisition. If they don't do something soon it will start looking like Cook's first flop.
wodenokoto 11y ago
As far as I can understand, they wanted a few other things more: The manufacturing process. I don't know much about this, but apparently beats can produce colour and shine in plastic of a very high quality in high volume. It's a team that have manage to not only build a valuable brand, but create a whole new, high-end market segment. That kind of skill is definitely something Apple wants. They also have a music service and Apple wants in on streaming and their other streaming acquisitions weren't good enough (or they had launched using them) I'm no expert, but these are the value propositions of Beats that I've gathered as a regular on HN.

encoderer 11y ago

A separate fitness tracker is the PDA-and-flip-phone combo of 2015. Once there are popular and mainstream wearable computers, I have no need for a separate fitness tracker. And that will happen as surely as things will continue to get smaller.

clarky07 11y ago
It already exists. Apple watch does what fitbit does along with plenty of other useful stuff. I can't imagine why anyone would use a fitbit instead, other than perhaps cost. That's not a great thing to be your only way of competing. As it happens, while typing this comment, my watch let me know it was time to stand up and move around :-P
- commandar 11y ago
  > I can't imagine why anyone would use a fitbit instead, other than perhaps cost. Battery life. Apple Watch will improve over time, but it's nowhere near there yet when it can't be worn overnight.
  - clarky07 11y ago
    For the sleep tracking component, or just in general? Personally I have no problems charging my watch daily, just like my phone. But it does present an issue if you want to wear it while sleeping. I've never wanted to wear a watch sleeping though... As a complete side note, i've been impressed by the battery life. I haven't gone below 50% in a day yet, and I have so little concern that I will I took battery percentage off of my watch face.
andyidsinga 11y ago
hmmm, not sure. fitness trackers could evolve to be 25 (100?) sensors all over your body with data flowing to a backend that could comprehend all sorts of things a single cellphone in your pocket cannot. fitbit's current product is v 0.5 of that future. all of their energy as a company can be put to improving health through their product line ..much different than the ingrained processes and motivations of cell phone makers. edit : s/cellphone/wearable/ ..same comment applies.