It’s a bizarre time to be a Fitbit person. Google has stopped promoting Fitbit units in key markets world wide. The corporate quietly pulled a number of fashions of its fitness-centric wearables from retailer cabinets in international locations throughout a number of continents.
Android Authority first reported the information, although official Google help pages now point out the stoppage. Whereas there isn’t a grasp listing of locations affected, 9to5Google has counted practically 30 international locations which have stopped promoting Fitbit wares. They embody central and japanese European international locations like Croatia, Romania, and Poland; Latin American international locations like Argentina, Colombia, and Mexico; and Asian international locations like Korea and the Philippines.
South Africa can also be affected by this gross sales stoppage, although Google supplied feedback there. South African tech publication TechCentral contacted Google about Fitbit’s disappearance from the native market. The corporate replied that it stopped promoting Fitbit units in order that its {hardware} portfolio aligned with the place Pixel units are offered.
I contacted Google and obtained an identical response from a spokesperson:
We communicated that we are going to cease promoting Fitbit merchandise in choose international locations with a purpose to align our {hardware} portfolio to map nearer to Pixel’s regional availability. We stay dedicated to our clients and haven’t made any modifications that impression the present Fitbit units they already personal. Current Fitbit clients will proceed to have entry to the identical buyer help, warranties will nonetheless be honored, and merchandise will proceed to obtain software program and safety updates.
Fitbit guarantees to proceed supporting the units nonetheless in use with software program releases and safety updates, together with honor warranties. Anybody who wants further assist can nonetheless name Fitbit customer support.
Anyway, this all has an air of messiness that I can not ignore. Since Google’s acquisition of Fitbit, it’s been one head-scratcher after one other. Google remains to be determining its footing for this model and the way it aligns with its targets for the Pixel lineup.
I’m nonetheless engaged on my evaluations of the Pixel Watch 2 and Fitbit Cost 6. I can solely use one machine with my account at a time. To date, I just like the Pixel Watch 2, but it surely’s due to the seamless expertise between the smartwatch and the Pixel telephone in tandem. With all these modifications occurring abroad with Fitbit’s product lineup, I’m curious how the Cost 6 will attraction to me, an Android person who’s used to a wearable being the extension of an working system reasonably than an adjunct.
How will Fitbit reside on as a model for Android’s subsequent section of wearables? Sadly, you’ll must reside within the areas the place the units are offered to search out out.