Fitbit hardware isn’t dead after all, Google confirms

It seems Google hasn’t completely turned its back on Fitbit fitness tracker hardware after all.

Google bought popular fitness tracker brand Fitbit back in early 2021, and since then we’ve seen the launch of dedicated Fitbit hardware slow to a trickle.

In fact, it’s much worse than that. The last Fitbit fitness tracker (the Fitbit Charge 6) launched just over two years ago.

Google even shut the official Fitbit X account down last year, prompting us to speculate that Fitbit was effectively done for.

Now, however, Google has offered reason for hope that it hasn’t simply subsumed Fitbit’s fitness tracking capabilities into its Pixel Watch range.

What to expect from new Fitbit hardware

9to5Google reports that Google is confirmed to be “launching new Fitbit hardware next year”. It shared the news through the Fitbit Coach preview.

To be clear, we’re not expecting Google to go back to releasing classic Fitbit trackers running on the old Fitbit OS. But a dedicated health tracker focused on Fitbit Coach? That could work, especially with the lower asking price and superior battery life that it would undoubtedly bring.

Whatever new tracker is released, it’ll be accompanied by a redesigned Fitbit app and a personalised health coach feature, which have now entered the preview phase for eligible Fitbit Premium users in the US.

This preview coach experience begins with a five to ten minute conversation with an AI to ascertain your motivations and goals. It can then provide a personalised and adaptable fitness plan, supply advice on your diet and doctor visits, and help improve your sleep.