Google reorganizing Pixel hardware: Fitbit’s James Park leaving, layoffs hit AR team

Google is reorganizing the Devices & Services teams responsible for Pixel, Nest, and Fitbit hardware. This change was announced to employees today, and Google confirmed the changes in a statement to 9to5Google. 

• Related: Google layoffs reach Assistant, core engineering, and other teams

Previously, the Pixel, Nest, and Fitbit divisions had distinct, independent teams to handle aspects such as design, hardware engineering, software, UI, etc. Google’s hardware effort basically housed a miniature company for phones, another for smart home, and a third wearables. This, in large part, reflects how Google bought Nest (in 2014) and then Fitbit.

In reorganizing, Google is switching to a functional organization model where, for example, there will be one team responsible for hardware engineering across Pixel, Nest, and Fitbit. As such, there will be a single leader for that aspect of products across all Google hardware.  

It remains to be seen whether this will lead to more unified products across the different form factors, with the Pixel phone team largely staying in place today from what we’ve heard. Looking at the tech landscape, Apple has a similar functional organization model with centralized Software Engineering, Services, Hardware Technologies, and Hardware Engineering organizations.

As part of this reorganization, we’ve learned that Fitbit co-founders James Park and Eric Friedman, as well as other Fitbit leaders, are leaving Google. 

When Google closed the Fitbit acquisition in January 2021, James Park stayed on as a vice president and general manager of Fitbit. He went on to announce the Pixel Watch and Pixel Watch 2 for Google, with his last appearance being in October. Besides smartwatches and trackers, Google’s other wearables are the Pixel Buds lineup of headphones.

This reorganization will see Google lay off a few hundred roles across Devices & Services, though the majority is happening within the first-party augmented reality hardware team. This downsizing suggests Google is no longer working on its own AR hardware and is fully committed to the OEM-partnership model. Employees will have the ability to apply to open roles within the company, and Google is offering its usual degree of support.

We reported last February that Google shifted its work on AR to the Android and hardware teams after a previous executive departure. Meanwhile, Google still owns Raxium, a microLED display startup it acquired in 2022.

Broadly, Google says it remains “deeply committed to other AR initiatives” and points to existing AR features in Lens and Maps, as well as product partnerships. The latter is specifically in reference to the Android XR partnership with Samsung to develop a headset. 

Google’s full statement is below:

A few hundred roles are being eliminated in DSPA with the majority of impacts on the 1P AR Hardware team. While we are making changes to our 1P AR hardware team, Google continues to be deeply committed to other AR initiatives, such as AR experiences in our products, and product partnerships.