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Alphabet in bid to buy Fitbit

reuters.com

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Re: Alphabet in bid to buy Fitbit

#501

Post by criddell »

bduerst wrote: post #392
criddell wrote: post #378

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They can't even get messaging right and that's way simpler. I doubt they can get health right.

No way is it simple - there are over a dozen OEMs each competing and advertising their Android phones with the co-branded messaging that they see fit. The whole strategy behind the Pixel phone was to change the perception of the android brand as a cheap, bloatware'd device for tech dudes. Releasing a recognizable, high quality wearable line fits in with that strategy.

It is simple. Clone Apple's Messages and ship it on Pixel phones. Make it a download so that people can use it with their Google account on other phones.

The hard part for Google is delivering on end-to-end encryption for messages that don't leave their messaging system (similar to Apple's blue bubbles). They really, really want to see what people are saying to each other.

Re: Alphabet in bid to buy Fitbit

#502

Post by bluGill »

maheart wrote: post #479
krick wrote: post #405

Ok, are there any wearables left that can be trusted with personal data? I want to use it to track my own activity/heartrate, not to be used and tracked by somebody else for their shady purposes.

It's not out yet, but a Pine watch ("PineTime") has been announced: https://www.pine64.org/2019/10/05/october-update-pinetime-de...

If you are a qualified developer who promised to work on apps for it (probably including an OS), then you already have one.

They have more or less stated that general availability is just waiting on someone who already has one to demonstrate a useful app. That is they could sell the hardware today, but since it won't do anything it is useless and so they see no point.

Re: Alphabet in bid to buy Fitbit

#503

Post by mcv »

diffeomorphism wrote: post #496
amatecha wrote: post #416

Earlier quoted context omitted.

FWIW my Apple Watch S4 can go a whole weekend on a single charge. I don't use mine extensively, though I do use Apple Pay for every transaction that I can. You can def go 2-2.5 days on a single charge.

For comparison, a casio watch goes 3 years on a single charge. I guess apple pay on a watch is marginally more convenient than taking out your phone, but $400 and having to charge it seems not really worth it?

> "For comparison, a casio watch goes 3 years on a single charge."

A fact that blew my son's mind when I explained why he didn't have to charge his watch.

Re: Alphabet in bid to buy Fitbit

#504

Post by criley2 »

agloeregrets wrote: post #197
darkwater wrote: post #139

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Because all I see out in the real world are Apple watches and Fit Bits. Which world? USA? Apple Watch doesn't work outside the Apple ecosystem, and Apple doesn't own the majority of the smartphone market. Stats for Europe, 2019 https://www.gizmochina.com/2019/10/21/smart-wearables-market... Apple was pretty stable, Fitbit lost half its market share (to Garmin, looks like), the rest was more or less stable.

I think they mean in the US (which obviously is not the whole world) Here in the US the iPhone is more than 50% market share (likely much higher, if you were to count hours of use rather than just raw devices. Many mid-range android users own one simply because it’s what the company told them to buy and they “just wanted a phone” while low end android devices lack battery life.) In the wearables market in the US, Gar…

> Many mid-range android users own one simply because it’s what the company told them to buy and they “just wanted a phone” while low end android devices lack battery life.)

It's ironic that you're totally inverted here. Most of the iPhone owners I know were given one by their company. It's the corporate standard so businesses which deal in phones hand them out.

I've actually never met someone with an Android device issued through their company. Literally 100% of the corporate phone users I know use iPhone!

Either your anecdote is the exact opposite of mine, or you're trying to create a narrative here that isn't really true.

P.S. Apple hasn't broken 50% marketshare in many years. https://www.counterpointresearch.com/us-market-smartphone-sh...

If you count browser stats, https://www.statista.com/statistics/272664/market-share-held..., then Apple barely cracks 50% in the US.

Based on your 'cavalier' understanding of the statistics I have to assume your storytelling here is as grounded in reality as your data!

Re: Alphabet in bid to buy Fitbit

#505

Post by AgloeDreams »

fluidcruft wrote: post #322
AgloeDreams wrote: post #90

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Meanwhile try one, then try an older Apple watch, the Fitbit is straight up trash (with nicer battery life.) Fitbit UX is bad, and requires tons of interaction between the phone and watch and is remarkably hard to use, even switching watch faces requires digging multiple screens into the fitbit app and a 30+ second sync period, on the Apple watch this is known as 'swiping right' or at worst, holding down and tapping…

Well I've had a Versa for over a year and it's been great. Basically it's a fitbit that also shows notifications from my phone. It has some simple apps that you can use for workouts or some other single-use trivial things. The configuration part of the fitbit companion app is frustrating. But that's where the UI belongs and where it should be fixed. I have zero interest in a watch that's an even smaller and more frus…

The real problem to be seen with the Versa lies in the source of its software being a better example of how to build their product.

I had a Pebble since their first kickstarter and the work Pebble did to make exactly what you are talking about blew Fitbit's current product out of the water (Even though Fitbit bought them and used their tech to make the Ionic and Versa). The Pebbles were faster, lighter, smaller, with better battery life (2+ weeks!) and a fantastic UX (By the same people who worked at Palm on WebOS). Sure they didn't have a touch screen, but they also intentionally had enough buttons to not need one. (Meaning they worked better with gloves)

Then you talk software quality, after using the Versa for a little while, the biggest problem is that its UI is such a mess to use. If you don't want to configure a watch face on the Watch, the Apple watch has that feature too and it is instant and easy to use, just like the Pebble was. Once you use everything else it's really clear that the smart features on the Versa are an afterthought that Fitbit tasked some scrum team to get done and shoved in the app in a week, marked the task as done, and moved on, forgetting that for the casual user, that is the only other thing you want to do with the app.

The other entire problem is that the Apple Watch is complex...but only as complex as you want it to be. If you never click the home button it can do everything you do with your watch with a nicer (bigger) screen, an easier, and a faster UI, and plus it has Siri and much better notification access. Fitbit is stuck between Apple and Garmin and they justy can't pick one. I imagine the Google sale would fix that pretty fast.

Re: Alphabet in bid to buy Fitbit

#506

Post by nesky »

sodosopa wrote: post #8
atlasunshrugged wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Something definitely has been off at Fitbit - I had their first device and then after swearing off smartwatches got a new Fitbit for Christmas. 10 months later I'm on my 3rd watch from them - the first one stopped taking a charge after a few months, the second one the screen went out in a week or two. I'm hoping the third time is the charm

I’m still on my g1 Applewatch. If it had as many issues as the fitbits, I sure wouldn’t buy more fitbits.

How's your battery life at this stage? Have you replaced the battery yet?

Re: Alphabet in bid to buy Fitbit

#507

Post by AgloeDreams »

fragmede wrote: post #286
AgloeDreams wrote: post #90

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Meanwhile try one, then try an older Apple watch, the Fitbit is straight up trash (with nicer battery life.) Fitbit UX is bad, and requires tons of interaction between the phone and watch and is remarkably hard to use, even switching watch faces requires digging multiple screens into the fitbit app and a 30+ second sync period, on the Apple watch this is known as 'swiping right' or at worst, holding down and tapping…

> with nicer battery life Don't discount this feature on a fitness tracker. The most recent Apple Watches are better in this respect compared to the first one, but the battery life is still measured in hours, rather than days. The UX for a Fitbit as a smartwatch is honestly horrible. The Pebble acquihire prioritized watch apps, in (what I see as) a belief that watch apps are necessary to compete with Apple. Resources…

Oh I totally agree, but Apple's advertised battery life is to ensure CSAT and does not reflect reality.

Fact of the matter is that my Series 4 watch has about 2 and a half to three days of battery life, rather than the marketed 16 hours, especially when used like a fitbit (Apple's estimate bundles in music streaming, navigation, and hardcore workouts, and is tested on the smaller model, which has a smaller battery.)

I was a huge pebble fan, I still use my Pebble 2 and Time Round sometimes, the Apple watch is in another league as per what it can do, but I honestly think the Pebbles were still a better product than Fitbit's watch at doing what fitbit is trying to do. Sure the Fitbit has a nicer screen, but what do they do with it?

Re: Alphabet in bid to buy Fitbit

#508

Post by fullstop »

solarkraft wrote: post #348
cordite wrote: post #329

Hmm, I don't suppose they will revive pebble. https://www.theverge.com/2017/2/22/14703108/fitbit-bought-pe...

Best watch I ever owned. Huami Amazfit Bip comes close, but has no apps and needs touch input to function (no music control either). It does measure your pulse and last 30+ days, though. I would easily pay hundreds of € for the best of those watches with an open source OS. But instead manufacturers stick to touch operated OLED screen watches that last no more than a few days, with Android Wear ones often not even las…

The bip can sort of do music control on Android if you use third party apps instead of the Huami one. Notify & Fitness, for example, can control different things when the button is pushed.

It's a fantastic smart-ish watch.

Re: Alphabet in bid to buy Fitbit

#509

Post by fluidcruft »

AgloeDreams wrote: post #505
fluidcruft wrote: post #322

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Well I've had a Versa for over a year and it's been great. Basically it's a fitbit that also shows notifications from my phone. It has some simple apps that you can use for workouts or some other single-use trivial things. The configuration part of the fitbit companion app is frustrating. But that's where the UI belongs and where it should be fixed. I have zero interest in a watch that's an even smaller and more frus…

The real problem to be seen with the Versa lies in the source of its software being a better example of how to build their product. I had a Pebble since their first kickstarter and the work Pebble did to make exactly what you are talking about blew Fitbit's current product out of the water (Even though Fitbit bought them and used their tech to make the Ionic and Versa). The Pebbles were faster, lighter, smaller, with…

Buying a fitbit is just buying a fitbit like buying a Casio is just buying a Casio. If Apple Watch were some agnostic thing that didn't require dragging an entire ecosystem I don't live in with it, I'd probably consider it. Assuming the battery life didn't suck. As is I'll probably go with Garmin when it's time. Google is the kiss of death and if Fitbit is being shopped to Google then they're dead already.

Re: Alphabet in bid to buy Fitbit

#510

Post by neves »

agloeregrets wrote: post #197
darkwater wrote: post #139

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Because all I see out in the real world are Apple watches and Fit Bits. Which world? USA? Apple Watch doesn't work outside the Apple ecosystem, and Apple doesn't own the majority of the smartphone market. Stats for Europe, 2019 https://www.gizmochina.com/2019/10/21/smart-wearables-market... Apple was pretty stable, Fitbit lost half its market share (to Garmin, looks like), the rest was more or less stable.

I think they mean in the US (which obviously is not the whole world) Here in the US the iPhone is more than 50% market share (likely much higher, if you were to count hours of use rather than just raw devices. Many mid-range android users own one simply because it’s what the company told them to buy and they “just wanted a phone” while low end android devices lack battery life.) In the wearables market in the US, Gar…

I Brazil I just see Mi Bands. Apple watches are just for who wants to display they have money.
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