There were rumours lately that Fitbit was looking for someone to purchase the company. Those rumours became concrete today with a Google announcement that they were purchasing the fitness wearable company for US$2.1 billion.
Google is looking to bolster its wearables stable and be able to introduce Made by Google wearable devices. The company plans to work with Fitbit to combine its smartwatch and fitness tracker platforms.
“Fitbit has been a true pioneer in the industry and has created engaging products, experiences and a vibrant community of users. By working closely with Fitbit’s team of experts, and bringing together the best AI, software and hardware, we can help spur innovation in wearables and build products to benefit even more people around the world.”
Rick Osterloh, Google’s Senior Vice President, Devices & Services
Google isn’t giving up on Wear OS and says it remains committed to the wearable operating system and their partners.
Fitbit also started sending out emails to registered Fitbit customers about the pending acquisition. In the email, co-founder James Park assured customers that nothing will be changing on their end for the immediate future. Park also mentioned the company is committed to providing choice, as well as continued Android and iOS support. He then re-iterated some of the privacy concerns that Osterloh addressed in Google’s blog post about the matter.
“You, our users, are at the center of everything we do, and it’s important that you know that your trust is central to our mission and has been since day one. This will not change by joining Google. We are committed to the same strong data privacy and security protections. You will always be in control of your data, and we will remain transparent about the data we collect and why. We never sell your personal information, and Fitbit health and wellness data will not be used for Google ads.”
James Park, Fitbit CEO, President & Co-Founder
As is the case with any acquisition announcement, Google’s purchase of Fitbit is subject to regulatory approval.
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Last Updated on February 3, 2021.
