“Apple has recently launched its newest smartwatch, the Apple Watch Series 2,” Andrés Cardenal writes for The Motley Fool. “This revamped Apple Watch model offers significant improvements when it comes to fitness, making it a major competitive threat to Fitbit.”
“Apple has substantially improved its fitness capabilities when it comes to the Apple Watch Series 2,” Cardenal writes. “To begin with, the device includes a built-in GPS, which was lacking in the original Apple Watch. Runners, which are a key market segment in fitness-oriented wearable devices, will clearly appreciate such improvement.”
“Apple Watch Series 2 is also water-resistant up to 50 meters, and it even rejects the water from the speaker after being used under water,” Cardenal writes. “The new activity app allows swimmers to record workouts in both open water and a pool, and it includes sensors that count laps, average lap pace, and estimated calorie burn while swimming.”
“Apple has partnered with Nike to develop Apple Watch Nike+ edition, which comes with unique specially designed sports brands, exclusive Nike watch faces, and the Nike+ Run Club app, which provides run reminders, challenges from friends, and weather-related alerts, among other fitness-oriented features,” Cardenal writes. “If industry demand is transitioning, and consumers are demanding increasingly more functionalities from smartwatches, then Fitbit will be fighting an uphill battle against Apple.”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Will our Apple Watch Nike+ units ever arrive?! Come on, “late October,” get here already!
I don’t think so.
If Apple Watch is in Fitbit’s market segment, it’s horribly overpriced.
If it’s in its a separate segment (it is), then Fitbit users aren’t going to overlap with Apple Watch users in huge numbers.
It really is not that much more expensive especially for what you get. I think the Fitbits are overpriced $199 for a piece of plastic/rubber? I can have a great watch for $269
Yeah. If the Fitbit was under $70, they’d be in a different market. At $150+, the Fitbit-to-Apple Watch upgrade is not huge. If you’re looking at paying over $150 to track your athletic activity, you’ll probably drop the extra $100 or so to get so much more.
Not to mention that recent study that showed the Apple watch to be a far more accurate heart monitor than Fitbit.
Wall Street still claims AppleWatch is a monumental failure, so I’m not sure whether it’s considered a threat to Fitbit. Only recently Fitbit was downgraded on some particular fitness watch that wasn’s selling as well as expected but other than that there has been far more praise for Fitbit devices than AppleWatches especially in terms of device market share. Even though I don’t think they’re in the same class but Wall Street doesn’t care. Whatever company has the most market share in similar products, that company is declared the overall winner.
Fitbit DIE!!!!
wow. i had to read more of the article to see who/what organization is putting out such lies and to try to understand the rationale behind claiming that apple Watch 2 threatens Fitbit.
– Distribution. Fitbit is sold the world over in 3rd party electronics, fitness, lifestyle shops etc etc. repeat: the world over.
– apple’s Watch barely is approaching parity in some kinds of usage as Fitbit’s offerings.
– its so easy to find a Fitbit wearable that meets your requirements and the pricing is not fashion band related.
– the appeal is completely different.
When the Apple Watch battery last more than it does now, which I think is eighteen hours, then I most likely buy one. My Fitbit Blaze last about three days. Grant it that it doesn’t do as much as the watch but improve the battery and I’ll buy one.
I’ve had three Fitbits. None have lasted a whole year. I like the tracking software, and I really want to like the brand. But I’m done with them. Ordered the Apple Watch series 2 in aluminum with a white band last week. I expect it to be a far better deal given Apple’s product design and engineering. If this lasts less than two years, I’ll be shocked. So yeah, Fitbit should be worried. Apple is delivering far more economic value to customers. Especially those already in the ecosystem.
My Fitbit Charge HR did not even last 9 months before the band started curling and the bezel scratches way easy….for a $150 watch…it’s junk….love my new AW series 2!!!
With 8 hours of battery I’ll stick to my Pebble steel and look forward to the Pebble steel 2. It’s a wonderful little smart watch that can go for 10 days plus.
I don’t think Apple Watch will ever be a challenge to FitBit’s market share or sales numbers…, they are actually in fairly different segments of the market & mind share, and so will never meet. I do believe however that Apple Watch does challenge the axiom that FitBit is… THE …wearable fitness device.
I just don’t see it. Not the same people for the most part. Apple Watch is pretty much for Apple fans. Most people don’t see much use for one. I’ve got a bunch of Apple products and I have no interest in Apple Watch, oddly I find the Fitbit intreging and much better looking. Apple Watch just looks big and awkward.