Google to Acquire Apple Watch Competitor Fitbit for $2.1 Billion [Updated]

Monday October 28, 2019 9:56 AM PDT by Joe Rossignol
Update: Fitbit today announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to be acquired by Google for approximately $2.1 billion.

James Park, co-founder and CEO of Fitbit:
More than 12 years ago, we set an audacious company vision – to make everyone in the world healthier. Today, I'm incredibly proud of what we've achieved towards reaching that goal. We have built a trusted brand that supports more than 28 million active users around the globe who rely on our products to live a healthier, more active life. Google is an ideal partner to advance our mission. With Google's resources and global platform, Fitbit will be able to accelerate innovation in the wearables category, scale faster, and make health even more accessible to everyone. I could not be more excited for what lies ahead.
Rick Osterloh, Senior Vice President, Devices & Services at Google:
Fitbit has been a true pioneer in the industry and has created terrific products, experiences and a vibrant community of users. We're looking forward to working with the incredible talent at Fitbit, and bringing together the best hardware, software and AI, to build wearables to help even more people around the world.
Fitbit will continue to remain platform-agnostic across both Android and iOS, and the company says Fitbit health and wellness data will not be used for Google ads.

The transaction is expected to close in 2020, subject to regulatory approvals.


Google is in talks to acquire popular fitness tracker maker Fitbit, according to Reuters, which could help the company better compete with the Apple Watch along with its existing Wear OS smart watch platform.


The report claims there is no certainty that the negotiations between Google parent company Alphabet and Fitbit will lead to any deal, and the exact price that Google has offered for Fitbit is unknown at this time.

Google does not currently sell any own-brand fitness trackers or smart watches, but its Wear OS platform runs on smart watches sold by several third-party brands, such as LG, Huawei, and Fossil.

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Tags: Google, Fitbit
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22 comments

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BWhaler
3 weeks ago
A spyware advertising company will have real-time access to my health information?

Hard pass.
Rating: 10 Votes
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im2fast4u
3 weeks ago
Still can’t beat Apple Watch
Rating: 7 Votes
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mtneer
3 weeks ago
I think we can call it on Fitbit if this happens. I don't see Google (and its employees) having the focus necessary to succeed. Fitbit will languish around for a few years and then either quietly die, or be spun off into some unknown Chinese OEM who wants to buy a name.
Rating: 5 Votes
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H3LL5P4WN
3 weeks ago
So the company that allows leaky apps and has a crappy wearable OS, wants to buy the company that makes a leaky wearable OS and crappy wearables.

There isn't enough popcorn in the world.
Rating: 4 Votes
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aero7
3 weeks ago
Competitor? Now that’s cute.
Rating: 4 Votes
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EchoplexSE
3 weeks ago
RIP Fitbit ?
Rating: 3 Votes
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iLoveDeveloping
3 weeks ago
Oh god no!!! I’d finally be going to Apple Watch if this happens. End of story, I have 6-7 years of data on my Fitbit it’s the only thing holding me back, plus sleep data every night, if google thinks they are going to own all that data on me, I’m gone! I won’t even use google search, might as well let Facebook buy Fitbit. No thanks. It will be bye Fitbit and hello Apple Watch from now on.
Rating: 3 Votes
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Jakewilk
3 weeks ago
Google will ruin this company. If they can’t build something on their own that’s better they will certainly not be able to make fitbit better off
Rating: 2 Votes
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revmacian
3 weeks ago
So, Google is going to buy Fitbit, slap a Google logo on it and call it a Google Watch? I wonder how long it will be before Google simply gets tired of Fitbit and sends it to the google graveyard ('https://killedbygoogle.com/').. like so many other Google products. One of the reasons I refuse to use Google products is that you can’t count on them being there next month.
Rating: 2 Votes
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H3LL5P4WN
3 weeks ago


I had kicked around the idea of buying an Apple Watch, but always discarded it given the price. A Fitbit on the other hand was a much more palatable proposition.

If Google gobbles them up though? Hell no. If I buy a wearable and start tracking personal health and fitness data, there's no way in hell I'd ever want that data *anywhere* near Google.


So $200 and your data being secure is bad, but $70-$200 while leaking your data all over via unsecured Blue Tooth is dandy?
Rating: 2 Votes
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