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Another nail in Fitbit’s coffin as website to shut down tomorrow

Google has worked hard to prevent Fitbit's products from cannibalising the Pixel Watch's sales (Image source: Fitbit)
Google has worked hard to prevent Fitbit's products from cannibalising the Pixel Watch's sales (Image source: Fitbit)
Fitbit.com is shutting down tomorrow, October 1, according to a banner on the website. Instead, a link offers to redirect visitors to “Shop Fitbit on Google Store”. This development follows confirmation from Google that the Fitbit Sense 2 and Versa 4 will be the last smartwatches from the popular brand, with Pixel Watch taking centre-stage in the future.

Fans of Fitbit’s fitness trackers and smartwatches have been witnessing the brand’s slow demise, as Google, which acquired it in 2021, focuses on ensuring the Pixel Watch series has no internal competition. Starting a few days ago, a header banner on Fitbit.com informs visitors that the website will be closed from October 1 onwards, and the product pages would be moved to the Google Store, making the latter the one-stop shop for all wearable devices.

The banner reads, “On 10/1 the Fitbit store is moving. Shop Fitbit on Google Store." Upon following the link, a message on the Google Store says, "You made it! Google Store is your new home for all things Fitbit. Start shopping below or get help with your Fitbit account here."

Earlier this year, in July, Google shut down the Fitbit web dashboard, calling it a consolidation with the Fitbit app. A month later, with the launch of the Pixel Watch 3, Google also confirmed that it would no longer be releasing any new Fitbit smartwatches, making the Sense 2 and Versa 4 the last of their series. Fitness trackers like the Charge 6 and Inspire 3 and Luxe seem to be safe from the slow purge, at least so far.

However, Fitbit still has enough fans and customers that it would be unwise for Google to entirely consign it to history. In addition to assuring existing Fitbit users of continued support for the devices, it has also rightly praised the brand for the technical contributions that have made it possible for the Pixel Watch to be launched as a worthy competitor to the Apple Watch. In a statement to TechRadar, Google said:

“We are very committed to Fitbit, and even more importantly to the customers that use and depend on those products and technology. It's also worth noting that many of the health and fitness features we launched in Pixel Watch 3 were because of Fitbit's innovation and ground-breaking fitness advancements. In addition, we just launched Fitbit Ace LTE, and you’ll continue to see new products and innovation from Fitbit.”

For now, you can still get your hands on Fitbit’s smartwatches, the Versa 4, the Sense 2 and the most recent Fitbit Ace LTE for kids, as well as its trackers, the Charge 6 and Inspire 3, on Amazon and other online retailers.

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> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > News > News Archive > Newsarchive 2024 09 > Another nail in Fitbit’s coffin as website to shut down tomorrow
Vishal Bhardwaj, 2024-09-30 (Update: 2024-09-30)