Rumors of Fitbit's demise have been steadily growing since Google acquired the Fitbit brand for $21 billion in 2022 Even if Google continues to produce Fitbit-branded smartwatches like the Sense 2 and Versa 4 alongside its flagship Pixel Watch, it seems only a matter of time before the Fitbit line is incorporated into other Pixel wearables, and some models were almost certain to get lost in the vortex

Last week's big announcement of the Google Pixel Watch 3 inherited many of Fitbit's best holistic features, some of which were previously paid for This tidbit from our colleagues at our sister site TechRadar signals the end of the affordable Fitbit Versa and the high-end Sense line [What will happen to Fitbit-branded fitness trackers; the Fitbit Inspire 3 and Charge 6 are technically unaffected by the above, but reading between the lines, the future of these Google-owned product families seems uncertain as well

This is unfortunate because the Fitbit Charge 6 is the best fitness tracker we can buy right now and the Inspire 3 is the best inexpensive fitness tracker On the other hand, the Versa 4 is one of our favorite affordable smartwatches, and the Sense 2 is our favorite smartwatch for fitness tracking

Thankfully, this does not mean that Google will suddenly discontinue support for all Fitbit products and leave owners out in the cold

When asked to confirm the above news, a Google representative reaffirmed the brand's commitment to Fitbit's existing customers via email Their statement also hints at the possibility of future Fitbit endeavors, although not specifically For more information, see:

“We are very committed to Fitbit and, more importantly, to the customers who use and rely on these products and technologies It is also worth noting that many of the health and fitness features we have introduced in the Pixel Watch 3 are due to Fitbit's innovation and groundbreaking fitness advances Additionally, we just launched the Fitbit Ace LTE, and you will continue to see new Fitbit products and innovations in the future”

It is worth noting that Google recently launched the Fitbit Ace LTE while rolling out a fairly major firmware update for the Sense 2 and Versa 4 a few weeks ago Still, there remains an air of uncertainty surrounding Fitbit

Nobody likes uncertainty While I'm still a big fan of Fitbit products, I thought it might be helpful to introduce some competent alternatives to the most popular Fitbit models, including both fitness trackers and smartwatches

Both the Fitbit Inspire 3 and the Amazfit Band 7 pack a full-color AMOLED screen into a tiny, lightweight package; the Amazfit's screen is slightly larger than the Inspire 3's display, and the entire package is 10g slightly more than 10 grams heavier than the Fitbit

Still, you'll find many of the same features and capabilities in both models, including 10+ days of battery life, workout, sleep, and stress tracking, heart rate monitoring, and even blood oxygen saturation detection

The Amazfit Band 7 also has some tricks that the Inspire 3 does not, such as wrist access to Amazon's Alexa virtual assistant Best of all, the Amazfit option costs $49, half the price of the Fitbit

The Fitbit Charge 6 is admittedly hard to rival fitness trackers in terms of features and technology, hence its high rating in our buying guide, but the closest thing is the Garmin Vivosmart 5

Garmin's latest fitness band tracker features a similar low-profile design to the Charge 6, records many of the same metrics, and is all about the same price Both models also have batteries that last up to a week

However, the Vivosmart has a single-color screen compared to the Charge's full-color display In addition, the Garmin does not have GPS, which requires the use of a cell phone for location tracking, but Charge 6 owners should not have to worry about this

Aside from these drawbacks, the Vivosmart 5 performed well in our tests, proving to be a capable tracker for sleep and fitness and a comfortable device to wear 24/7 Also, unlike the Charge 6, it comes in two sizes

The Fitbit Luxe may be a bit dated, but it's one of only a handful of stylish, affordable fitness trackers that don't skimp on features 4]

These devices certainly have quite different designs: the Luxe is more bracelet-like look, while the Lily looks more like a stylish wristwatch However, both retain their elegance by keeping size and weight to a minimum and using high-grade metal materials in their designs [Neither has GPS, but both offer basic tracking for fitness, sleep, etc The Lily 2 also offers fairly comprehensive women's health tracking features, such as menstrual cycle tracking and pregnancy tracking Unlike Luxe, it also accepts contactless payments via Garmin Pay

The only feature the Luxe has over the Lily is its full-color display If it can overcome that, the Garmin would be a great alternative to the Fitbit

The Fitbit Versa 4 shares the same impressive build quality and design as its more expensive smartwatch sibling, the Sense 2, but does so for just under $200

However, the Versa 4 is not the most full-featured smartwatch Unlike Apple and Samsung models, it doesn't get a huge selection of downloadable apps, but it does offer a bright, beautiful display, basic fitness and health tracking, and voice support for Alexa, Google Maps, and Google Wallet

Those looking for a similarly wallet-friendly smartwatch should consider the somewhat oddly named Amazfit Bip 5, which is fitness and health-tracking feature-rich with some “smarts”

Like the Versa 4, it monitors heart rate, blood oxygen saturation, sleep and stress, and monitors activity It also has GPS and works well with Alexa and a few apps For tracking accuracy, it beats the $600 Polar watch

Build quality is not as good as the Versa 4, but the Bip 5 is less than half the price In addition, the screen is slightly larger

One thing that makes the Fitbit Sense 2 an easy smartwatch to recommend to people is the fact that it works with Android and Apple smartphones However, with the introduction of the Fitbit Sense 2, things got even more complicated

Apple people considering the Sense 2 for its smartwatch and fitness tracking capabilities might be better off buying the Apple Watch SE (2022)

The two devices are similarly priced and share a similar design format The Apple Watch SE, like the Sense 2, is a competent tool for monitoring wellness and activity, but offers far more functionality outside of its overall features The only drawback is that the Apple Watch's battery life is not as long as the Fitbit Sense 2

Android devotees should consider the latest Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 or Galaxy Watch 6 as an alternative to the Fitbit Sense 2, assuming they can find one on sale Like the Apple Watch, the wellness and fitness tracking technologies match, but the Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 and Galaxy Watch 7 have access to far more apps and features than Fitbit, even if their battery life is considerably shorter