Google acquired Fitbit slightly more thanthree years ago. Since then, we’ve seen plenty of Fitbit features trickle into Google’s products. TheGoogle Pixel Watch 2is ripe with Fitbit features, so much so that Cam Bunton, who reviewed the Pixel Watch 2 for Pocket-lint, dubbed it a “Fitbit in disguise.”
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When Google picked up Fitbit, some surmised that it did so, in part, to fast-track its health-tracking features and benefit from Fitbit’s healthcare ties. At the time, the search giant wasn’t directly competing with Apple and Samsung in that arena, so acquiring a company that had been doing well in the space for decades made sense. But where does that leave Fitbit now? Unlike with Garmin, the answer is not so simple.
What is going on with Fitbit?
Google seems to be moving on from Fitbit
While Google’s touches are showing up on Fitbit devices, it almost feels like an afterthought. AI is the primary Google tech that has trickled into Fitbit, which isn’t surprising. Announced in October 2023,Fitbit Labswill use AI to help you understand the data it gathers, giving more in-depth health insights and coaching tailored to your specific needs.
While Google’s touches are showing up on Fitbit devices, it almost feels like an afterthought. AI is the primary Google tech that has trickled into Fitbit, which isn’t surprising.
Beyond Fitbit Labs, the focus seems to be on Google’s wearables and less so on Fitbit’s. There simply haven’t been many releases bearing the Fitbit name. Beyond the kid-focusedFitbit Ace LTE, the most recent mainline tracker Fitbit announced wasCharge 6back in September 2023. While the Charge 6 certainly has a lot of wins, it is a pricey choice for a fitness tracker and lags behind other options, in part because of the reliance on subscriptions.
More significantly, Fitbit has beenriddled with problemsover the past few years. That includes several major service outages in the last year. It also quietly stopped selling devices in over a dozen countries and Fitbit seems to be cutting more features and tools than it’s adding. It sunset the highly popular community features and Challenges and Google got rid ofall third-party appsand clock faces in Europe due to regulatory issues.
Most recently, Fitbit shut down the Fitbit web interface, following aJune announcement. That means the app is the only place to dive into Fitbit data and insights. “Next month, we’re consolidating the Fitbit.com dashboard into the Fitbit app. The web browser will no longer offer access to the Fitbit.com dashboard after August 11, 2025,” said Fitbit in its post on the Fitbit Community Forum.
While many people likely don’t use the web app, it did make certain features easier and users have taken to the comments to voice their frustration. At the time of writing, there were 1,556 replies to last month’s post, with plenty of Fitbit wearers asking where in the app they could access a range of features like checking a graph of pace versus distance, create a meal, add a missed workout, and more.
More significantly, Fitbit has been riddled with problems over the past few years. That includes several major service outages in the last year. It also quietly stopped selling devices in over a dozen countries and Fitbit seems to be cutting more features and tools than it’s adding.
All of those issues are certainly concerning and make us question what is happening with the company. It feels like Google is trying to push customers to Google wearables while borrowing the health tech that made Fitbit so great for so long.
Is Fitbit worth buying in 2024?
There are many other options out there
Knowing all the issues plaguing the brand, it begs the question of whether Fitbits are worth buying at this point. While most companies are more focused on higher-end smartwatches, which were not Fitbit’s forte, there are still lots of great fitness tracker options.
Amazfitis a great budget brand for fitness trackers (and more advanced smartwatches), and both Polar and Garmin make a handful of fitness trackers as well. Plus, Apple and Samsung, while more smartwatch-focused, offer many of the same features as Fitbit.
With so many other options on the market that are actively receiving support and new features and not experiencing major outages, it’s hard to suggest a Fitbit. Plus, I’ve never been a fan of Fitbit’ssubscription model. The options above give you robust access to health and fitness tracking and guidance without paying for a subscription on top of the fee to purchase the wearable to begin with. While there are certainly worthy Fitbits still on the market, we’d suggest spending your money on a device that is more likely to get long-term support and allows you to use it without any additional fees.
