This week Fitbit announced the Versa 2, which will be available on September 15th. The Versa 2 includes connectivity with Amazon’s Alexa, increased battery life and processing power, and a better display. The Versa 2 is timed to arrive at a similar time as Samsung’s Galaxy Watch Active 2 and possibly a new Apple Watch.
Fitbit has also added a Sleep Score function to provide additional sleep information. Sleep Score evaluates resting heart rate, sleep state measurements, and time spent in sleep to provide a grade. Additionally, Fitbit is adding a “smart wake” function to wake a user in a less disruptive sleep state.
Fitbit is launching a subscription service called Fitbit Premium in September for $10/month or $80/year. Users will be able to download a Wellness Report that summarizes information obtained from the Fitbit. The company is looking to add personalized health coaching, including management of chronic conditions.
Fitbit is the largest assignee in the Consumer Sleep Technology sector, focusing on the Data Processing and Analytics category. The company is primarily known for their hardware, and it remains to be seen if the pivot to focus on overall health care will allow the company to continue to compete against Apple or if the company will eventually be acquired by a larger company, such as Apple or Alphabet.
