• Home
  • News
  • Fortune 500
  • Tech
  • Finance
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
TechCES

Why Fitbit Shares Fell 18% Today

By
Jason Cipriani
Jason Cipriani
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Jason Cipriani
Jason Cipriani
Down Arrow Button Icon
January 5, 2016, 3:50 PM ET
Fitness Tracker Company Fitbit Debuts As Public Company On NYSE
NEW YORK, NY - JUNE 18: Traders work the floor of the New York Stock Exchange during the IPO debut of the company Fitbit on June 18, 2015 in New York City. Fitbit Inc. opened 52% above their IPO price during its market debut. (Photo by Eric Thayer/Getty Images)Eric Thayer Getty Images

Shares of Fitbit fell more than 18% on Tuesday after the marker of wearable electronics premiered its first new product in nearly a year.

Investors were skeptical about the company’s new Blaze, a smartwatch that marks a departure from the usual Fitbit fitness trackers. The new device, which will retail for $199 and is expected to begin shipping in March, would compete directly with tech giant Apple’s smartwatch.

Blaze comes with Fitbit’s typical health features like step counting and sleep tracking. It also has more smartwatch-like features such as text, call, and calendar notifications. Users will also have the ability to control music playback directly from the watch, when paired with an iOS, Android, or Windows phone.

WATCH: How Fitbit’s James Park avoids the competition

But Apple Watch (“AAPL”) is a more powerful device that gives users the ability to send text messages or emails, place phone calls, stream music, and run third-party applications. Google’s (GOOG) Android Wear smartwatch platform, and Samsung’s Gear S2 has similar capabilities as the Apple Watch.

Apparently, investors did not think that the Blaze do well in the market because of the competition. Fitbit’s shares (“FIT”) fell $5.46 to closed at $24.30.

SIGN UP: Get Data Sheet, Fortune’s daily newsletter about the business of technology.

Fitbit CEO James Park told Fortune that the decision to limit the Blaze’s functionality was a conscious effort to not overcomplicate the device. According to Park the problem with current smartwatches is that they do too much, which, in turn confusing users. Fitbit’s goal was to create a smartwatch that did just enough, while remaining focused on health first and foremost, he said.

MORE: Fitbit Blaze is the Company’s Fitness-Focused Smartwatch

Fitbit is the market leader in wearables, despite increased pressure from Apple on the high-end and Xiaomi on the low-end. In the third quarter last year, Fitbit shipped 4.7 million devices, while Apple is estimated to have shipped around 3.9 million Apple Watches, according to an IDC report.

Update: (This story was updated with closing stock results)

About the Author
By Jason Cipriani
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Tech

NewslettersTerm Sheet
Four key questions about OpenAI vs Google—the high-stakes tech matchup of 2026
By Alexei OreskovicDecember 5, 2025
1 minute ago
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg adjusts an avatar of himself during a company event in New York City on Thursday, Oct. 28, 2021. (Photo: Michael Nagle/Bloomberg/Getty Images)
NewslettersFortune Tech
Meta may unwind metaverse initiatives with layoffs
By Andrew NuscaDecember 5, 2025
1 hour ago
C-SuiteFortune 500 CEO Interview
Bristol Myers Squibb CEO Chris Boerner says company culture was the missing piece of his ‘patent cliff’ plan
By Diane BradyDecember 5, 2025
2 hours ago
Co-founder and chief executive officer of Nvidia Corp., Jensen Huang attends the 9th edition of the VivaTech trade show at the Parc des Expositions de la Porte de Versailles on June 11, 2025, in Paris.
C-SuiteNvidia
Before running the world’s most valuable company, Jensen Huang was a 9-year-old janitor in Kentucky
By Eva RoytburgDecember 5, 2025
2 hours ago
Future of WorkBrainstorm Design
The workplace needs to be designed like an ‘experience,’ says Gensler’s Ray Yuen, as employees resist the return to office
By Angelica AngDecember 5, 2025
4 hours ago
Four years ago, BKV started buying up the two Temple power plants in Texas—located between Austin and Dallas—which now total 1.5 gigawatts of electricity generation capacity—enough to power more than 1.1 million homes, or a major data center campus. There is room to expand.
Energypower
How a Texas gas producer plans to exploit the ‘mega trend’ of power plants for AI hyperscalers
By Jordan BlumDecember 5, 2025
4 hours ago

Most Popular

placeholder alt text
Economy
Two months into the new fiscal year and the U.S. government is already spending more than $10 billion a week servicing national debt
By Eleanor PringleDecember 4, 2025
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
Success
‘Godfather of AI’ says Bill Gates and Elon Musk are right about the future of work—but he predicts mass unemployment is on its way
By Preston ForeDecember 4, 2025
20 hours ago
placeholder alt text
Success
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang admits he works 7 days a week, including holidays, in a constant 'state of anxiety' out of fear of going bankrupt
By Jessica CoacciDecember 4, 2025
19 hours ago
placeholder alt text
Success
Nearly 4 million new manufacturing jobs are coming to America as boomers retire—but it's the one trade job Gen Z doesn't want
By Emma BurleighDecember 4, 2025
20 hours ago
placeholder alt text
North America
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez Bezos commit $102.5 million to organizations combating homelessness across the U.S.: ‘This is just the beginning’
By Sydney LakeDecember 2, 2025
3 days ago
placeholder alt text
Economy
Tariffs and the $38 trillion national debt: Kevin Hassett sees ’big reductions’ in deficit while Scott Bessent sees a ‘shrinking ice cube’
By Nick LichtenbergDecember 4, 2025
18 hours ago
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Leadership
  • Success
  • Tech
  • Asia
  • Europe
  • Environment
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Health
  • Retail
  • Lifestyle
  • Politics
  • Newsletters
  • Magazine
  • Features
  • Commentary
  • Mpw
  • CEO Initiative
  • Conferences
  • Personal Finance
  • 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
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map

© 2025 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.