Google confirms the death of Fitbit as we know it

Fitbit fans might be dismayed to learn that we've seen the last smartwatch made by the company – there will be no more. The Fitbit Versa 4 and Sense 2 watches released in late 2022 are its last.

Google, which acquired the company in 2021, has confirmed that it is repositioning the Fitbit brand – it'll continue to release fitness trackers, but not full smartwatches. That sector will be covered by the Pixel Watch 3, 3 XL and future models.

Speaking to Engadget, a Google spokesperson revealed the company's plans: "Pixel Watches are our next iteration of smartwatch for Fitbit," they said.

The Pixel Watch 3 and Watch 3 XL devices include Fitbit-branded features and even come with six-months of Fitbit Premium for advanced fitness tracking and data collection. However, if you want an actual Fitbit on your wrist in future, you'll have to forego some of the smarter capabilities.

"Trackers is where users clearly tell us they want something discreet," explained the company's senior director for wearables, Sandeep Waraich, to the site.

"They want longer battery life, they want a simple experience and we are very proud of our Inspire line."

That suggests there should at least be a replacement for the Fitbit Inspire 3 in the nearish future. The Fitbit Charge 6 could also be updated at some point.

Fitbit's future

Still, it's another sign that the brand once synonymous with fitness tracking is being assimilated into the overall Google picture. We've also seen features scrapped, such as wireless payments, in favour of Google equivalents, and even the web dashboard at Fitbit.com was shuttered in July.

We're yet to review the Pixel Watch 3, but from what we've seen so far initial signs are good. Whether it'll be enough to convince the Fitbit community to upgrade though is yet to be seen – especially considering a hefty price difference.