Fitbit has announced the acquisition of key assets of Pebble, which is set to close down, It was one of the pioneers in the manufacturing of connected watches. The company has reportedly delivered more than two million units since 2012. Fitbit stated in a press release that it will take on some of Pebble's staff and acquire some of Pebble's patents, notably those connected with software, but none of its devices. Broadly speaking, the market for connected watches has been performing below expectations, in spite of the high hopes of technology experts. According to estimates by IDC, global sales of wearable connected devices grew by 3.1 percent in the third quarter, and 23 million units were sold in total, of which 5.3 million were sold by Fitbit alone. However, 85 percent of the turnover is generated by basic devices such as fitness bracelets, while sales of connected watches, currently led by the Apple Watch, have dropped by more than 50 percent in the same quarter.

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