It’s too early to call time on the Fitbit smartwatch

Outlook

A survey has shown that those who use fitness trackers lost less weight than those using other methods

Oh dear. It seems that Fitbit’s new smartwatch, the “Blaze”, has acquired an unfortunate nickname (clue: replace fit with a four-letter word that rhymes with it).

The reaction to the launch caused its shares more pain than a torn anterior cruciate ligament. It was still at the side of the road, gasping for breath, a day later.

But could it catch its second wind when the public gets hold of the device? If you’re the sort of person who wears a Fitbit watch – which does everything a regular Fitbit does, as well as syncing to your phone, and allowing you to control the music on it, plus giving you a five-day battery – the Blaze might be rather attractive.

No, it won’t take third-party apps, but it’s competitively priced compared to, say, an iWatch, and sometimes less is more.

If Wall Street is right, the Blaze is a big bad bust that’s going to burn Fitbit’s fingers and slim down its returns for years to come. But perhaps it might pay to give the product a run out with the public before rushing the shares into the investment emergency room.