The smartwatch market has also slumped. Apple Watch sales are down this year, and Lenovo’s Motorola brand has dropped out of the market. Most people simply aren’t finding reasons to buy them: Smartwatches are expensive, and they generally don’t provide functions other than those already available in a cell phone.

The market slowdown particularly hurt Pebble, which did not have the resources to wait for things to pick up. That might not happen until 2019 or 2020, when other functions touted by smartwatch makers, such as controlling smart home devices and paying without a debit or credit card, become more readily available, said analyst Harry Wang, digital health research director for Parks Associates.

From the article "Fitbit Buys Smartwatch Pioneer Pebble Amid Wearables Shakeup" by Benny Evangelista.