Fitbit planning a smartwatch future

While market leading fitness wearable producer Fitbit has resisted calls to produce a smartwatch for a number of years, CEO James Park has revealed that functionality is indeed coming - and sooner rather than later.

Speaking to Engadget from CES, Park confirmed that the company will actively pursue an app store "as soon as possible". Despite launching the Fitbit Blaze in 2016 with a colour touchscreen, the company hasn't yet launched a model which allows for the loading of third party applications. Instead, users have become accustomed to incremental updates via Fitbit.

Late last year, Fitbit purchased the start-up company Pebble, which launched with a bang on Kickstarter in 2012 but which struggled against competition in recent times. No doubt this acquisition will prove very important to Fitbit as it moves from a stationary fitness wearable to a fully fledged smartwatch.