Google Reshapes Fitbit In Its Image As Users Allege 'Planned Obsolescence'

An anonymous reader quotes a report from Ars Technica: Google closed its Fitbit acquisition in 2021. Since then, the tech behemoth has pushed numerous changes to the wearable brand, including upcoming updates announced this week. While Google reshapes its fitness tracker business, though, some long-time users are regretting their Fitbit purchases and questioning if Google's practices will force them to purchase their next fitness tracker elsewhere.

As is becoming common practice with consumer tech announcements of late, Google's latest announcements about Fitbit seemed to be trying to convince users of the wonders of generative AI and how that will change their gadgets for the better. In a blog post yesterday, Dr. Karen DeSalvo, Google's chief health officer, announced that Fitbit Premium subscribers would be able to test experimental AI features later this year (Google hasn't specified when). 'You will be able to ask questions in a natural way and create charts just for you to help you understand your own data better. For example, you could dig deeper into how many active zone minutes... you get and the correlation with how restorative your sleep is,' she wrote. DeSalvo's post included an example of a user asking a chatbot if there was a connection between their sleep and activity and said that the experimental AI features will only be available to 'a limited number of Android users who are enrolled in the Fitbit Labs program in the Fitbit mobile app.'

Fitbit is also working with the Google Research team and 'health and wellness experts, doctors, and certified coaches' to develop a large language model (LLM) for upcoming Fitbit mobile app features that pull data from Fitbit and Pixel devices, DeSalvo said. In a blog post yesterday, Yossi Matias, VP of engineering and research at Google, said Google wants to use the LLM to add personalized coaching features, such as the ability to look for sleep irregularities and suggest actions 'on how you might change the intensity of your workout.' Google's Fitbit is building the LLM on Gemini models that are tweaked on de-identified data from unspecified 'research case studies,' Matias said, adding: 'For example, we're testing performance using sleep medicine certification exam-like practice tests.' Other recent changes to Fitbit include a name tweak from Fitbit by Google, to Google Fitbit, as spotted by 9to5Google this week. Charge 5 users are especially concerned after users noticed their devices suddenly stopped holding a charge after a December firmware update was pushed. The problem has persisted with Google offering no solution other than offer discounts or, if the device was within its warranty period, a replacement.

'This is called planned obsolescence. I'll be upgrading to a watch style tracker from a different company. I wish Fitbit hadn't sold out to Google,' a forum user going by Sean77024 wrote on Fitbit's support forum yesterday. 'Others, like 2MeFamilyFlyer, have also accused Fitbit of planning Charge 5 obsolescence,' notes Ars. '2MeFamilyFlyer said they're seeking a Fitbit alternative.'

Read more of this story at Slashdot.