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Fitbit’s primed to ultimately break out of the fitness tracking horizontal with a smartwatch built for mass appeal but the company’s apparently having a hard time even bringing a device to the starting line.
A Yahoo Finance report claims that Fitbit’s had so much difficulty developing the smartwatch that its launch was pushed from springtime to subsequently in the year, most likely the autumn, according to “sources familiar with the matter.”
The report says the smartwatch will be made of aluminum with a built-in GPS chip, heart-rate monitoring, the capacity for touchless payments, Pandora music compatibility, and up to four days of battery life. The intend is, according to one source, “definitely not sexy, ” and takes its cues from the company’s try at a fitness smartwatch, the Blaze.
Fitbit’s reportedly having issues with the device’s GPS signal and waterproofing, which would be a major knock against the watch especially with the company’s rep for activity tracking when is comparable to other premium smartwatches on the market.
If Fitbit is really having problems with the smartwatch, it’s not from a lack of resources. The company acquired the software and firmware intellectual assets of Vector and Pebble, two smartwatch manufacturers, in high-profile bargains. Notably, the GPS and waterproofing problems both sound like they’re issues stemming from the smartwatch’s hardware which reportedly wasn’t part of the bundle in either of the acquisitions.
The delay could hurt Fitbit’s chance to make a big dent in the smartwatch marketplace. Instead of taking advantage of the entire springtime and summertime to seduce exert junkies and more casual smartwatch fans to opt for new line, the company will instead be forced to liberate the device right around the time an Apple Watch Series 3 is expected to hit the market.
The report also mentioned a situated of Fitbit-branded Bluetooth earbuds could be liberated alongside the watch, la Beats X.
When reached for remark, a Fitbit rep had little to share. We know there is a lot of interest in our entry into the smartwatch category, ” they said via email. “We dont have news to share at this time and do not comment on rumors or speculation.
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