It’s a done deal-- Google is acquiring Fitbit. The report has hit newsstands today with Google’s press release announcing the big news. According to the release, the merger will allow the search giant to introduce “Made by Google” wearable devices.
The release also details some important aspects of the deal. For one thing, the search giant is buying the wearable company for a whooping $2.1 billion. Google’s SVP of devices and services, Rick Osterloh, shared that the acquisition will be “an opportunity to invest even more in Wear OS as well as introduce Made by Google wearable devices into the market.”
Fitbit has also published its own press release, where they promised that they will take privacy for health and fitness data seriously. They also reiterated that “Fitbit health and wellness data will not be used for Google ads.”
News of the acquisition does not come as a surprise to most people. Just a few days ago, Reuters reported that Google was in talks to acquire a popular fitness tracker company. The report, however, did not specifically state that the company being acquired was Fitbit. And for sure, this acquisition is a great move for Google. For years, it has been trying to make an impact in the wearables market and launch a product that used its Wear OS platform. Unfortunately, it has struggled to achieve this.
Given Fitbit’s well-built hardware, it definitely won’t be difficult to see Google finally have a shot at the wearables market.
You can read the full release of the acquisition here.
