Google Reshapes Fitbit In Its Image As Users Allege 'Planned Obsolescence' (arstechnica.com) 32
An anonymous reader quotes a report from Ars Technica: Google closed its Fitbit acquisition in 2021. Since then, the tech behemoth has pushed numerous changes to the wearable brand, including upcoming updates announced this week. While Google reshapes its fitness tracker business, though, some long-time users are regretting their Fitbit purchases and questioning if Google's practices will force them to purchase their next fitness tracker elsewhere.
As is becoming common practice with consumer tech announcements of late, Google's latest announcements about Fitbit seemed to be trying to convince users of the wonders of generative AI and how that will change their gadgets for the better. In a blog post yesterday, Dr. Karen DeSalvo, Google's chief health officer, announced that Fitbit Premium subscribers would be able to test experimental AI features later this year (Google hasn't specified when). "You will be able to ask questions in a natural way and create charts just for you to help you understand your own data better. For example, you could dig deeper into how many active zone minutes... you get and the correlation with how restorative your sleep is," she wrote. DeSalvo's post included an example of a user asking a chatbot if there was a connection between their sleep and activity and said that the experimental AI features will only be available to "a limited number of Android users who are enrolled in the Fitbit Labs program in the Fitbit mobile app."
Fitbit is also working with the Google Research team and "health and wellness experts, doctors, and certified coaches" to develop a large language model (LLM) for upcoming Fitbit mobile app features that pull data from Fitbit and Pixel devices, DeSalvo said. In a blog post yesterday, Yossi Matias, VP of engineering and research at Google, said Google wants to use the LLM to add personalized coaching features, such as the ability to look for sleep irregularities and suggest actions "on how you might change the intensity of your workout." Google's Fitbit is building the LLM on Gemini models that are tweaked on de-identified data from unspecified "research case studies," Matias said, adding: "For example, we're testing performance using sleep medicine certification exam-like practice tests." Other recent changes to Fitbit include a name tweak from Fitbit by Google, to Google Fitbit, as spotted by 9to5Google this week. Charge 5 users are especially concerned after users noticed their devices suddenly stopped holding a charge after a December firmware update was pushed. The problem has persisted with Google offering no solution other than offer discounts or, if the device was within its warranty period, a replacement.
"This is called planned obsolescence. I'll be upgrading to a watch style tracker from a different company. I wish Fitbit hadn't sold out to Google," a forum user going by Sean77024 wrote on Fitbit's support forum yesterday. "Others, like 2MeFamilyFlyer, have also accused Fitbit of planning Charge 5 obsolescence," notes Ars. "2MeFamilyFlyer said they're seeking a Fitbit alternative."
As is becoming common practice with consumer tech announcements of late, Google's latest announcements about Fitbit seemed to be trying to convince users of the wonders of generative AI and how that will change their gadgets for the better. In a blog post yesterday, Dr. Karen DeSalvo, Google's chief health officer, announced that Fitbit Premium subscribers would be able to test experimental AI features later this year (Google hasn't specified when). "You will be able to ask questions in a natural way and create charts just for you to help you understand your own data better. For example, you could dig deeper into how many active zone minutes... you get and the correlation with how restorative your sleep is," she wrote. DeSalvo's post included an example of a user asking a chatbot if there was a connection between their sleep and activity and said that the experimental AI features will only be available to "a limited number of Android users who are enrolled in the Fitbit Labs program in the Fitbit mobile app."
Fitbit is also working with the Google Research team and "health and wellness experts, doctors, and certified coaches" to develop a large language model (LLM) for upcoming Fitbit mobile app features that pull data from Fitbit and Pixel devices, DeSalvo said. In a blog post yesterday, Yossi Matias, VP of engineering and research at Google, said Google wants to use the LLM to add personalized coaching features, such as the ability to look for sleep irregularities and suggest actions "on how you might change the intensity of your workout." Google's Fitbit is building the LLM on Gemini models that are tweaked on de-identified data from unspecified "research case studies," Matias said, adding: "For example, we're testing performance using sleep medicine certification exam-like practice tests." Other recent changes to Fitbit include a name tweak from Fitbit by Google, to Google Fitbit, as spotted by 9to5Google this week. Charge 5 users are especially concerned after users noticed their devices suddenly stopped holding a charge after a December firmware update was pushed. The problem has persisted with Google offering no solution other than offer discounts or, if the device was within its warranty period, a replacement.
"This is called planned obsolescence. I'll be upgrading to a watch style tracker from a different company. I wish Fitbit hadn't sold out to Google," a forum user going by Sean77024 wrote on Fitbit's support forum yesterday. "Others, like 2MeFamilyFlyer, have also accused Fitbit of planning Charge 5 obsolescence," notes Ars. "2MeFamilyFlyer said they're seeking a Fitbit alternative."
Is that what's meant by "cancel culture"? (Score:3)
Google, where apps & products go to die.
Too few trust the b@stards now. Even if they made the Greatest Product Ever, nobody would bet on Google to not toss it on a whim. Dedicated product companies try to weather sales slumps until improvements or variations can be released, Google just stamps CANCELLED on it.
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If you have a FitBit you should probably start shopping around for a replacement.
Don't be shy, tell is what you recommend please. The article is frustrating: "I'll be upgrading to a watch style tracker from a different company" - which? Is Garmin any good? Which of these things integrate with AOSP/Lineage or Mint/GNU/Linux, for example?
Re: Reshapes Fitbit In Its Image: (Score:2)
I had a Garmin Vivosmart 4. It was great
Except after some years, the band failed, and is not replaceable.
It ended up as e-waste.
I now have a Fitbit Charge 5. No complaints so far.
My main issue is that qhen traveling to certain countries, the firmware gets updated and some features disappear. This happens without any user notification. This is annoying.
Re: Reshapes Fitbit In Its Image: (Score:2)
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Garmin watches are great if you're interested in a fitness tracker. They've got just enough smartwatch features to be really useful without trying to turn your watch into another phone. They have a really wide range of products, you can often get a pretty decent base model for around $150 on sale, all the way up to $1,000+ models. I have a solar model that cost around $250, is several years old, still holds a charge for around 50 days, has GPS tracking (Which drops the charge time significantly when using,
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Sorry for previous owners (Score:5, Insightful)
But for anyone buying new there are many other options out there which aren't GoogleFucked and won't be abandoned the moment some nitwit gets bored of their project and wants to work on something shiny and new.
Fitbit is dead. Buy something else. Never buy Google products or services.
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Re: Sorry for previous owners (Score:2)
Pretty much everything else is owned by Google or Apple. Iâ(TM)ve been very happy with my whoop
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I'm someone that does a lot of runs/triathlons, but I also do a lot of lifting and other things. I have been team Fitbit for quite a while and own a Sense 2. I was always annoyed at the fact then tended to last about 15 months at best and my last Fitbit died because it got water logged. My friend had been suggesting I try a Garmin so I hit Mercari and picked up a cheap Forerunner 935 (a 2017 model!) for about $100. I've gotta say it kicks Fitbit's butt in most cases. I've been wearing them both just to see
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I had a Charge 4 which died. I was going to get a 6 until I read that it requires linking to a Google account and will not work with existing Fitbit ones.
So that made me look at alternatives, I bought a Garmin Instinct instead. I love it. It's far superior in every way but size as it's pretty big (not really a problem though). Granted, it cost more, but was completely worth it. Still has all the fitness shit the Fitbit did including linking external sites if you want. Has tactile buttons no touch scre
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Yup, Garmin is just better.
Good call.
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Buy something else.
Unfortunately, other internet devices are full of spyware (eg. Oppo) or always-on crapware (Samsung) or security holes (anything IoT).
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But for anyone buying new there are many other options out there which aren't GoogleFucked
Congrats on missing the point. These people didn't buy a Google product.
Fitbit is dead. Buy something else.
This is ... like ... do you even understand what people are complaining about? Like did you read even a single word in TFS? Heck did you even read the title?
Up to no good (Score:1)
Mine's been acting strangely and I do catch a whiff of deliberate behavior in it, but it could just be incompetence. As for the AI stuff, I mean, that sounds absolutely stupid, so that'll be in for sure.
I'm confused... (Score:2)
I am done with fitbit (Score:2)
I am done with fitbit, google has done a really good job of ruining the website. Once you went to a google login you have to relogin every 12 hours, and it has been that way for 9 months, so they really don't care for their customer experience.
It is making me think about moving away from other google products where possible just because they appear to be untrustworthy.
We went from "Google Rules", to "Google Drools"
They did search better than all others and I don't see that they have improved search (and m
'Planned Obsolescence' (Score:1)
This is Google there is no such thing as 'Planned Obsolescence', its all 'Unplanned Obsolescence' .
2026: Google dumps FitBit on the Google Graveyard (Score:2)
Bookmark my comment.
Anything that Google touches is like a death sentence.
It must be the rotten corporate culture within Google because Fitbit was a decent product.
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I use my fitbit mainly to track my sleep. I don't think its readings are accurate enough to give me any scientific edge. The sleep quality measurement has about a 50% chance to fit the way I actually feel.
First thing I did after activating my subscription was cancelling it. I have no idea, none whatsoever, what possible benefit I'd have from paying ten bucks a month. Which still is much better than the Whoop membership at 265 Euros a year.
These products, IMO, are nothing but gimmicks. If they cost up to a h
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"What did you think, you're device would keep being supported forever? A company shouldn't have to put resources into aging products hardly anyone uses and its unsafe to keep using products that a company now sells a newer version of. Issues and vulnerabilities increase with age, your Fitbit could become part of a botnet or something and make the rest of us unsafe. Be like everyone else and buy the latest product, and I'll
Losing charge after firmware update (Score:2)
Sounds like an eventual lawsuit.
Fitbit was already dead in 2012 (Score:2)
On my 3rd Warranty Charge 5 (Score:1)
never forget (Score:1)
https://killedbygoogle.com/ [killedbygoogle.com]
Another Sundar Pichai Failure (Score:2)
Bricking (Score:1)
My fitbit a few years ago bricked itself one month after the warranty expired. My wife bought herself a Versa Two awhile ago. It got stuck in an endless reboot cycle and couldn't be reset. It was a few months after the warranty ended. Based on our anecdotal experience Fitbits already kill themselves as soon as is economically feasible for them.
pointless (Score:2)
A product with a very simple function in a very limited domain does not need a fancy natural language interface, nor fancy natural language output. It just needs a clear and simple UI. Sounds like Google, drunk on AI Kool-Aid, is doing the opposite.