Rumors of Fitbit's demise have increased steadily since Google acquired the brand in 2022 for $2.1 billion. Even as Google continued to produce Fitbit-branded smartwatches like the Sense 2 and Versa 4 alongside its flagship Pixel Watch, it seemed only a matter of time before the Fitbit line was folded into the other Pixel wearables, with several models almost certain to get lost in the shuffle.
With last week’s much-hyped launch of the Google Pixel Watch 3 — which inherits many of Fitbit’s best holistic features, including several that were previously paywalled — also came the much quieter news that the Pixel Watch will be Google’s primary smartwatch focus moving forward. This tidbit of information comes from colleagues at our sister site, TechRadar, and spells the end of days for the budget-friendly Fitbit Versa and higher-end Sense lines.
Fitbit’s uncertain future under Google
What about Fitbit-branded fitness trackers? While the Fitbit Inspire 3 and Charge 6 aren’t technically impacted by the above, reading between the lines, the future of those product families under Google also seems uncertain.
This is a shame because the Fitbit Charge 6 is the best fitness tracker you can buy right now and the Inspire 3 is the best cheap fitness tracker. Meanwhile, the Versa 4 is one of our favorite budget-friendly smartwatches and the Sense 2 is our favorite smartwatch for fitness tracking.
Google's statement on Fitbit
Thankfully, this doesn’t mean that Google is going to suddenly yank support for all Fitbit products, leaving owners out in the cold.
Reps from Google reaffirmed the brand’s commitment to existing Fitbit customers via email when asked to confirm the above news. Their statement also hinted at the possibility of future Fitbit endeavors, without being specific. Read it below:
"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."
It’s worth noting, that Google did recently launch the Fitbit Ace LTE while also rolling out a fairly major firmware update for the Sense 2 and Versa 4 only a few weeks back. Even still, the air of uncertainty surrounding Fitbit remains.
5 Fitbit alternatives
No one likes uncertainty. While I’m still a big fan of Fitbit products, I thought it might be helpful to offer up some capable alternatives to the most popular Fitbit models, including both fitness trackers and smartwatches.
Fitbit Inspire 3 alternative: Amazfit Band 7
Both the Fitbit Inspire 3 and Amazfit Band 7 pack full-color AMOLED screens into minuscule, lightweight packages. The Amazfit screen is a bit bigger than the Inspire 3's display and the whole package is a little over 10 g heavier than the Fitbit.
Still, you'll find many of the same features and capabilities on either model including 10 or more days of battery life, workout, sleep and stress tracking, heart rate monitoring and even blood oxygen saturation detection.
The Amazfit Band 7 even has some tricks up its sleeve that the Inspire 3 doesn't, including wrist-based access to Amazon's Alexa virtual assistant. Best of all, the Amazfit option is $49, or half the price of the Fitbit.
Fitbit Charge 6 alternative: Garmin Vivosmart 5
The Fitbit Charge 6 is admittedly a difficult fitness tracker to match, feature and tech-wise, hence its high regard in our buying guides, but the closest match is the Garmin Vivosmart 5.
Garmin's latest fitness band-style tracker features a similar low-profile design to the Charge 6 and keeps tabs on many of the same metrics, all for about the same price. You also get up to a full week of battery life with either model.
However, the Vivosmart sports a monochromatic screen compared to the Charge's full-color display. The Garmin also doesn't have an onboard GPS, so, you'll need to piggyback off your phone for location tracking, something Charge 6 owners won't have to worry about.
Those drawbacks aside, the Vivosmart 5 performed well in our testing, proving itself to be a competent tracker for sleep and fitness and a comfortable device for 24/7 wearing. Oh, and unlike the Charge 6, it comes in two sizes.
Fitbit Luxe alternative: Garmin Lily 2
The Fitbit Luxe may be a bit long in the tooth but it's one of only a very small handful of stylish and affordable fitness trackers out there that don't skimp on capability. Another is the Gamin Lily 2.
These devices admittedly have quite different designs: the Luxe looks more like a bracelet while the Lily looks like a stylish watch. Still, both maintain their elegance by keeping size and weight to a minimum and via the use of premium metal materials in their designs.
Neither device has onboard GPS but both are capable of tracking the basics, like fitness and sleep. The Lily 2 also offers fairly comprehensive female health tracking features, like menstrual cycle tracking and pregnancy tracking. You also get contactless payments via Garmin Pay, unlike on the Luxe.
The only feature the Luxe has over the Lily is a full-color display. If you can get past that, the Garmin is a great alternative to the Fitbit.
Fitbit Versa 4 alternative: Amazfit Bip 5
The Fitbit Versa 4 shares the same impressive build quality and design as its pricier smartwatch sibling, the Sense 2, but delivers it for just under $200.
However, the Versa 4 isn't the most full-featured smartwatch out there. Unlike models from Apple or Samsung, you don't get a giant selection of downloadable apps but it does offer a bright and beautiful display, basic fitness and health tracking, along with voice support for Alexa, Google Maps and Google Wallet.
Those on the hunt for a similarly wallet-friendly smartwatch with plenty of fitness and health tracking chops and some "smarts" should consider the somewhat oddly-named Amazfit Bip 5. Like the Versa 4, it monitors heart rate, blood oxygen saturation, sleep, stress and activity. It also has an onboard GPS and plays nicely with Alexa and a small smattering of apps. Did I mention that it beat a $600 Polar watch in tracking accuracy?
The build quality isn't quite as nice as that of the Versa 4, but the Bip 5 is less than half its price. Plus, you get a slightly larger screen.
Fitbit Sense 2 alternative: Apple Watch SE or Samsung Galaxy Watch 7
One thing that makes the Fitbit Sense 2 such an easy smartwatch to recommend to folks is the fact that it works with Android and Apple smartphones. With its demise, things get more complicated.
The Apple crowd considering a Sense 2 for its smartwatch and fitness tracking capabilities might be better off springing for an Apple Watch SE (2022).
The two devices are priced similarly and share a similar design format, too. The Apple Watch SE is a competent tool for monitoring wellness and activity, just like the Sense 2, but offers way more functionality outside of holistic features. The only downside is that the battery life on the Apple Watch is no match with the Fitbit Sense 2.
The Android faithful should consider the latest Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 or Galaxy Watch 6, assuming you can find one on sale, as an alternative to the Fitbit Sense 2. Like the Apple Watch, wellness and fitness tracking tech is a match but the Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 and Galaxy Watch 7 have access to way more apps and functions than the Fitbit, even if battery life is considerably less.
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- 5 reasons why I’m excited for the Google Pixel Watch 3
