Google parent company acquires Fitbit major wearbit


by Mike Mozart

Reuters reports that Google's parent company, Alphabet, is considering acquiring Fitbit , a fitness tracker and smartwatch developer. If Alphabet's acquisition of Fitbit is realized, Google is likely to enter the wearable device market.

Exclusive: Google owner Alphabet in bid to buy Fitbit-Reuters
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-fitbit-ma-alphabet-exclusive/exclusive-google-owner-alphabet-in-bid-to-buy-fitbit-sources-idUSKBN1X71NY

Google is reportedly trying to buy Fitbit-The Verge
https://www.theverge.com/2017/9/20/16340108/google-htc-smartphone-team-acquisition-announced

Fitbit is a manufacturer that launches wearable healthcare devices such as smartwatches and fitness trackers. Reuters believes that it can measure the number of steps taken, calories burned, distance traveled, heart rate, sleep time, etc., and sparks the wearable healthcare device boom. According to statistics company Statista , Fitbit's share in the smartwatch market in the second quarter of 2019 is 9.8%, ranking third. The market share is No. 1 at Apple with 46.4%, and No. 2 at Samsung with 15.9%.

In recent years, Chinese manufacturers such as Huawei and Xiaomi have entered the wearable healthcare device industry, and inexpensive fitness trackers have appeared, so Fitbit seems to be struggling. In September 2019, it was reported that Fitbit was considering selling the company.

EXCLUSIVE-Fitbit considers whether it should explore a sale -sources
https://www.cnbc.com/2019/09/20/reuters-america-exclusive-fitbit-considers-whether-it-should-explore-a-sale-sources.html

Meanwhile, Google was participating in the wearable device market in terms of software, such as developing Wear OS , an Android-based smartwatch OS. Also, in January 2019, it was talked about acquiring smart watch related intellectual property and development personnel from fashion accessory brand Fossil for 4.4 billion yen and entering the smart watch industry in earnest. .

Google acquired intellectual property and development personnel related to smartwatch from Fossil for 4.4 billion yen-gigazine


by MB-one

Google has been whispering for years to develop Pixel brand smartwatches, and if the acquisition of Fitbit by Alphabet is realized, Pixel brand smartwatches are likely to be realized, the technical media The Verge Expects.

However, an informant told Reuters that Alphabet and Fitbit are still in negotiations, the price offered is unknown, and it is not clear whether the acquisition will be successful.

Google and Fitbit declined to comment on Reuters reports.

・ Added November 2, 2019
Google officially announced the acquisition of Fitbit on November 1, 2019, local time. The acquisition amount is about $ 2.1 billion (about 230 billion yen).



Related Posts:

in Hardware, Posted by log1i_yk