Google’s Fitbit Group is facing significant departures and layoffs, raising concerns about the future of the fitness tracking brand. Several key executives at Fitbit, including the hardware engineering director Mark Martinez, senior director Tim Johnson, and longtime product VP Jonathan Oakes, have announced their departure. Mark Silverio, Fitbit’s VP of business strategy, is also leaving. It remains unclear whether these departures were voluntary or part of the recent layoffs.
According to a Fitbit employee, these departures are the biggest blow the company has experienced so far. Many longtime Fitbit employees have been affected. The exact number of cuts in this round is unknown, but the Alphabet Workers Union stated that over 1,000 employees were affected.
While Google spokesperson Andrea Holing confirmed that a few hundred employees were laid off in Google’s devices group, with most working on augmented reality, she did not specify the number of employees affected in the Fitbit group.
Google is reorganizing its devices group, creating a single team responsible for hardware engineering across Pixel, Fitbit, and Next. However, some insiders are concerned that the departure of several senior Fitbit executives could be detrimental to the brand. Google has shifted its focus toward its Pixel Watch, allocating more resources to it while removing key features from Fitbit devices and halting sales of trackers in certain countries.
A current Google employee revealed that although one of Fitbit’s Taiwan teams is still working on trackers, most of the organization is now focused on the Pixel Watch. This has raised concerns among Fitbit users that Google no longer cares about their needs. Google plans to launch a new Pixel Watch model later this year, according to an insider familiar with the strategy.
As part of the recent cuts, Google has also downsized the augmented reality team within its hardware division. Paul Greco, a vice president working on AR, has left the company. However, the team responsible for the Samsung AR headset, which is in a different organization, was unaffected.
The departure of top executives and the shift in focus have sparked worries about the future of Fitbit. Fitbit was once promised a bright future under Google’s ownership, but the recent developments have raised doubts about the level of commitment to the fitness tracking brand.
In an official statement, Google spokesperson Andrea Holing emphasized their commitment to serving Fitbit users and innovating in the health space with personal AI. They also mentioned upcoming releases such as the Pixel Watch, redesigned Fitbit app, Fitbit Premium service, and the Fitbit tracker line. However, some remain skeptical about these claims.
Overall, the departures and layoffs at Google’s Fitbit Group have caused significant concern about the future of Fitbit. It remains to be seen how Google’s reorganization and focus on the Pixel Watch will affect the fitness tracking brand and its loyal user base.
References:
– Business Insider: [Link to the original article]
– The Information: [Link to the original article]
– 9to5Google: [Link to the original article]
