Fitbit’s alleged acquisition of Pebble is very much a real thing as Bloomberg has reported that Fitbit is close to buying software assets from Pebble earlier today. Unfortunately, this acquisition will cause Pebble to discontinue its upcoming Time 2 and Pebble Core products.
Some of you may remember that Pebble launched a Kickstarter back in May in order to crowdfund the Pebble 2, the Pebble Time 2 and the Pebble Core. While Pebble has begun shipping out Pebble 2 watches to its backers, Pebble’s acquisition by Fitbit means that the company is unable to continue producition of the Time 2 and the Core. As such, Pebble will be issuing refunds to anyone who has backed the Time 2 or Core via Kickstarter. Those who have backed the project back in May should check their Kickstarter accounts for any updates on the project as soon as possible.
In the meantime, Fitbit has sent out job offers to roughly 40 percent of the smartwatch company’s software enginners. Those who did not manage to get a job offer will be receiving a severence package instead. As for the Pebble brand itself, Bloomberg says that the decision to use the Pebble brand is in Fitbit’s hands. However, if earlier reports are to be believed, Fitbit would begin phasing out the Pebble brand once the acquisition is complete, thereby marking the end of Pebble.
