Logitech buys Jaybird for its wireless earbuds, but it makes an activity tracker too

By Aditi Pai
03:18 pm
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Electronics company Logitech has acquired wireless earbud company Jaybird for $50 million in cash, according to the Verge

In addition to the suite of sporty wireless buds that Jaybird sells, the company also offers a wristworn activity tracker, called Reign, but that product line was not the focus for the acquisition.

“We see it all around us everyday – people love to listen to music everywhere and sometimes in places where listening out loud would just not work,” Logitech wrote in a post about the acquisition. “Jaybird hit on a great idea of making products for people actively engaged in sports and who wanted music to power their passion for their sport. With the right product (and Jaybird makes them), you can now pursue your sport with your music. It’s a potent combination.”

Jaybird announced Reign in January 2014 at the Consumer Electronics Show. Reign didn’t launch publicly until 2015 and now sells on Jaybird’s website for $149.95. The device measures heart rate variability, activity, and sleep.

According to the blog post, Jaybird will still sell products under the Jaybird brand and design new devices.

Jaybird joins a growing list of activity tracking device companies that have been acquired in recent years.

In April 2013, Jawbone acquired BodyMedia. This was one of the first major consolidations in the wearable activity tracker space. Earlier this year, Jawbone officially stopped making BodyMedia Fit device data available to users and shut down the BodyMedia website (it now redirects to Jawbone’s site), essentially rendering the devices useless.

Then in March 2014, Intel confirmed its rumored acquisition of Basis Science, the activity tracker company that makes the high-end Basis B1 Band. As part of its announcement, Intel said that the Basis Band would still be available through its existing retail channels.

Last year, two companies that make fitness tracking devices got acquired. First, in August, Germany-based athletic company Adidas acquired Austrian fitness app and device company Runtastic for $240 million (220 million euros). And then in November, Fossil Group announced it would buy wearables company Misfit for $260 million. Fossil said it would keep the Misfit brand and product line intact and work with them to develop and release additional products in Misfit's pipeline.

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