Tag: Fitbit
Tech Digest daily roundup: Google axes more key features from Fitbit
Fitbit has announced that its community features Adventures, Challenges, and open groups are being discontinued from March 27, as part of a ‘streamlining’ effort to integrate the Fitbit app with Google. Owners of any of the best Fitbit watches or fitness trackers will no longer be able to take part in group challenges with other users. Step count, distance…
Tech Digest daily roundup: Google to launch ChatGPT rival called Bard
Google is launching an Artificial Intelligence (AI) powered chatbot called Bard to rival ChatGPT. Bard will be used by a group of testers before being rolled out to the public in the coming weeks, the firm said. Bard is built on Google's existing large language model Lamda, which one engineer described as being so human-like…
Tech Digest daily roundup: Fitbit devices will require Google account from 2023
Google completed its acquisition of Fitbit last year and rebranded it "Fitbit by Google," but Fitbit continued to launch wearables as it used to before getting acquired. And while customers can currently use Fitbit accounts for new devices and services, things will change from 2023 onwards. Fitbit has updated its support page to reveal that after the launch…
Wearable sales to increase 24% in 2021
Demand for wearables (including smartwatches and fitness trackers) remained robust during the pandemic and will grow by 24% to 239 million units worldwide in 2021, according to market analyst company CCS Insight. CCS Insight's report indicates an impressive 22% growth in unit sales for smartwatches and fitness trackers in 2020, with 193 million units sold,…
Google parent Alphabet agrees £1.6bn Fitbit deal
Fitbit is being acquired by Google’s parent company for about $2.1 billion dollars (£1.6 billion). The deal enables the internet company to step back into the hotly contested market for smartwatches and health and fitness trackers. A pioneer in wearable technology, Fibit’s market capitalisation soared to just under $10 billion after becoming a public company…
Fitbit unveils Alexa-enabled Versa 2 smartwatch
Fitbit has announced its first smartwatch with Amazon’s Alexa virtual assistant built in, alongside a new subscription service for personalised fitness programmes and well-being tools. The fitness tech firm’s new Versa 2 smartwatch contains a microphone which allows users to issue voice commands to Alexa to start workouts, help find a local gym, and control…
Fitbit unveils £149 Versa Light smartwatch in bid to eat into Apple domination
Fitbit has added four new devices to its line-up as it looks to strengthen its position and grab a greater slice of the market dominated by the Apple Watch. The American wristwear maker has refreshed its main fitness band products with more affordable options for consumers, the cheapest retailing at £69.99. It includes three new…
Microsoft to end support for fitness Band devices at the end of May
Microsoft is planning to end support for all existing Band devices, the fitness wearable which it discontinued in 2016. Both the Microsoft Health Dashboard site and the Microsoft Band app for smartphones will be pulled at the end of May, along with the deletion of any user data uploaded to the service, marking the death…
Fitbit releases Inspire health tracker – but you won’t be able to buy it!
Health tracker company Fitbit has released a new wearable that will only be available exclusively to corporate employees and health insurance members. Fitbit Inspire features all of the standard fitness tracker options, including activity and sleep tracking, a counter of calories burned, and reminders of when to do physical activities. A more advanced version, known…
Xiaomi overtakes Apple in latest wearables market figures from IDC
Chinese firm Xiaomi has overtaken Apple to become the largest wearables manufacturer in the world, according to new figures. Industry analyst firm IDC released figures which suggest the whole wearables market grew to 32 million shipments in the last quarter, up more than 21% on the same period last year. Xiaomi’s expansion outside China –…
