Google confirms an earlier Reuters report with the acquisition of Fitbit, a deal worth $2.1 billion bringing the activity tracker maker directly within the massive fold of the search giant itself.
"Fitbit has been a true pioneer in the industry and has created terrific products, experiences and a vibrant community of users," Google says. "We're looking forward to working with the incredible talent at Fitbit, and bringing together the best hardware, software and AI, to build wearables to help even more people around the world."
As mentioned earlier, the purchase sees Fitbit become part of Google, as opposed to being a separate entity within the Alphabet umbrella. As Google SVP of devices and services Rick Osterloh explains in a blog post, the company wants to invest further in Wear OS, as well as create "Made by Google" wearable devices. As such acquiring Fitbit makes sense, with the wearables veteran bringing a wealth of expertise covering both software and hardware. In addition, Osterloh says Google will be transparent as to how and why it will collect data, and promises it will not use it in Google ads. Furthermore, existing Fitbit users can review, move or delete their data.
Of course, Fitbit is not the only wearable device maker Google owns-- back in January it spent $40 million on smartwatch technology from Fossil, something it had in turn had acquired through the 2015 purchase of wearable maker Misfit.
