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

AppleInsiderAppleInsider
Posted:
in Apple Watch edited February 2018
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.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 27
    19831983 Posts: 1,225member
    Too little too late Fitbit.
    jbdragonbrucemcracerhomie3magman1979lolliverwatto_cobra
  • Reply 2 of 27
    melgrossmelgross Posts: 33,510member
    Looks a lot like the Apple Watch. I’m sure that totally unintentional.
    SpamSandwichjbdragonStrangeDaysmagman1979macguijony0lolliverwatto_cobra
  • Reply 3 of 27
    GG1GG1 Posts: 483member
    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 macguijony0watto_cobra
  • Reply 4 of 27
    GG1GG1 Posts: 483member
    more "mass appeal" = copy Apple
    jbdragonStrangeDaysmagman1979macguijony0lolliverwatto_cobra
  • Reply 5 of 27
    macxpressmacxpress Posts: 5,808member
    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 jbdragonmagman1979TomEjony0watto_cobra
  • Reply 6 of 27
    zroger73zroger73 Posts: 787member
    Uh-oh. There's that "foray" word again.

    https://forums.appleinsider.com/discussion/comment/3032476/#Comment_3032476
    edited February 2018 anantksundaramwatto_cobra
  • Reply 7 of 27
    fotoformatfotoformat Posts: 302member
    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!
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 8 of 27
    DonJrDonJr Posts: 1unconfirmed, member
    Maybe they should call it the Fitbit Pebble...
    tex210watto_cobra
  • Reply 9 of 27
    StrangeDaysStrangeDays Posts: 12,876member
    Copycatsayswhat

    jk. It’s only the natural convergence of design that leads us to something that apes the AW. Right?
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 10 of 27
    linkmanlinkman Posts: 1,035member
    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.
    StrangeDaysairnerdmagman1979watto_cobra
  • Reply 11 of 27
    Rayz2016Rayz2016 Posts: 6,957member
    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 StrangeDayswatto_cobra
  • Reply 12 of 27
    StrangeDaysStrangeDays Posts: 12,876member
    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. 
    magman1979lolliverwatto_cobra
  • Reply 13 of 27
    TripleTroubleTripleTrouble Posts: 6member
    I think they mean 'any appeal'
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 14 of 27
    coolfactorcoolfactor Posts: 2,241member
    I definitely prefer the flat edges of the Fitbit design than the round edges of the Apple Watch design.
  • Reply 15 of 27
    eightzeroeightzero Posts: 3,063member
    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.
    radarthekatwatto_cobra
  • Reply 16 of 27
    airnerdairnerd Posts: 693member
    "Mass appeal"?  Is that fat joke?
    zroger73StrangeDaysmagman1979watto_cobra
  • Reply 17 of 27
    airnerdairnerd Posts: 693member
    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?
    magman1979lolliverwatto_cobra
  • Reply 18 of 27
    wonkothesanewonkothesane Posts: 1,723member
    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 brucemcradarthekatwatto_cobra
  • Reply 19 of 27
    airnerdairnerd Posts: 693member
    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".
    wonkothesanewatto_cobra
  • Reply 20 of 27
    NY1822NY1822 Posts: 621member
    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/


    airnerdmagman1979watto_cobra
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