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Google Buys Fitbit for $2.1B

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Re: Google Buys Fitbit for $2.1B

#131
post #31

https://news.yahoo.com/google-acquiring-fitbit-130619853.htm... "Google has struggled to make much of a dent in the wearables category..." "Fitbit, meanwhile, has had issues maintaining growth in recent years." Failure + failure = success?

This reminds me when Microsoft acquired Nokia for some reason.

I think the Google acquisition of Motorola is relevant as well. On the surface, it looks like it makes sense, but Google has a horrible track record with these things.

Re: Google Buys Fitbit for $2.1B

#132

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

Urrmm, Youtube, Doubleclick, Waze? Those have all been industry defining.

As someone stated below, YouTube is still not profitable. Waze is really not adding to their bottom line, and DoubleClick was to increase their advertising reach. It’s really not analogous to their hardware acquisitions.

Re: Google Buys Fitbit for $2.1B

#133

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…

I'm confused by this comment. To me, Garmin is the only company here that does a good job with the "hardcore fitness" market, but why does that matter in the first place? The better market to compete in is the "fitness amateur" market, which I see as being many times the former in size. Fitbit competes well here, and Google has no offering to speak of. Seems like a successful diversification move for Alphabet's portf…

This and the casual smartwatch market where FitBit's versa already sells great (even though it's not great at all). Google's offerings here are sparse, littered with confusing options and half-assed design. A cohesive pixel/Fitbit product can help create a proper Anti-Apple Watch product.

Re: Google Buys Fitbit for $2.1B

#134
post #49

I for one welcome this change. I want a standalone smartwatch good enough so that I can stop using my phone. The state of smartwatches right now is quite sad (I cannot afford an Apple smartwatch so I cannot speak for those). The simple list of things I want from a smartwatch right now are barely fulfilled by the best I could find which is Huawei Watch 2. I want Google Pay, calls and LTE, proper Maps navigation, sendi…

The Apple Watch Series 3 with cellular is $329. How much cheaper can you get a smart watch with cellular, gps, health sensors, etc?

The Series 3 without cellular is $199 and you can find a cellular model on sale under $250 all the time too.

Re: Google Buys Fitbit for $2.1B

#135
post #49

I for one welcome this change. I want a standalone smartwatch good enough so that I can stop using my phone. The state of smartwatches right now is quite sad (I cannot afford an Apple smartwatch so I cannot speak for those). The simple list of things I want from a smartwatch right now are barely fulfilled by the best I could find which is Huawei Watch 2. I want Google Pay, calls and LTE, proper Maps navigation, sendi…

The Apple Watch Series 3 with cellular is $329. How much cheaper can you get a smart watch with cellular, gps, health sensors, etc?

And it's looking like this year's Black Friday deal is that model for $199 (cellular for the price of the regular).

Re: Google Buys Fitbit for $2.1B

#136

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.

A long and success history of acquisitions doesn't mean Google has any advantage of taking a poorly performing acquisition (Fitbit) and stacking it into a failing division of theirs (Wear OS). Google would be better off starting over. But Google wants data and Fitbit comes with data for cheap, IMO.

Alternatively, you could view this as a recognition that Wear OS has failed along with a plan to move to Fitbit as a software platform. If they can combine Fitbit's software and community with better hardware, they might actually have a good product here.

Or they could just end up with Wear OS on worse hardware and a disaster.

Re: Google Buys Fitbit for $2.1B

#137
post #119
post #62

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

frankly, Microsoft deserves to be in there at this point, so that would end up being FANAMA for Facebook,Apple,Netflix,Amazon,Microsoft,Alphabet and it's easier to pronounce to boot

Re: Google Buys Fitbit for $2.1B

#138

John Gruber^H^H^H^H^H^H^H^H^H^H^H Dan Lyons^H^H^H^H^H^H^H^H^H Steve Ballmer had another colourful analogy, he used it in response to companies claiming that a merger would create a powerhouse to challenge the market leader: "It’s like taking the two guys who finished second and third in a 100-yard dash and tying their legs together and asking for a rematch, believing that now they’ll run faster." (Thanks to "raldi" f…

I can't find this quote, or anything like it. Was it recent?

Re: Google Buys Fitbit for $2.1B

#139

The buyout price is unacceptable, expect FIT shareholders to oppose the deal. Basically everyone who has been holding FIT more than two years will take a loss with this deal. IPO price was $20 in 2015.

Hasn't their entire future roadmap been a blank page for a while and the Versa 2 is a flop? If you view their roadmap as a lot of red you might see a buyout like this. (seeing as their opportunity to compete with Apple is quite poor.)

Re: Google Buys Fitbit for $2.1B

#140
post #138

John Gruber^H^H^H^H^H^H^H^H^H^H^H Dan Lyons^H^H^H^H^H^H^H^H^H Steve Ballmer had another colourful analogy, he used it in response to companies claiming that a merger would create a powerhouse to challenge the market leader: "It’s like taking the two guys who finished second and third in a 100-yard dash and tying their legs together and asking for a rematch, believing that now they’ll run faster." (Thanks to "raldi" f…

I can't find this quote, or anything like it. Was it recent?

Not an exact quote, I'm going from memory. I believe it was many years ago.
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