Can Fitbit Backed by Google’s Parent Take On Apple Watch?
Photo Credit: A man is wearing a Fitbit. Alphabet is reportedly in talks to acquire the wearable tracking brand. Unsplash / @fitnish
Skift Take
If Alphabet does indeed buy Fitbit, it'll be great news for the tracking brand. To keep in step with Apple Watch, though, Fitbit will have to ramp up its innovation. Needless to say, Alphabet has its work cut out for it.
Fitbit was an early leader in the world of wearables. Its colorful, clip-on trackers took the fitness world by storm, attracting everyone from weekend warriors to frequent walkers, each looking to count their steps and calories burned.
Since the launch of Apple Watch, however, the brand has struggled. The tech giant has chipped away at the smartwatch market — it currently holds about 50 percent — and converted many Fitbit fans into Apple Watch loyalists.
But things may soon change in the tracker space. Alphabet is reportedly in talks to acquire Fitbit, which sent Fitbit shares up more than 30 percent in a single day.
While the buy would bring fresh life to the tracking brand, Fitbit customers may have concerns over privacy, wondering just how much data they’re forking over to Alphabe
