Fitbit's next smartwatch could be coming soon
Rumors of a more affordable watch and what look like leaked images suggest a budget version of its Ionic watch.
- Nearly 20 years writing about tech, and over a decade reviewing wearable tech, VR, and AR products and apps
Is this Fitbit's next watch? (It looks a lot like a Pebble.)
Fitbit's latest earnings were a disappointment. The Fitbit Ionic, the company's feature-studded smartwatch that launched last fall, hasn't sold well, prompting the company to reveal that a lower-priced watch was coming soon.
Tech website Wareable has some convincing leaked images of what could be that watch, and a report on what the watch's features will be.
I just rereviewed the Fitbit Ionic, which has been getting steadily better thanks to more apps and watch faces. But its higher price and the lack of polish in some of its prime extras (Fitbit Pay, for instance, doesn't work with all that many banks), made me think a lower-priced Fitbit watch with apps would be a logical next move, shaving off a few features.
The next watch is reported to have 50-meter water resistance, but no GPS. Wareable's source says another feature is the more advanced heart-rate sensor that debuted on the Ionic, which Fitbit promises will eventually detect atrial fibrillation and sleep apnea.
It looks a lot like the Pebble Time Steel, one of the last watches made by the company Fitbit acquired in 2016. It also looks a lot less bulky than the Ionic's squared-off design.
"We appreciate the interest and excitement around new Fitbit products," a Fitbit spokesperson said in a statement. "As you know, we are constantly working on new devices to help people live healthier lives. We don't have news to share at this time, but you'll be amongst the first to know when we do."
Fitbit just announced a new even higher-priced Adidas-branded version of last year's Fitbit Ionic, with added Adidas workout modes.
For now, if you've been considering getting a Fitbit, you might want to hold off.