Michal Ždanský Last month, information surfaced that Apple plans to stop selling FitBit's popular line of fitness bands. A few days ago, this really happened, and the company pulled the bracelets from sale both in its brick-and-mortar Apple Stores and on its online store. The news comes less than a week after FitBit introduced a new wristband Arises, a sports watch with built-in GPS that could compete even more with the upcoming Apple Watch.
However, the competitive struggle is probably not the reason for the end of the sale. Sports bracelets from other companies, such as Jawbone or Nike, can still be found in Apple Stores and in the online store. Even Jawbone recently announced a hypothetical Apple Watch competitor, bracelet UP3, which includes a heart rate sensor and a sunlight sensor.
The reason for the recall likely has to do with FitBit's recent public statement regarding the company's HealthKit platform doesn't plan support, and is instead preparing "other interesting projects for its customers". Apple has not confirmed this fact as the reason for the recall of FitBit products, but it is likely that they only want to sell products in their stores that are 100% compatible with their platforms, and the lack of HealthKit support is a big exclamation point in this regard.
FitBit wristbands aren't the only products that have disappeared from the Apple Store. Last month Apple removed audio equipment Bose, as this company is in a lawsuit with Beats Electronics, a company that Apple bought this year for three billion dollars. Tony Fadell's Nest thermostat and smoke detector also ended sales a year ago. The reason was the acquisition of the hardware startup by Google.
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Server & Hosting Apple Insider informs, that while Fitbit wristbands have been pulled from the Apple Online Store, they still remain in brick-and-mortar stores in the United States (and apparently other countries). In addition to other brands, the Fitbit One or Fitbit Flex are also currently available here, and it is not yet clear whether Apple intends to remove them in the near future.
