29 Aug 2017
Fitbit breaks into smartwatch market
BY Lauretta Ihonor
Wearable technology giant Fitbit has announced the global launch of its first smartwatch, as it steps up its expansion beyond the activity tracker market.
The Fitbit Iconic will be released in October, along with two new products: Fitbit Flyer – a wireless headphone – and Fitbit Aria 2 – an updated version of Fitbit's smart scale.
The new watch combines the US company’s renowned fitness and sleep tracking software with new features, such as a peripheral capillary oxygen saturation (SpO2) sensor, which permits estimation of the amount of oxygen in the blood, and swim exercise mode – made possible by the watch’s water resistance in depths of up to 50 metres.
The Iconic will also offer GPS tracking, on-device dynamic workouts and smart features, such as contactless payments and notifications.
Fitbit co-founder and CEO James Park said: “With Ionic, we will deliver what consumers have not yet seen in a smartwatch – a health and fitness first platform that combines the power of personalization and deeper insights with our most advanced technology to date, unlocking opportunities for unprecedented health tracking capabilities in the future.”
It is a move that follows a fall in global sales of Fitbit wearables in Q2 2017. A report by marketing consulting company Strategy Analytics showed that the tech company sold 3.4 million wearable devices in Q2 2017 – a 40 per cent fall from the 5.7 million units sold over the same period in 2016.
Alongside its new releases, Fitbit has also announced an upcoming partnership with Adidas to deliver special edition Fitbit Ionic device and training programmes in 2018 – combining Adidas’ expertise in performance programmes with data gotten from millions of Fitbit users worldwide.
The Fitbit Iconic will retail for $299.95 and is currently available for pre-sale on Fitbit.com.
Close Window