Fitbit: Ionic Gains Highest Interest But Samsung Gear Sport Has Better Sentiment

Key Takeaways

The launch of Fitbit’s first smartwatch, the Ionic on the 26th of August was closely
followed by the launch of direct smartwatch competitors; the Samsung Gear
Sport and the Garmin Vivoactive 3 at Europe’s biggest tech show, IFA 2017.

Ionic Garners More Interest than Competitors but Less Than Blaze & Charge 2

Google search interest reveals the Ionic gained the most consumer interest by a
significant margin. Analysis of social media data (excl. Twitter) reinforced the
Google search outcome showing the Ionic was the most talked about new
smartwatch by a distance. However, interest in the Ionic was less than previous
key products from Fitbit, namely the Charge 2 and Blaze.

Samsung Gear Sport Has Highest Sentiment

The Gear Sport was the best smartwatch according to social media net sentiment
and the Ionic the worst. The Ionic performed better when comparing the net
sentiment across core smartwatch product features; Battery life, design, NFC
payment functionality and price, but the Gear Sport came out on top.

Apps and Payment Functionality Are the Most Discussed New Features

The Ionic saw the introduction of many new features for Fitbit. A key feature was
the Fitbit OS and the web-based console, called Fitbit Studio, that allows anyone
to code an app for the Ionic. Disappointingly for Fitbit, the Studio / Apps feature
did not receive a strong sentiment when compared to other Fitbit features.

Potential Implications

The Ionic is undoubtedly Fitbit’s most important product of recent times and will be
a key revenue driver for the brand. While the Ionic gained much more interest than
competing smartwatches, management will no doubt be disappointed that it failed
to achieve the more interest than previous key launches for Fitbit. The relatively
weak initial consumer sentiment shows the Ionic faces stiff competition.