Google Buys Fitbit for $2.1 Billion to Rival Apple Watch

Fitbit is one of the largest players in the smartwatch and fitness-tracking gear segment.

Fitbit is one of the largest manufacturers of fitness trackers and wearables in the world.

(Photo: The Quint)

It’s official! Google has bought US-based fitness tracker and smartwatch maker Fitbit for a reported price of $2.1 billion dollars (approximately Rs 14,845 crore).

It was earlier rumoured that Alphabet (Google’s parent company) was in line to buy Fitbit but Google has now put all speculations to rest.

Post the announcement, Google’s Senior Vice President of Devices & Services Rich Osterloh said in a blog post that this purchase is an opportunity for Google to invest more in its WearOS and also bring more Google-made fitness trackers and smartwatches to the market.

Just like Apple and Samsung, Google has also ventured into making its own smartphones. However, it has not dived into the fitness-tracking gizmo space in earnest which is where this acquisition makes a lot of sense.

Fitbit is a pioneer in fitness trackers and its expertise will lend a lot to Google to further develop WearOS, which is currently struggling with sales of smartwatches.

Google also says that like its other products it will be transparent about the data it collects and why it does so. The company also says that Fitbit data will not be used for targeting ads.

Also, Fitbit has a large bank for fitness data it has collected from its existing pool of users which helps it further develop its services and products. However, Google is giving Fitbit users the option to review, remove or delete their data in keeping with its updated privacy policies.

It also has an extensive portfolio of products that lend diversity to the brands as it can then cater to multiple segments of users.

Google also says that like its other products it will be transparent about the data it collects and why it does so. The company also says that Fitbit data will not be used for targeting ads.

Also, Fitbit has recently partnered with health insurers and fitness experts to provide a holistic approach to a user’s fitness.

This could be a game-changer for Google considering that it can now leverage Fitbit’s userbase and challenge other players in the market like an Apple Watch and even cheaper options like fitness trackers from Xiaomi and Huawei’s sub-brand Honor.