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Google Buys Fitbit for $2.1B

cnbc.com

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Re: Google Buys Fitbit for $2.1B

#111

Post by keepper »

scarface74 wrote: post #81
slightwinder wrote: post #59

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Google has a long and successful history of acquisitions, as also a long history of lack of direction and headless actions even in their youth days. It's probably just natural for a company with too much money to invest that way.

What long and successful history? The only one that I can think of that was a definite success is Android. Their only notable hardware acquisitions that I can think of were Motorola which was a disaster, Nest which is barely muddling along, and the semi-acquisition of HTC’s hardware team that made the Pixel. While the Pixel may be a great phone, it isn’t taking the world by storm

Urrmm, Youtube, Doubleclick, Waze?

Those have all been industry defining.

Re: Google Buys Fitbit for $2.1B

#112

Post by chrisfinazzo »

kungito wrote: post #85
windexh8er wrote: post #63

Garmin and Apple have the fitness market covered. Fitbit never had the hardcore fitness market Garmin executed into and Apple has always had a product that works well across the wearable and fitness. Between these two companies I can't imagine there's much of a niche Fitbit does better. On the extreme hardcore triathlon user even Garmin has taken a lot of market from Suunto and the like. I've owned a handful of Garmi…

Google needs a proper smartphone-like smartwatch and they needed a cheap buy to speed up the dev process. They don't need the Garmin market because they want a smartwatch on every person and not on every athletic person. I was always hoping smart glasses come after smart phones but I guess these are even smaller and need even more time than watches to become efficient enough to cover for the small battery.

If this is really the driver behind Google buying them, what do you think are the odds that most - if not all - of the non-watch FitBit products are eventually discontinued?

That's how they built up a following, with devices that were inexpensive, and did a few things well, but given the current environment, Google doesn't seem like they are interested in that market.

Re: Google Buys Fitbit for $2.1B

#113

Post by mav3rick »

kerng wrote: post #46

Vic Gundotra (VP Google) said back when Microsoft bought Nokia that "two turkeys don't make an eagle". Google officially has become the Microosft of the mid 2000s. Lack of direction and innovation, buying up companies just for the sake of it. Here is a link to Google's anology: https://www.techspot.com/news/42338-google-attacks-nokia-and...

Completely cherry picked a statement to fit your narrative. Google has done quite well with critical acquisitions. Wear OS is struggling .. this is a good buy they can afford.

Re: Google Buys Fitbit for $2.1B

#114

Post by partiallypro »

kerng wrote: post #46

Vic Gundotra (VP Google) said back when Microsoft bought Nokia that "two turkeys don't make an eagle". Google officially has become the Microosft of the mid 2000s. Lack of direction and innovation, buying up companies just for the sake of it. Here is a link to Google's anology: https://www.techspot.com/news/42338-google-attacks-nokia-and...

I don't think this analogy really works here, the reason the Nokia acquisition didn't work is because it was too late. Microsoft was simply too late to make the necessary changes to compete on the OS level and they kept changing development kits entirely driving away developers and consumers.

Re: Google Buys Fitbit for $2.1B

#116

Post by scarface74 »

partiallypro wrote: post #84

Apple would be fools to not offer Android support on the Apple watch on the back of this news... But they are so concerned about ecosystem lock in they might not. There are now officially no stylish or social alternatives to Google or Apple wearables. I'm sorry, but Garmin is just not style focused and one of the benefits of fitbit is the social aspect of challenging your friends. This is a huge blow to wearables.

Why would they? There are so many ecosystem tie ins between the Apple Watch and the iPhone. Besides, what does the development tool chain look like? Develop an Android app for the phone and a Swift App for the watch? What is the debugging experience?

With Swift UI it should be even easier to use views on both the iPhone and the watch. Offering support for Android goes in the opposite direction.

Then on the other hand, with the Watch OS stand alone store, Apple might be moving into that direction of not requiring a phone at all.

Re: Google Buys Fitbit for $2.1B

#117

Post by bobajeff »

>Google has made progress with partners in this space with Wear OS and Google Fit, but we see an opportunity to invest even more in Wear OS as well as introduce Made by Google wearable devices into the market.

I think it's pretty clear Google hasn't made much progress with Wear OS. Otherwise they wouldn't have needed to buy both Fossil and Fitbit.

Maybe they should just use Fitbit OS and scale it up this time.

Re: Google Buys Fitbit for $2.1B

#118

Post by zozbot234 »

xori wrote: post #95
scarface74 wrote: post #81

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What long and successful history? The only one that I can think of that was a definite success is Android. Their only notable hardware acquisitions that I can think of were Motorola which was a disaster, Nest which is barely muddling along, and the semi-acquisition of HTC’s hardware team that made the Pixel. While the Pixel may be a great phone, it isn’t taking the world by storm

I mean, YouTube is another.

YouTube is hemorraging red ink, if it wasn't suppprted by the rest of Alphabet it would quickly become unsustainable. Kinda hard to call that a "successful" acquisition.

Re: Google Buys Fitbit for $2.1B

#119

Post by roddux »

w0utert wrote: post #62
kgraves wrote: post #56

Eventually, all startups will be acquired into the FAANG companies, no matter whatever their "mission statement" is, just like Matryoshka dolls. Pebble -> Fitbit -> Google. I am sure there are more examples.

I'm probably just drawing a mental blank here, but what's the 'N' in FAANG? :-S

Facebook, Apple, Amazon, Netflix and Google. Although, it might be more appropriate to call Google 'Alphabet' now. But FNAAA doesn't have as much of a ring to it.

Re: Google Buys Fitbit for $2.1B

#120

Post by [deleted] »

w0utert wrote: post #62
kgraves wrote: post #56

Eventually, all startups will be acquired into the FAANG companies, no matter whatever their "mission statement" is, just like Matryoshka dolls. Pebble -> Fitbit -> Google. I am sure there are more examples.

I'm probably just drawing a mental blank here, but what's the 'N' in FAANG? :-S

[deleted]
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