https://techcrunch.com/2016/11/30/fitbit-pebble/
I love my Pebble Time and I like the Fitbit ecosystem. Could be cool. Yikes at that price though.
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Report: Fitbit to buy Pebble for around $40 million
- Thread starter oti
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https://techcrunch.com/2016/11/30/fitbit-pebble/
I love my Pebble Time and I like the Fitbit ecosystem. Could be cool. Yikes at that price though.
SuperEpicMan
Banned
I think there is still a place for Pebble and Fitbit devices in the current market. If a prospective customer were to buy a smart watch, the cheapest entry level choices would be either an Apple Watch Series 1 starting at £269, or a Samsung Gear S2 at £229. So if Fitbit were to purchase Pebble that rolls the best features of both product lines into one smart watch, and sell it around £150 or less, then I think they would do really well.
seeing as Fitbit doesn't even natively share its health data with Apple's health API (unless you use third party apps; cmiiw if that isn't the case anymore) - i do feel like they're big fans of ecosystem lock-in.
bodyboarder
Member
He turned down $740 million last year, talk about having faith in your product.
I would question that original valuation tbh. No investment analyst can predict the future perfectly but a decrease of $700 million within a year is an especially precipitous drop. What were Citizen thinking?
Less open? They're shutting it down. It's going to be a non existing platform.
I can't believe he turned down that Citizen money. What a doofus.
Triggerhappytel
Member
It's insane. Assuming these valuations are somewhat accurate, the company is now worth a little over five percent of what it was less than two years ago. Why the fuck wouldn't you accept a buyout of three quarters of a billion dollars?!
Turning down $750 million was dumb.
The Elite
BOSS
That's a real shame.
I feel like the only players doing well on the market are Fitbit and Apple.
Fitbit because they've got a good foothold within the fitness tracker / lifestyle market, Apple because they've got a stranglehold on the appleWatch market.
Microsoft left the market, (Samsung, ASUS, Motorola) ... i don't think either of those device families are selling in meaningful numbers.
Funky Papa
FUNK-Y-PPA-4
Garmin is kicking ass and taking names. It's eaten Android Wear for lunch and has its sights on Apple.
Also, Pebble's management was (is?) a fiery mess last I heard.
Spiritwalker
Member
bet they regret turning down that $700mil offer
Yea honestly I think I see more of those Garmin watches than Apple watches.
Sapiens
Member
There's NO way 740 was on the table and he turned it down. No way.
Pebble - jesus - such an impressive achievement. Launching a watch with a development suite on a kickstarter budget to the masses is a colossal win no matter what it ends up becoming in the end.
It's just too bad the watch is ugly as shit. They initial design looked good in promotional material, but once you saw it on your wrist, it just looked shoddy. And then they lost their way with all those confusing and overpriced models. Like Pebble Thyme Round Color....
740 mil....
Pebble - jesus - such an impressive achievement. Launching a watch with a development suite on a kickstarter budget to the masses is a colossal win no matter what it ends up becoming in the end.
It's just too bad the watch is ugly as shit. They initial design looked good in promotional material, but once you saw it on your wrist, it just looked shoddy. And then they lost their way with all those confusing and overpriced models. Like Pebble Thyme Round Color....
740 mil....
sixteen-bit
Member
I'm torn. Fitbit has a mainstream name but Pebble does just about everything better. And that's pretty much been the story of wearables, big names, iffy products and the market is tanking as a result. Pebble deserved better, and so that's why I really want to see them or at least a part of them survive. Unfortunately part of what made Pebble successful was their scrappy startup attitude. I can't imagine Fitbit would allow them to continue as they were and certainly they'd lose that allure as part of them.
Fitbit on the other hand is getting a fantastic deal.
Fitbit on the other hand is getting a fantastic deal.
Garmin currently has the most intriguing product line, if you ask me. The only reason I stuck with Fitbit was because I was already a part of the ecosystem and I love their app....But I'm really going to consider switching when my Blaze dies.
Hopefully this leads to good things for both fitbit and pebble so maybe I won't have to switch.
Hopefully this leads to good things for both fitbit and pebble so maybe I won't have to switch.
aye, Garmin, forgot about them.
and i've never ever seen someone wear a garmin fitness tracker. So there's that.
I don't think Garmin is competing with Apple as much as they are with Fitbit, though. I don't think anyone in the market for a serious fitness tracker / sports watch would be eyeing an AppleWatch.
Garmin ain't got shit on Apple until they realize that releasing a device that is aesthetically appealing is just as important as how functional it is.
Garmin products work like a charm but you put a tumor on your wrist everytime you decide to use one.
aye. for all their capabilities, many of their devices still look like sports watches.
A watch is a fashion accessory, that's what the appleWatch got right from version 1.0, it looks really really sleek (imho)
Agent Gibbs
Member
Its the end of Pebble if they are phasing out the products and support, its obvious Fitbit just want the OS to run their watches in their un third party friendly environment
And as a backer on Kickstarter for the Pebble Time 2 I find it utterly disgusting the produced and marketed a kickstarter for 3 different products earlier in the year and are still running it now, when they obviously knew they were in trouble and/or would be selling the company, putting serious doubt on the ability to follow through!
its come out through reddit they haven't had any products tested by the FCC/CE testing process needed before manufacturing, their main screen supplier in China is seeking a $800million bail out or go bankrupt, so there is no chance they will produce the Pebble Time 2's and explains the lack of stock of the Pebble 2/hr's
but then when you are cutting and running after burning effectively $700million why would you give a shit about consumers?
to this second they are still accepting pre-orders on all items on their website, but at least there unlike kickstarter they aren't taking money up front (or so I'm assuming)
off to argue for a refund to my Kickstarter Pledge I think and should the product ever arrive at retail I might buy one then, if there is hope of continued support
And as a backer on Kickstarter for the Pebble Time 2 I find it utterly disgusting the produced and marketed a kickstarter for 3 different products earlier in the year and are still running it now, when they obviously knew they were in trouble and/or would be selling the company, putting serious doubt on the ability to follow through!
its come out through reddit they haven't had any products tested by the FCC/CE testing process needed before manufacturing, their main screen supplier in China is seeking a $800million bail out or go bankrupt, so there is no chance they will produce the Pebble Time 2's and explains the lack of stock of the Pebble 2/hr's
but then when you are cutting and running after burning effectively $700million why would you give a shit about consumers?
to this second they are still accepting pre-orders on all items on their website, but at least there unlike kickstarter they aren't taking money up front (or so I'm assuming)
off to argue for a refund to my Kickstarter Pledge I think and should the product ever arrive at retail I might buy one then, if there is hope of continued support
GrizzleBoy
Banned
Forty mill only?
Wow.
Wow.
Funky Papa
FUNK-Y-PPA-4
Garmin is already releasing more aesthetically pleasing products such as the Fenix range, which tops with the high end Fenix Chronos.
Nevermind it's the Fitbit Blaze I see all the time...
fitbits are everywhere. They got the industrial design down. (except for the Surge - that was kind of a thick, ugly version of the flex)
The alta is an incredibly pretty bracelet.
well ok, that just looks like a watch.
Which is both good (fits many clothing styles) and bad (awkward while wearing it doing sports, not easily recognizable, so doesn't stimulate brand awareness)
They ran a kickstarter precisely because they needed more money. That's what Kickstarter is for. Also even assuming their manufacturer has debts that's nothing they can control, they'd need a new supplier and there simply aren't many for that type of item. If the PT2 and Core can't be made they'd probably start refunds and liquidate the company which might be what this is.
Virtua Ben
Member
I'm upset by this news. I've had an Apple watch and found that it was just a "meh" experience. Sold it, got a Pebble Time Round and have pretty much been in love since. I've been looking forward to getting my Pebble Time Steel 2 for a while now...but now I feel like "What's the point?"
Well you'd have a watch being supported by a company that won't go belly up any second, that's a solid plus in my book.
Got the Shakes
Member
I think I've owned just about every fitness tracker brand under the sun and also bought an Apple Watch at launch. The only one I've stuck with for more than a few months was the Garmin. Actually I have two of them, a Vivoactive HR for everyday use, and one of their golf watches for when I'm out on the course.
Backed the original Pebble on Kickstarter and I liked it, it had potential. Too bad they passed on the offer from Citizen and it would have been interesting to see what they would have released in a couple of years if they had some more time to flesh out their products.
I absolutely adore my Pebble 1 (Kickstarter edition!) but it's slowly starting to give me troubles. Some of the watchfaces are freezing or just straight up turning up blank. Sometimes there's weird display corruption. My father-in-law had one also and he just gave up on it when the display corruption wouldn't go away after a week or so.
I love the devices, they just need better QC. They are still by far the best smartwatches on the market, because they do what they do at a low power requirements, meaning you only need to charge your watch like once a week for 2 hours and you're good to go. It's almost perfect for a wearable - the design leaves a tiny bit to be desired but I really don't give a shit about fashion so I just wear it because I like it.
I love the devices, they just need better QC. They are still by far the best smartwatches on the market, because they do what they do at a low power requirements, meaning you only need to charge your watch like once a week for 2 hours and you're good to go. It's almost perfect for a wearable - the design leaves a tiny bit to be desired but I really don't give a shit about fashion so I just wear it because I like it.
My biggest Fitbit issue is the shit battery life on pretty much their entire line. Having to charge my Blaze every 4 to 5 days with s clunky, proprietary charger is just annoying.
Plus, the features and customization on Garmins side it's very appealing.
NOLA_Gaffer
Banned
I still rock my Pebble Steel almost daily but their big issue is that it did so much perfectly out the gate that it was hard to improve upon.
PhoncipleBone
Banned
Glad you came in with this. I wasn't sure how Garmin was doing in the market.
The Technomancer
card-carrying scientician
That doesn't make any sense if true. FCC testing costs a few grand and takes like a month, why on earth wouldn't you do it
Skellig Gra
Member
If you think the Apple Watch is " aesthetically appealing" then I don't really know what to say.
I really hope this isn't true for two reasons.
1. Fitbit likes a closed ecosystem, which is the antithesis of Pebble.
2. I really hope that it wouldn't lead to Fitbit swallowing up Pebble and Pebble ceasing to exist, or at the very least, support for the already existing Pebble watches.
I have a Pebble Time and live off the thing.
1. Fitbit likes a closed ecosystem, which is the antithesis of Pebble.
2. I really hope that it wouldn't lead to Fitbit swallowing up Pebble and Pebble ceasing to exist, or at the very least, support for the already existing Pebble watches.
I have a Pebble Time and live off the thing.
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