Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Wearables
  3. News

Fitbit could be looking to get into the blood sugar tracking game

Lulu Chang
By
Fitbit Ionic
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Six months after defeating rival Jawbone, Fitbit is looking to get in the ring with another competitor. The wearables company has just invested for the first time in a start-up, dedicating more than $6 million into a company called Sano, which is creating a small patch to track blood sugar levels for diabetics. This could help Fitbit compete more directly with Apple and its Apple Watch — the Cupertino company is currently working on an in-house version of a noninvasive glucose monitor.

As per estimates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. more than 100 million people in the United States are living with diabetes or pre-diabetes. As such, adding blood-sugar tracking functionality into a smart watch certainly seems like a strategic move. Indeed, both the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Apple seem to be heading towards a future where wearables are closer to medical devices than glorified digital watches — recently, the FDA approved the first-ever medical device accessory for the Apple Watch, while Apple is reportedly looking to make its Watch into an EKG.

If Fitbit manages to integrate glucose-tracking capabilities into an upcoming device, it could open up the market for its wearable. And this is certainly something Fitbit needs — in the quarter ending September 30, 2017, Fitbit sold only 3.6 million devices, a steep decline from the 5.3 million it sold in the same quarter of 2016.

Investing in Sano, then, could be the first step in a strategic repositioning of Fitbit and its products. CEO James Park confirmed the investment to CNBC, noting, “This fits into our strategy of looking beyond the device and thinking more about (health) solutions. I think the complete solution comes in the form of having some monitoring solution that is coupled with a display, and a wearable that can give you the interventions at the right moment.”

If the Sano deal proves to be more than an investment and rather a partnership, it wouldn’t be the first time that Fitbit teamed up with blood sugar data-minded firms. The company already works alongside device makers Medtronic and Dexcom, but Park remained mum on whether or not Fitbits of the future might include built-in glucose tracking.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Lulu Chang
Lulu Chang
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Fascinated by the effects of technology on human interaction, Lulu believes that if her parents can use your new app…
The next Fitbit could offer Alexa integration and an OLED display
fitbit versa lite review mem2

Fitbit may have been one of the first companies to adopt the smartwatch when the concept was still in its infancy, but ever since the rise of devices like the Apple Watch, the company has largely failed to keep up. That, however, could change if a new leak is to be believed — the next Fitbit could offer an OLED display and Alexa built right into it.

The unknown device is in the class of the current Fitbit Versa, but it’s seemingly a whole lot more functional. Alexa integration is especially notable — as it would allow users to control their smart home and search the web straight from their wrist, like Apple Watch users can do with Siri. The leak itself comes from well-known Twitter leaker Evan Blass.

Read more
Fitbit Versa and Fitbit Ionic smartwatch prices get slashed for spring
fitbit versa review version 1522045407 full 33

Summertime is right around the corner, and now's the best time to start slimming down for beach season. One of the most important parts of losing weight is staying active, and a Fitbit is a great way of tracking just how active you are. The Fitbit Versa and Ionic are two of Fitbit's smartwatch models currently on sale at Rakuten, and you can get them even cheaper using the code 'SAVE15' at checkout with a quick email sign up to be a Rakuten member.The Fitbit Versa is on sale for $172, and the Ionic $195 on Rakuten.

Rakuten is a trusted site, owner and operator of Ebates and other ecommerce sites, and sells from third-party vendors. When you add the promo code savings in, the Versa drops to the lowest prices we've seen yet. In fact, the Versa is $8 cheaper than either the Fitbit official site or Amazon, and the Ionic is as much as $35 cheaper. While you'll have a choice of colors with the Versa -- either black, Gray/Silver, or Peach/Rosegold, the sale price is only good for the Charcoal/Smoke Gray version of the Ionic.
Fitbit Versa:

Read more
The best Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 screen protectors
Person holding skateboard while wearing the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4.

A new, sleek design and digital bezel help the Galaxy Watch 4 stand out in the crowd and set it apart from the traditional style of the Galaxy Watch 4 Classic. Whether you've picked up a 40mm model with a 1.2-inch Super AMOLED screen or opted for more screen real estate with the 44mm model, that stand-out design needs protecting from scratches and knocks. That means it's time for our picks of the best Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 screen protectors, with something to suit all budgets.

These screen protectors will all fit the 40mm or 44mm models of the Galaxy Watch 4. If you've got a Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 Classic, these won't fit.
Spigen Glas.tR EZ Fit Screen Protector

Read more