Fitbit preparing second foray into smart watches with new model having more 'mass appeal'

AppleInsider

Just a few months after the release of the Fitbit Ionic, the company is preparing another smart watch, to further compete with the Apple Watch.

Wareable posted pictures and information about the new Fitbit smartwatch on Wednesday morning. The new model has much in common physically with the Blaze, the Fitbit fitness watch first introduced in 2016.

According to the report, the new watch will be announced this spring. It will run the Fitbit OS software, which debuted on the Ionic. The watch is also said to be smaller than the Ionic.

Fitbit debuted the Fitbit Ionic in November 2017. The company hinted during its latest earnings conference call that it was already working on a follow-up, which would have more "mass appeal" than the Ionic.

A source close to the company told Wareable that Fitbit has admitted that the Ionic failed to catch on, and hopes to bring its follow-up to a wider segment, especially women. The photos show a cleaner design than the boxy Ionic, with five different colors available.

It is not yet known what the new watch will be called or its price point. Whatever the name, it will compete both with the Apple Watch at the high end and cheaper alternatives at the low end.

AppleInsider reviewed the Fitbit Ionic in November. We found it to be better as a high-end fitness tracker than a full-on competitor to the Apple Watch, and impacted by a poor app ecosystem.

1983

Too little too late Fitbit.

melgross

Looks a lot like the Apple Watch. I’m sure that totally unintentional.

gg1

melgross said:

Looks a lot like the Apple Watch. I’m sure that totally unintentional.

Purely coincidental. I wonder how coincidental Fitbit made how the band attaches to the body (doesn't Apple have a patent on their design?).

Edit: yes, Apple have a patent on the attachment mechanism.

https://www.cultofmac.com/320919/apple-watchs-interchangeable-band-mechanism-is-now-patented/

edited February 2018

gg1

more "mass appeal" = copy Apple

macxpress

They've already lost. Even copying Apple Watch isn't going to make people buy these in mass quantities. Apple has something FitBit doesn't, and thats the Apple Ecosystem. A redesigned watch isn't going to make up for the lack of an ecosystem. 

edited February 2018

zroger73

Uh-oh. There's that "foray" word again.

https://forums.appleinsider.com/discussion/comment/3032476/#Comment_3032476

edited February 2018

fotoformat

Oddly, only a few minutes ago I was on chapter 20 of "Razor Girl" by Carl Hiaasen, and the lead-in was... "The sex lasted a long time. Forty-three minutes, according to Deb's Fitbit. Forty-three minutes and 167 calories."

On checking I noticed that "Outdoor Walk" in Workout on my Apple Watch 4 gives basically the same time/calorie calculation. However, in no way would I want a Fitbit... but perhaps Apple could add some more interesting 'workouts' to the watch menu!

donjr

Maybe they should call it the Fitbit Pebble...

strangedays

Copycatsayswhat

jk. It’s only the natural convergence of design that leads us to something that apes the AW. Right?

linkman

With Fitbit purchasing Pebble then effectively killing off Pebble and leaving its users/customers out in the cold -- no way am I dealing with Fitbit again.

rayz2016

Just think of how much time and money they could’ve saved if they’d paid more attention during the Apple keynotes. 

Still, it looks better than their last effort, but without HealthKit support, no sale. 

edited February 2018

strangedays

Rayz2016 said:

Just think of how much time and money they could’ve saved if they’d paid more attention during the Apple keynotes. 

Still, it looks better than their last effort, but without HealthKit support, no sale. 

This. I don't know why they're clinging steadfastly to not supporting HK. It makes no sense. 

tripletrouble

I think they mean 'any appeal'

coolfactor

I definitely prefer the flat edges of the Fitbit design than the round edges of the Apple Watch design.

eightzero

linkman said:

With Fitbit purchasing Pebble then effectively killing off Pebble and leaving its users/customers out in the cold -- no way am I dealing with Fitbit again.

Yep. Paybacks are hell.

If they roll these out in the $35-$50 range they might make a few sales. The race to the bottom is an easy finish line to reach.

airnerd

"Mass appeal"?  Is that fat joke?

airnerd

linkman said:

With Fitbit purchasing Pebble then effectively killing off Pebble and leaving its users/customers out in the cold -- no way am I dealing with Fitbit again.

Coupled with the fact their products don't hold up even when babied, I'm not dealing with them again.  And their pricepoint will likely be $299 at the lowest, which at that point why get the copycat and not an AW?

wonkothesane

Just wait until the Apple Watch Design will be the only and „obvious“ one stated by all copycats, and there is no way a watch should or could look differently.

edit: fixed typos. 

edited February 2018

airnerd

wonkothesane said:

Just wait until the Apple Watch Design will be the „obvious“ on Stade by all copycats, and there is no way a watch should or could look differently.

no way it could or should look different perhaps based on todays needs and capabilities, but trust me if Apple innovates a new design that is more functional or allows more capabilities then they will strike out on their own again and everyone will follow.  "who wants a fat, square watch?" was the common question early on, now the answer is "everyone I guess".

ny1822

Each time FitBit flounders I keep looking back to this article:

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.cultofmac.com/426280/fitbit-ceo-apple-watch-is-the-wrong-way-to-approach-wearables/amp/