Where is the Wear OS watch from Fitbit?

2022 will be a big year for Wear OS. It is rumored that Google Make her own Pixel watch (repeatedly). Older Wear OS 2 watches are expected to finally appear Switch to Wear OS 3. Samsung promised that the Google Assistant will He is Coming to Galaxy Watch 4 In the coming months.” But there’s something notably missing from the Wear OS lineup: Fitbit.

Since Google and Samsung first They announced their partnership At last year’s Google I/O conference, Fitbit CEO James Park wasn’t shy. He’s said multiple times that a premium Fitbit smartwatch running Wear OS is in the works. This year will be the year Wear OS 3 debuts on a larger scale. It was excellent timing to reveal Wear OS Fitbit. However, a 9to5Google Transfer He notes that while the code revealed in the Fitbit app hints at several new products, not a single product will run Wear OS.

Instead, it appears that Fitbit may be planning for the Sense 2, Versa 4, and Fitbit Luxe 2. The code is said to refer to a “software bridge” that shares data between the device and the phone using Bluetooth. According to the report, Wear OS uses a different method to share data between your phone and your watch – which means your Wear OS watch likely won’t need this so-called bridge. Two of the rumored devices share the same square screen resolution as the Versa 3 and Sense. The other matches Luxe. This hints at updates to existing product lines rather than creating something new. If true, all of this strongly suggests that we’re not likely to see Wear OS 3 Fitbit anytime soon.

Of course, none of this is official. Things can change drastically between the time a product is being tested and the time it actually hits the shelves. It’s frustrating to see — and for Fitbit, rephrasing the same formula is not in their best interest.

Photography by Victoria Song/The Verge

In 2014, Fitbit was a leading manufacturer of wearable devices, with nearly 40 percent of the market. according to statistaIn 2020, Fitbit’s market share dwindled to 2.9%. Every year has seen that piece of the Fitbit pie get smaller, smaller, and smaller. There isn’t a single factor that drove the Fitbit here, but if I had to pick one, it would be that Fitbit products are a bit outdated.

In my reviews, I often joke that Fitbit doesn’t like to fix unless it’s broken. Take a look at the evolution of the popular Charge fitness trackers to see it in action. If you lined up in Charge 2And the 3And the 4, I guarantee you most people won’t be able to tell the difference. Similarly, once it became clear that a file original versa smart watch It was popular, Fitbit started pumping Versas left and right. Again, if you rank the Versa, Versa 2, Versa Lite Edition, and Versa 3, you’ll be hard-pressed to say what makes each one special. I’ve checked all four of them, and I’m even going to have to take a second look.

That’s why it was such a breath of fresh air in 2020 when Fitbit threw in a chill from its fall product launch. The Fitbit Sense It introduced FDA-approved EKGs and added an electrical activity sensor—something no other wearable company has done yet. Google Assistant was added to Sense and Versa 3. The company also upgraded its Pure Pulse 2.0 heart rate tracking technology, and throughout, meaningful updates had to be made. That power lasted until 2021, when Fitbit made the first major updates to the Charge range in years and introduced the modern Luxe.

Photo by Dieter Bohn/The Verge

But unless Fitbit has some new sensors it’s been hiding or finally figure out how to add LTE to its trackers, it’s hard to impress everyone over the Sense 2, Versa 4, and Luxe 2. There are plenty of affordable Fitbit alternatives these days — Many of them are very good.

However, the Fitbit Wear OS smartwatch will give a much-needed boost to Wear OS.

At the moment, Wear OS watches are mostly Fossil Group watches. They are okay. Samsung is now there too with Galaxy Watch 4And there are a few luxury brands with ridiculously priced ones. Fossil and luxury smartwatches prioritize aesthetics. The Galaxy Watch 4 from Samsung is really cool but it doesn’t serve non-Samsung phone owners very well.

Now was a great time to play Fitbit like a Kool-Aid man to offer a Wear OS 3 watch that isn’t really platform dependent. Right now, the only option for that is Mobvoi’s TicWatch 3 lineup — and let’s be real. You’ve probably never heard of Mobvoi, while Fitbit is a household name.

Plus, you can’t rule out Fitbit’s extensive experience in health data. It also has many advanced health features that you can ostensibly take on your Apple Watch. Earlier this week, the company announced that it had asked the US Food and Drug Administration Clear negative atrial fibrillation monitoring. It was the first to use SpO2 sensors in 2017, and the work has been tough on researching sleep apnea. Turning all of these things into a Wear OS 3 watch is going to be really exciting.

Fitbit Wear OS will arrive someday. or not. As long as it doesn’t roll in bed as hard as the OnePlus watch, it will be great for all the reasons mentioned. The rumored Pixel Watch is supposed to have some kind of integration with Fitbit, but we all know that’s not the same thing.