Google is slowly shutting down Fitbit; Should you still buy one?

The Fitbit brand, which is owned by Google, is nothing more than a shell of its former self in 2024. Google acquired the OG fitness tracker maker in 2021, and it’s slowly Everything that makes Fitbit Fitbit ever since. And the death march continues.

In September, we learned that Google plans to: Discontinue both of Fitbit’s popular smartwatch linesVersa and Sense suggest people interested in the potential Versa 5 or Sense 3 consider the new one instead Pixel Watch 3.

This week, another nail was hammered into the coffin of the Fitbit brand: Google is officially We are shutting down Fitbit.com. So is this really the end of Fitbit? If so, how did we get here? And perhaps most importantly, should people still consider buying a new Fitbit device? I will answer these questions below.

What’s going on with Fitbit?

Google acquired Fitbit in January 2021 $2.1 billion. At the time, the Mountain View, California-based tech giant promised Fitbit it would take a hands-off approach; This was much to the relief of Fitbit owners everywhere, including me. However, this statement turned out to be a lie.

When the flagship smartwatch Fitbit Sense 2 launched in September 2022, most of the smart features introduced in the original Sense model were removed, including Google Assistant support and a handful of third-party apps. Sense 2 and its younger sibling, Versa 4, also have WiFi disabled and ship without local music playback support, unlike previous models.

Coincidentally or not at all, the new Google Pixel Watch device, released around the same time, offered these features. This was the first sign that Google was sacrificing Fitbit for Pixel Watch liner.

Around the same time, all Fitbit owners you must have a Google account Continuing to use their devices was something that many people did not like.

(Image credit: Dan Bracaglia/Tom’s Guide)

Then, in early 2023, Fitbit’s beloved community-based Challenges, Perks, and Trophies began to disappear. Around this time, Tom’s Guide editor Jeff Parsons called. Prefer your Fitbit to Apple Watch after a decade of use.

News of Fitbit’s demise remained relatively quiet for the rest of 2023, but that changed in 2024.

with the launch Pixel Watch 3 Earlier this year, Google quietly admitted that its Versa and Sense lines would be discontinued. This is also where we learned that the Pixel Watch 3 is coming. Inherits Fitbit’s (previously) best paywalled featuressuch as a daily Readiness score, which takes into account recent rest and exercise to estimate how prepared the user is for their day.

Finally this week we learned that Fitbit.com says goodbyeThis clearly reveals Google’s future plans for the Fitbit brand. It’s so obvious that it doesn’t seem like there’s actually much left to see.

Google has a habit of shutting down acquired brands

Fitbit isn’t the first brand that Google has acquired and slowly swallowed. In fact, there is an entire website dedicated to products and services. killed by google -some internal, some acquisitions.

I’m still mourning the loss of Google Reader, the tech giant’s handy RSS feed aggregator that was canceled in 2013. Other favorites that reach their end very quickly include image editor Picasa and collaboration platform Google Wave.

Should you still buy a Fitbit?

Now let’s address the elephant in the room: Should you still buy a Fitbit? As someone who reviews wearables for a living and has long been a fan of the Fitbit brand, it pains me to say this, but no, I don’t recommend buying most of the products. best Fitbit models At this point.

With Google openly admitting that the Versa and Sense series will not be discontinued, it seems logical to assume that product support for the Versa 4 and Sense 2 has an expiration date.

(Image credit: Future)

If you’re looking for a stylish fitness tracker, things get a little more complicated. Fitbit Charge 6 remains our top choice inspiration 3 budget is our choice when it comes to best fitness trackers available. But that’s likely to change, given this week’s news that Fitbit.com will be shutting down.

Google hasn’t mentioned discontinuing the more affordable and easier-to-wear Fitbit lines, but nothing would surprise me at this point. The good news is that there are many worthy people Alternatives to Fitbit’s best trackersmany even cost less than their Google-produced counterparts. For example, Amazfit Band 7 It is a good alternative for Inspire 3 and Garmin Vivosmart5 It looks quite similar to the Fitbit Charge 6.

After all, it’s sad to see a beloved brand swallowed by a larger giant, but thankfully there are plenty of reliable fitness trackers to choose from.