This year's Made by Google event saw the launch of several new phones and the Google Pixel Watch 3, an upgraded model of the company's flagship smartwatch. But in the hours after the event, Google-owned Fitbit and Peloton had a surprise announcement ready to go.
Continuing its shift away from hardware like the best exercise bikes, Peloton has teamed up with Fitbit to offer its workouts through the Fitbit app. There'll be a limited amount available for free, but you'll need a Fitbit Premium membership to get full access.
Then you'll be able to take strength, running, boxing, cycling, barre and Pilates classes, with new sessions added gradually over the coming months. Although we don't know which workouts will be available, it'll be an experience roughly equivalent to the Peloton App One, which costs $12.99 per month for access to off-equipment workouts.
This partnership, which will officially launch in September, could be a sign that Google is starting to position Fitbit Premium as an alternative to Apple Fitness+, the workout app designed for iPhone users and Apple Watch owners.
Although it's not quite as streamlined as Apple's take (yet), the partnership with Peloton makes the service better value, with access to Peloton's motivational, upbeat trainers. These instructors are celebrities in their own right and are a cornerstone of the experience, but previously they were locked exclusively in the Peloton app.
However, it's not the first time Fitbit has partnered with other trainers for Fitbit Premium workouts, as members already have access to classes from brands like Les Mills, Alo Moves and Yoga with Adriene. Plus, you get features not available through the Peloton App One, like recipes and detailed sleep insights based on the data recorded by your tracker.
If you already use one of the best Fitbits, this all makes Premium a lot more compelling than it was before, especially given the relatively lower cost of membership — just $9.99 per month. But Google, as it often does, is giving mixed messages.
At the Made by Google event, the company announced that the Pixel Watch 3 will have access to Fitbit's Daily Readiness Score, previously only available through Fitbit Premium. So if you buy the watch, there's less reason to take out a subscription.
And Fitbit's future as a hardware brand is still uncertain. When Google acquired the popular fitness tracker brand, it promptly removed features from Fitbit's top-tier devices and made them exclusive to Google-branded Pixel watches instead.
It's not unreasonable to think that Google may one day shift all of its efforts into Pixel devices, make the Fitbit brand a digital-only offering powering the fitness and wellbeing features on Pixel Watches and other Google hardware.
Which is what makes this announcement with Peloton more curious. On the same day that Google took one of Fitbit Premium's key features and made it available for free on the Pixel Watch 3, it announced a new paywalled offering for Fitbit Premium members.
We'll have to wait and see what Google actually has in store for Fitbit devices, and this team up with Peloton is a great deal for existing Fitbit Premium subscribers. But Google needs to make a choice — continue with Fitbit, or fold the brand into the Pixel team.
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