https://9to5google.com/2023/11/09/fitbit-countries-drastic-cuts/
In a move that went a bit under the radar, Fitbit under Google has stopped selling its products in nearly...
Seriously, Google cannot support products beyond ads, search, YT, and gmail. I feel like I have been beating this horse to death for years now. Don't buy Google products and services. They will end support for them.
Pixel gets more updates than Samsung. Chromecast is pretty well supported. Google Homes are supported.
The only Google hardware that still exists that I can remember off the top of my head, that got fucked, is Google WiFi. They stopped updating it months before they released Nest WiFi.
They shut down stadia, but everyone got a full refund.
The Nexus Q was given away at no cost to attendees of Google I/O, but the product's consumer launch was indefinitely postponed the following month, purportedly to collect additional feedback. Those who had pre-ordered the Nexus Q following its unveiling received the device at no cost.
So again, Google decided not to launch something, and people got it for free.
Google may be wishy washy for many things, but I'd argue their hardware support is mostly pretty good.
I don't know that I would qualify "more" updates as better supported. Length and quality of support is a better indicator of overall support IMHO.
Google hardware - I have purchased two Google Home Maxes (both EOL'd), a Google OnHub (updates stopped after ~18 months), HTC M7(8?) Google Play Edition, Nexus....I had bad luck, but I'm not trusting another piece of Google hardware for my life.
Google Home Maxes (both EOL’d)
Except they continue to work perfectly. What would you like to see changed? Since it runs in the cloud, you're always getting up to date Google assistant tech on them. When Google adds new commands to Google Assistant, Google Home Max automatically gets them. A firmware update is not required.
a Google OnHub (updates stopped after ~18 months)
Google OnHub is part of what I said in my original comment. Google WiFi got fucked. However, you're completely lying.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Google_OnHub
Released 2015.
and
"In December 2021, Google announced that OnHub routers would no longer receive any software or security updates."
18 months is 1.5 years. 2016 - 2021 is 5 years. Not sure why you're lying?
HTC M7(8?) Google Play Edition, Nexus…I had bad luck, but I’m not trusting another piece of Google hardware for my life.
The fact you're using examples from 2013 to criticize Google a decade later is wild. I guess it's easier to just be ignorant and hateful.
I still have an Apple 5s (I think) around the house that still "works", but I wouldn't call it supported. It does still receive security patches though, so that's something I guess.
OnHub was the predecessor to Google WiFi. Google touted the OnHub as a "future-proof" router, with 802.15 Zigbee and bluetooth onboard. They indicated that they would enable these features at some point in the products life. Google WiFi came out around 12 months after OnHub, and OnHub suddenly stopped receiving feature updates after that. Google continued with security patches, but that was about all I could recall getting. I'd be curious what other OnHub owners think about their purchase long-term. It certainly didn't feel supported after WiFi was released. I guess that goes back to my quality vs. quantity of support. It's great that they continued to push security updates for years later. It's the least they could to after they shafted everyone that purchased one of these.
Long-term history matters when it comes to establishing a trend in a company's behavior.
So... let me get this straight. Google sucks and Pixels are only sold in some countries, so their solution is to reduce Fitbit devices to those same countries?
This is foreboding. Could this be the start of either a rebrand of Fitbit or, worse, a culling of the line in favor of Pixel smartwatches?
Google, I swear if you fuck with my Fitbit I'm adding it to The List (right under Play Music and Inbox). I don't want a smartwatch, I never wanted a smartwatch. I want my compact little step tracker that gives me a ton of metrics data.
The second Google bought them out should have been the moment you started to be on the lookout for a potential way out. It's unfortunately really on brand for them. There's not a lot that survives acquisition.
That's a bit unfair. Waze is still going and unaffected by being acquired by Google. YouTube is obviously still going and has become a core part of Alphabet's business.
For acquisitions that have strong existing user bases, they have a history of keeping them around. I'm surprised by this move, I can't think of another example where they've killed a product with a large user base they've spent Billions on. Not that they're killing FitBit, just reducing the countries it will be sold in.
It will probably be an incorporation of Fitbit into the Google ecosystem. Hell, the new Pixel watch is basically a Fitbit with some additional Google elements in it.
I came from the Sense 2 and it's the same graphics for several screens as my previous watch. They definitely copied off the Fitbit purchase.
It already is, they're just removing the competing product they bought for the very reason they bought it.
They already took away the only features I bought one for some time ago. The app itself will meet the same fate sooner or later.
Fitbit has premium subscriptions. Not sure why anyone bought them to begin with.
Even before Google, Fitbit made it hard/impossible to sync your stats with other apps.
Get a Mi Band or something better.
I went Fossil smartwatch. I'd figure google would keep the apps around longer than the device.
RIP fitbit
One month of Fitbit Premium doesn't seem appropriate. At the very least, unlock full functionality for them if you're not longer giving them a way to pay for it.
It's just a family owned startup with a few employees, they don't have the resources to sell devices in all those countries