Google on Friday announced it has entered into a definitive agreement to purchase Fitbit. The deal is worth some $2.1 billion according to a Fitibit press release.
It may take some time before we see how things ultimately unfold, but it sounds like Google will treat Fitbit much like it does Nest. In other words, it belongs to Google and its future products will get the “Made by Google” moniker.
Google has yet to make its own wearable, even after opening its wallet to scoop up some of Fossil’s technology.
On the other hand, Fitbit has been in the game for some time now and has gotten increasingly better at its hardware and software. So much so, in fact, that it has sold more than 100 million devices around the globe.
And while Wear OS hasn’t taken off, its software-based Google Fit is pretty smart stuff. How will Wear OS and Fitbit work together? Will they even design hardware with Google’s platform?
According to Fitbit, it will remain platform-agnostic and work across Android and iOS. And, Google, for its part, “remains committed to Wear OS“. Both could keep doing what they do today and consumers ultimately not see a difference. But that’s probably not going to happen.
Google aspires to create tools that help people enhance their knowledge, success, health and happiness. This goal is closely aligned with Fitbit’s long-time focus on wellness and helping people live healthier, more active lives.
We imagine that Google’s internal developer support, AI, and growing ecosystem of products will pair nicely with wearables made by the Fitbit team. And the two companies likely do, too. Then there’s the whole space of developers who have created apps and custom features for both Wear OS and Fitbit.
Whatever unfolds as a result of today’s deal is bound to be interesting and, hopefully, compelling.
Editorial Note: Select outbound links may include affiliate tracking codes. Revenue generated from any potential purchases is used to fund AndroidGuys.