The writing was on the wall for Fitbit's smartwatches as soon as Google came out with its first Pixel Watch back in October 2022. You didn't need to be clairvoyant to see Google needed a first-party rival to the best Apple Watch and wanted to use Fitbit tech to do it. And while the company has continued to turn out smartwatches as some of the best Fitbit devices alongside Pixel, those days look to be done.
According to our sister site TechRadar, Google has quietly confirmed it has ceased production on the Fitbit Sense and Versa smartwatches. From now on, the only Fitbit devices from the company will be fitness trackers like the Fitbit Charge and Fitbit Inspire. Any new Fitbit smartwatch tech, watch faces or wellness features will seemingly be retained exclusively for Pixel Watch devices going forward.
@tomsguide ♬ original sound - Tom’s Guide
I reached out directly to Google to independently verify this claim and I received the following statement from a Google spokesperson:
"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."
Take from that what you will. But as someone who has been a Fitbit user from the very first Fitbit Flex all those years ago, I'd be lying if I said I was surprised about the death of its smartwatches.
As someone who has been a Fitbit user from the very first Fitbit Flex all those years ago, it's a shame to hear — but I'd be lying if I said I was surprised.
For many people not fully ingrained in the comings and goings of the tech world, Fitbit was their wearable of choice. In our review of the Fitbit Sense 2 earlier this year, my colleague Kate called the watch fantastic and said it had "some of the most useful and robust wellness sensors and insights of any tracker available right now, and is an ideal option if you want to keep tabs on your physical and mental health."
The question is now what Google will do for users who invested in a Sense 2, or a Versa 4, or any recent Fitbit smartwatch. The company has already asked customers to switch their Fitbit account to a Google account, although it maintains it will support Fitbit accounts through until 2025. But how long the products themselves are supported for remains to be seen.
What's more, there's nothing stopping Google removing features post-purchase as they become defunct. Both the Fitbit Sense 2 and Fitbit Versa 4 wearables shipped with Wi-Fi support deactivated and no support for local audio playback.
In March 2024 Fitbit switched off community features in the Fitbit app like Challenges and Adventures. Virtual Trophies had already been axed while the just-announced Pixel Watch 3 arrives with free access to some of the most useful Fitbit Premium training tools at no charge, such as daily Readiness Score and Target Load.
While Fitbit smartwatches were obviously in the crosshairs as the Pixel Watch went from strength to strength, I'm less clear on the future of its activity trackers. Google released the Fitbit Charge 6 with little fanfare last October and the Fitbit Ace LTE for kids came out quietly earlier this year too. Plus, we recently learned that Peloton workouts will be coming to the Fitbit app next month.
It may be the case we get a lower-cost "Pixel Tracker" at some point to offset the higher-priced Pixel Watch. Or, alternatively, Google keeps the Fitbit brand running to compete with some of the other best fitness trackers from the likes of Garmin and Amazfit.
Whatever happens, I'm not sure Fitbit as we know it will be stepping up to bat with any real conviction in the years to come. It's a Pixel game now.
More from Tom's Guide
- Google Pixel Watch 3 vs. Pixel Watch 2: Which smartwatch should you buy?
- Google Pixel Watch 3 vs. Samsung Galaxy Watch 7: which Android smartwatch should you buy?
- Google Pixel Watch 3 vs. Apple Watch 9: Which smartwatch will win?
