• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
TechFitbit

Fitbit Looks To New Smartwatch Models As Stock Plummets

By
Aaron Pressman
Aaron Pressman
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Aaron Pressman
Aaron Pressman
Down Arrow Button Icon
February 27, 2018, 1:05 PM ET

Fitbit’s share price plumbed a new all-time low on Tuesday, after the one-time king of wearable devices announced another disappointing quarter of sliding sales.

The company’s stock, which debuted in 2015 at $20 a share, hit an all-time low of $4.67 in morning trading. It closed at $4.86, down 12% on the day.

Fitbit CEO James Park had bet big on a new $300 smartwatch, dubbed the Ionic, to make up for shrinking sales of cheaper fitness trackers, but it did not attract enough customers. Now the company is racing to broaden its smartwatch line to keep up with bigger rivals like Apple and Samsung.

Instead of the Ionic, it was the year-old Charge 2 tracker, introduced to wow 2016 holiday shoppers, that topped the sales charts for Fitbit for the latest quarter. A 25% price cut on the even older smartwatch-like Fitbit Blaze, which was introduced in early 2016, also helped boost sales.

Fitbit (FIT) didn’t disclose how many Ionic watches it sold among the 5.4 million total devices it moved in the fourth quarter, down from 6.5 million a year earlier. But Park conceded that Ionic failed to meet “aggressive goals” that the company had set.

Total sales in the quarter declined 1% to $571 million, short of the $588 million that analysts had expected.

Get Data Sheet, Fortune’s technology newsletter.

Ionic was crushed between the more capable — and expensive — watches from Apple (AAPL) and Samsung and much cheaper models from Asian manufacturers like Huawei. Standout features like five-day battery life and familiar Fitbit step tracking weren’t enough to convince many shoppers to pay $300 when there were so few third party apps available and the sole music app was from Pandora. Competitor Garmin (GRMN) touted its wider array of apps for its Fenix 5 smartwatch as helping boost sales 16% in its outdoor segment for the fourth quarter.

Park admitted as much to analysts on Monday night. “The Ionic offering really truly wasn’t a mass appeal smartwatch, it was more of a performance product so it didn’t really have the reach that some of our competitors had in the market,” he said, explaining that a lack of apps also hurt sales. “I think that dynamic is going to change in 2018. As we mentioned before we expect to have more mass appeal offerings in the market.”

The move to broaden the Ionic line up started almost immediately. On Tuesday, Fitbit said it was partnering with sneaker brand Adidas on a special version of its smartwatch that would have an exclusive training app and new Adidas-designed watch faces. This new version goes on sale March 19 for $330. Other varieties of the Ionic will no doubt be coming soon and Park promised hundreds of developers were working on future apps.

Still, simply moving deeper into smartwatches may not be enough for Fitbit to recover its fortunes. Even with healthy overall growth in the smartwatch market, many companies have failed to keep pace. Fitbit snapped up the remains of failed pioneer Pebble in 2016. And last fall, TomTom (TMOAY) said it was dropping out. Even Google (GOOGL) is struggling, as sales of watches powered by its Android Wear software didn’t grow much in 2017.

With its sinking stock price, Fitbit may itself eventually become attractive as a takeover candidate. The company’s stock market value is down to just $1.1 billion—and that’s with cash and marketable securities of almost $700 million on its balance sheet at the end of 2017.

About the Author
By Aaron Pressman
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Tech

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Tech

voters in line
EconomyElections
Forget the Rust Belt or the Sun Belt. The ‘Wired Belt’ may be the next frontier of American political power
By Jake AngeloMay 11, 2026
2 hours ago
Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon says 2026 is the year AI agents go mainstream—and the smartphone’s reign as your primary device is ending
AIFortune 500: Titans and Disruptors of Industry
Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon says 2026 is the year AI agents go mainstream—and the smartphone’s reign as your primary device is ending
By Fortune EditorsMay 10, 2026
14 hours ago
The global economy is experiencing the largest capex cycle ever, with nearly $5 trillion seen by the end of the decade—and it’s not all AI spending
EnergyAlternative energy
The global economy is experiencing the largest capex cycle ever, with nearly $5 trillion seen by the end of the decade—and it’s not all AI spending
By Jason MaMay 10, 2026
14 hours ago
AI wins have Alphabet poised to become world’s biggest company
AIAlphabet
AI wins have Alphabet poised to become world’s biggest company
By Ryan Vlastelica and BloombergMay 10, 2026
17 hours ago
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman says Gen Z and millennials are using ChatGPT like a ‘life advisor’—but college students might be one step ahead
TechOpenAI
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman says Gen Z and millennials are using ChatGPT like a ‘life advisor’—but college students might be one step ahead
By Sydney LakeMay 10, 2026
20 hours ago
Torsten Slok, wearing a suit, speaks on a stage with a gold and black background.
AILabor
‘The gains will be substantial’: The AI shock is looking a lot like the China shock, and a top economist says that’s actually good news
By Sasha RogelbergMay 10, 2026
21 hours ago

Most Popular

‘This is the way’: Elon Musk endorses Warren Buffett’s famed 5-minute plan to fix the national debt
Economy
‘This is the way’: Elon Musk endorses Warren Buffett’s famed 5-minute plan to fix the national debt
By Jacqueline MunisMay 10, 2026
19 hours ago
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman says Gen Z and millennials are using ChatGPT like a 'life advisor'—but college students might be one step ahead
Tech
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman says Gen Z and millennials are using ChatGPT like a 'life advisor'—but college students might be one step ahead
By Sydney LakeMay 10, 2026
20 hours ago
'Employers are increasingly turning to degree and GPA' in hiring: Recruiters retreat from ‘talent is everywhere,’ double down on top colleges
Future of Work
'Employers are increasingly turning to degree and GPA' in hiring: Recruiters retreat from ‘talent is everywhere,’ double down on top colleges
By Jake AngeloMay 9, 2026
2 days ago
Red flag test: former CEO explains why he rejects job candidates who say they can start right away
Success
Red flag test: former CEO explains why he rejects job candidates who say they can start right away
By Orianna Rosa RoyleMay 9, 2026
2 days ago
Trump thinks he's flying to Beijing with leverage. China spent 6 years making sure he doesn't have any
Commentary
Trump thinks he's flying to Beijing with leverage. China spent 6 years making sure he doesn't have any
By Steve H. HankeMay 10, 2026
21 hours ago
Ted Cruz says the quiet part out loud: Trump accounts are Social Security personal accounts as GOP senator reveals 'dirty little secret'
Politics
Ted Cruz says the quiet part out loud: Trump accounts are Social Security personal accounts as GOP senator reveals 'dirty little secret'
By Jason MaMay 9, 2026
2 days ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.