Apple Follows Through With Plans to Stop Selling Fitbit Devices

[nixiemaiden]

I seriously wonder how many activity trackers the Apple store sells anyway. That seems like the last thing that I would go there for as far as compatible accessories.

Now what I want is to be able to get an Apple watch and have all of my data sync to Fitbit. I use Fitbit, my friends/family all use Fitbit...I just don't see the point in switching because I only know a few people who even have iPhones and would consider an Apple watch compared to Fitbit which is compatible on multiple platforms.

As soon as I can watch my iTunes movies on an Android tablet, then Apple can get upset about other companies not wanting to integrate when they don't seem to be willing to integrate with anything.

 

[jclardy]

I'd like FitBit to support HealthKit, but to be honest right now HealthKit sucks.

The only way to backup your health kit data is via iTunes encrypted backup. While I can understand this from the perspective of not wanting to leak personal health details...things like my weight or step counts should be able to be backed up to iCloud.

Also the UI is terrible as well, it is barely interactive at all...I can't even see exact step counts in the chart.

For being essentially a one-stop data store for all health data...it is not very good at interacting with that data.

 

[MikePLP]

GOod riddance

Why are they selling competing products anyway. They might as well sell samsung galaxy in their stores, duh.

 

[0098386]

Are they really that threatened by these devices eating their iWatch sales? Hmm.

 

[Carlanga]

You know Tim Jobs why don't you remove Kindle, Pondora, Spotify, any Google App fromyour Apple Store? Clearly they're your competition.

Give us choice or we shall leave!

Apple is banning FitBit because they refuse to use HealthKit, and instead want users to use their own app.

LMAO you guys know that you can buy apple accesories in other places besides the apple store right? There is no ban by apple, just a removal of products from their official store shelfs because they are not taking part of the newest apple app. If you buy something from the apple store you expect to get things to work w the apple apps if there is a similar funciton and in this case they didn't care to add it. If you still want a fibit there is a bunch of places to get it.

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Are they really that threatened by these devices eating their iWatch sales? Hmm.

nope because they left all the other players in the store. this is just a removal of a product that is not taking advantage nor their care to add compatibility to the healthkit app besides their own app.

 

[brianvictor7]

Supermarkets do it all the time.

You mean the same supermarket chains that sell their own weak-sauce brand name items in their stores because they couldn't hope to sell them anywhere else? Still not seeing the advantage to Apple: the most valuable brand on Earth.The only reason they sell MS Office in their stores is because everyone has to use that software at some time in their lives and customers keep asking for it. name99 below expresses the thinking better than me.

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Are they really that threatened by these devices eating their iWatch sales? Hmm.

Apple, if anything, is good about keeping down the clutter in their retail stores.

 

[Tux Kapono]

The go-to choice to replace FitBit is Misfit's upcoming Flash ($50) and Shine ($100), which are compatible with Apple's Health app, and were crowdfunded on IndieGoGo last year. Once my FitBit dies I'm switching over.

 

[name99]

You know Tim Jobs why don't you remove Kindle, Pondora, Spotify, any Google App fromyour Apple Store? Clearly they're your competition.

Give us choice or we shall leave!

Didn't you read the article and subsequent comments?
The issue is not that Fitbit competes with Apple products. It is that Fitbit is going out of their way to not support a strategic Apple direction, namely Healthkit. The equivalent would be something like Kindle refusing to ship a retina-ready app.

It is reasonable for anyone buying from the Apple store to assume that what they are buying works well with the rest of their Apple eco-system products --- that's kinda the point of buying at the **APPLE** store. Which means that anything that does NOT work properly with the Apple ecosystem is not going to be featured there.

I don't know the background to the Bose story --- that may be something worth getting outraged over. But the Fitbit situation is cut-and-dried --- Apple is (IMHO) absolutely doing the right thing for their customers here.

 

[Born Again]

Nor does kindle contribute to iBooks or spotify contributing to Beats streaming..

 

[winston1236]

I can't wait until these get a lot more accurate. Then I'll def buy one.

 

[Dayv]

There are many people with an insatiable desire to give their money ONLY to Apple. Handing it to BestBuy just give them the same feeling of ecstasy.

Yeah, sure -- prove it.

 

[Shanley]

Fitbit

I like fitbit, especially how it integrates with my iphone.

HealthApp and the Fitbit app do some things the same, but some things very differently. I don't think they even compete in the same space, other than tracking steps and eventually heart rate.

Fitbit allows me to be in competition with friends and family to see who can get the most steps. It lets me send them messages and get updates throughout the day. I can see the progress of myself and my friends in the fit bit app.

HealthApp does not have the functionality right now. Right now, fitbit moving into the HealthApp would be a downgrade in functionality for Fitbit.

 

[tasset]

Nor does kindle contribute to iBooks or spotify contributing to Beats streaming..

Apple didn't boot the Fitbit app. It, along with your digital examples, are not taking up valuable physical retail space with their lack of compatibility.

 

[pnoyblazed]

another gimmick device just like the nike fuelband

 

[Southern Dad]

Except that Fitbit has the ability to last several days on a charge as well as track sleeping habits.

The iPhone 5s, 6, and 6 Plus all track sleep without a device on your body.

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As an avid user of the Fitbit One since its inception, Jawbone Up before that, I can't say that I'm surprised. Truthfully, I think that iOS Healthkit pretty much put the nails in the coffin for Fitbit. Just as the Apple Watch is going to put a hurting on Pebble. And I say that as a supporter of both products. Both my Pebble and Fitbit have battery life on the iPhone/Apple Watch but why carry both a Fitbit and an iPhone when the iPhone counts steps/miles and tracks sleep too?

 

[Toltepeceno]

Giving people the choice to buy **** products at Apple Store prices is bad. We have Best Buy for a reason- to carry that stuff at a discount.

Best buy and other places (like b&h) sell apple products at a discount also. So it seems to me people might just buy apple stuff there cheaper while they are there. Apple makes more money on their products on their store, sending people to another store raises the chance they won't buy other things on their website.

Yes, I know apple makes money both ways but they make more money on their website.

It really doesn't matter to me though, I would buy apple products in the us from b&h or best buy during a sale, not directly from apple. Never apple mexico, it's actually in the us and even the base iphone is over 200.00 us more than on apple usa.

The point is they are sending people to buy this were their stuff is also cheaper, doesn't seem like a good money decision and don't tell me apple is not all about the money.

 

[drchimrichalds]

Microsoft activity tracker

I never got a fit bit but I think if I were going to get an activity tracker, I might try this guy (or if I really want to treat myself, an apple watch )

http://www.wired.com/2014/11/microsoft-band/

 

[FieldingMellish]

You think that's bad? There'll be a real quandary if and when Apple packs Beats earphones with iPhones, iPads and iPod touches.

 

[proline]

Best buy and other places (like b&h) sell apple products at a discount also. So it seems to me people might just buy apple stuff there cheaper while they are there. Apple makes more money on their products on their store, sending people to another store raises the chance they won't buy other things on their website.

Yes, I know apple makes money both ways but they make more money on their website.

It really doesn't matter to me though, I would buy apple products in the us from b&h or best buy during a sale, not directly from apple. Never apple mexico, it's actually in the us and even the base iphone is over 200.00 us more than on apple usa.

The point is they are sending people to buy this were their stuff is also cheaper, doesn't seem like a good money decision and don't tell me apple is not all about the money.

So now you're smarter with money than the richest company on the planet? LOL. Apple stores need to maximize revenue per square foot as they are not in cheap locations. Selling Apple Watches makes a hell of a lot more sense than trinkets from third parties that have crappy iOS integration.

 

[spazzcat]

You know Tim Jobs why don't you remove Kindle, Pondora, Spotify, any Google App fromyour Apple Store? Clearly they're your competition.

Give us choice or we shall leave!

They are not removing the app, they are just not selling fitbit anymore in their stores.

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I never got a fit bit but I think if I were going to get an activity tracker, I might try this guy (or if I really want to treat myself, an apple watch )

http://www.wired.com/2014/11/microsoft-band/

There are four or so of these advance trackers now. I was going to with Band, but I have few issues with it. I am going to go with Basis Peak instead.

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Not caring.

Interested in the Jawbone UP3 for something beyond an activity tracker.

Looks cheap in comparison to the Apple Watch. I don't need a watch.

For ~$30 more I would go with the Band or Peak.

 

[charlituna]

Jawbone's app doesn't integrate with Health, does it?

perhaps not but are they working on it or have they said they have zero plans to do so. if they are working on it then Apple would likely work with them. fitbit has declared they have no intention of adapting so why give them shelf space. give it to someone else

 

[RockSpider]

There goes another company under the boot.

 

[charlituna]

You know Tim Jobs why don't you remove Kindle, Pondora, Spotify, any Google App fromyour Apple Store? Clearly they're your competition.

Give us choice or we shall leave!

but they work with ios and are updated to the currrent software, apis and features.

and it isnt like Apple is calling for fitbit to be made illegal. There are tons of products that work with ios devices that Apple doesnt carry in stores and they dont call to have them outlawed either.

 

[reden]

Not caring.

Interested in the Jawbone UP3 for something beyond an activity tracker.

Looks cheap in comparison to the Apple Watch. I don't need a watch.

Thanks for letting us know on what you do and don't need and all that.

 

[tcm1975]

This doesn't make any sense. If that was the case, they would stop selling Fuelbands and UP's as well.

Fuelband is dead and UP's market share is mostly outside the US. Just over 50% of the wearables sold last year were FitBits. FitBit owns that market share and the over 50% continued early this year even without having the Force to sell because of the recall. Their market share is only going to up with their new product line coming out. If one in two people who buy a wearable for their wrist are buying a Fitbit then yeah I think you don't want that anywhere near an iWatch in an Apple store. The Fitbit is the iPod. Plenty of better options but people still gobble them up in droves.