Apple Watch competitor will come complete with wireless earbuds

It may not be a surprise that the Apple Watch reigns supreme in wearables – but a new report has suggested that the runner up may have not given up just yet.

New images have surfaced online that sources have said are Fitbit’s first ‘full-scale’ smartwatch and Bluetooth earbuds, according to a report from Yahoo Finance.

Codenamed ‘Higgs’, the smartwatch is said to boast a color display with 1,000 nits of brightness, which is in the range of the Apple Watch Series 2, a built-in GPS, hear-rate monitor and technology that supports touchless payments – and the earbuds pull inspiration from Apple’s Beats X earbuds.

Canalys, a technology market analyst firm, estimated that Apple sold 11.9 million Apple Watch units, giving it 49 percent of the market share in 2016 – however, the tech giant has yet to release official numbers.

But Fitbit came in second with just 17 percent of the market.

However, if the leaked concept drawings are true, Fitbit may have found a way to make its comeback.

The images were obtained by Yahoo Finance who had learned from sources familiar with the matter that Fitbit initially planned to release its smartwatch and earbuds this spring, but due to a few manufacturing hiccups, the firm had to postpone the devices until the fall.

The smartwatch,  called ‘Higgs’ internally, has a color display ‘brightness similar with the Apple Watch Series 2, a built-in GPS chip, heart-rate monitoring, the ability to make touchless payments, the ability to store and play music from Pandora and four days of battery life between charges,’ two sources familiar with the matter told Yahoo Finance.

And the shell of the watch is said to be an aluminum body design and, just like the Apple Watch, users can switch between different bands – the sources said it will cost consumers around $300.

The Bluetooth earbuds, dubbed ‘Parkside’ by employees, pulls inspiration from Beats and Apple’s Beats X earbuds, sources told Yahoo Finance.

Consumers will be able to purchase a pair for around $150 and can pick between two colors – ‘Nightfall Blue’ and ‘Lunar Gray’.

It was also revealed that Fitbit has working on the smartwatch for some time, but production has been slowed due to a few mishaps along the way.

One major design flaw forced the firm to scrap a ‘near-final smartwatch prototypes’ – the GPS did not work because the antenna was in the wrong place, according to two of the sources.

There was also troubles with making Higgis waterproof and it is not clear whether or not the firm has been able to replicate the feature found in the Apple Watch Series 2.

And according to JP Mangalindan with Yahoo Finance, if Fitbit releases a smartwatch that is not waterproof, it will again take the back seat to Apple’s technology.

The anonymous sources also mentioned that although Pandora will be available in the device, it was not the firm’s first choice.

Fitbit had originally wanted to showcase Spotify in the device, but ‘was ruled out earlier on in development’.

CEO James Park has long talked about an app store for its Fitbit users, but with all of the road bumps, it is very unlikely that it will be ready when Higgs hits the market.

However, users will have access to ‘a small selection of customize apps’, explained Mangalindan.

It is not clear whether or not Fitbit is set to release its own smartwatch and earbuds, but Apple is expected to announce its Apple Watch Series 3 later this year.

Apple’s next smartwatch is believe to boast a faster processor, stronger battery and it might even boast built-in 4G cellular.

Daily Mail

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