Last month, Fitbit CEO James Park revealed some key details about its upcoming smartwatch. During Fitbit"s earnings call this week, the company shared a couple of other tidbits about the device, and confirmed that it will finally launch in time for this year"s holiday season.
Fitbit previously launched a smartwatch - the Blaze - in 2016, but the $200 device was heavily focused on health and fitness features, like the rest of the firm"s range. Its next device will still include health- and fitness-tracking capabilities, but it"s intended to compete more directly with "mainstream" smartwatches like the Apple Watch and Samsung"s Gear S3.
The new watch will include a GPS tracker, but isn"t expected to feature integrated LTE support. Park said that the device will provide "multi-day battery life", along with cross-platform compatibility, and water-resistance up to a depth of 50 meters.
Fitbit claimed that it"s "uniquely positioned" to succeed in the highly competitive smartwatch market, thanks to its considerable experience in producing wearable devices. Two major acquisitions in recent months have helped prepare the company for its next move into the smartwatch space. In December, it purchased popular smartwatch maker Pebble; and in January, it also acquired Vector.
Source: The Verge