From CNET: Google's parent company Alphabet agreed to purchase Fitbit in a deal that values the wearable maker at approximately $2.1 billion, it announced Friday. In announcing the transaction the company seemingly confirmed a Monday report that Alphabet "made an offer" to buy the wearable company.
Fitbit is behind fitness trackers like the Versa 2 smartwatch and the Charge 3 band, which are compatible with both Apple's iOS and Google's Android operating systems (the Apple Watch is iOS-only).
Google is hoping the move will help bolster its Wear OS wearable efforts. Introduced in 2015, WearOS was designed to help Google bring Android into form factors such as smartwatches and fitness trackers similar to how WatchOS has helped Apple expand iOS. Unlike the Apple Watch, however, Google's platform has failed thus far to catch on with consumers despite attracting a host of high-profile partners such as Tag Heuer, Fossil, Michael Kors and Movado.
In a blog post announcing the deal, Rick Osterloh, Google's senior vice president of devices and services, praised Fitbit while teasing what the announcement will bring.
"Over the years, Google has made progress with partners in this space with Wear OS and Google Fit, but we see an opportunity to invest even more in Wear OS as well as introduce Made by Google wearable devices into the market," Osterloh writes.
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