Apple to Cease Selling Fitbit Activity Tracking Devices in Stores

bozzykid said:
Again another excuse. Apple is just trying to profit in their own accessories market. We will probably see even more accessories removed from the Apple Store in the coming months. But of course people will try to justify it by blaming the accessory maker.
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It is the accessory makers faults, why would you sell competitor, especially when that competitor is working against you

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urkel said:
I fully understand your point and I'm not trying to argue but...
How many iPhone users have the HealthKit capable chip (5S, 6, 6+). And of those then how many diligently track health data? And of those then how many carry their phone during a workout?

Again, not arguing here. Just playing devils advocate for why a company wouldn't want to be dictated by Apple on how to run their future. As someone who's been using a Fitbit for years but does nothing with the data (I've been the same weight/build since college) then Ive been using FitBits more out of habit than necessity. But I know a lot of people much more serious about fitness than me and they aren't planning on strapping an iPhone to their foreheads or drop $350 for a wrist enabled tracker. And considering the Fitbit gear is pretty good then to those people then switching just for brand loyalty may not make sense.
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I bike around 2500 miles a year and use my iPhone to track my miles. I also wear a fitbit, well until my Misfit gets here on Friday. It's my data and I say how and where it gets used not fitbit...
 
spazzcat said:
It is the accessory makers faults, why would you sell competitor, especially when that competitor is working against you
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Choose to believe what you want (I don't see Apple pulling every single accessory that doesn't utilize iOS 8). But if you put all of Apple's decisions together including the Beats acquisition, it is clear they are trying to capitalize on the accessories market. And part of that is getting rid of competitors from their store. Instead of just accepting that is what is happening, it seems people try to justify it by blaming other companies.
 
Kaibelf said:
I'm on board with this. The main Apple area of the store is nice, but the rest of it looks like a bazaar sometimes. They need to get rid of this other junk that isn't built explicitly in a partnership. Fitbit is no better on iOS than on Android, so they shouldn't get this prime real estate ahead of someone else who IS trying to be mutually beneficial. Same with Bose. If they want to actively FINE people for preferring a different brand, even if it's for a cause, then I really am not interested in their products. Same with the whole Samsung "you can't use the phone you prefer at the Olympics" nonsense. Tacky.
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Bose doesn't fine anyone, the NFL does.
 
This is probably the most shocking post on MacRumors I have seen in a while. I had hopes that I could go with the :apple:watch and get rid of Fitbit, but I don't think that is feasible. For reference, I have had the fitbit, fitbit one, fitbit force and now the fitbit flex. I am a basketball official as well as someone that is concerned about their weight for general health. Here are my use cases:

  • Count steps/day
  • Use on elliptical
  • Track sleep (sometimes)
  • Use to wake up
  • Use when working out (wrist strap on workout gloves will go over the flex with no problem)
  • Put it in my pocket when I am officiating games
  • Use the Aria scale every single day to chart weight
  • Track calorie intake (some days)
  • Like having all my information in one app

For me, the :apple:watch is going to be more of an extension of my iPhone than it will be a replacement for my flex. I just don't see knocking around with the watch in all these situations. I will have to find something that will integrate with health kit and has a scale I guess. Maybe going back to Withings.
 
spectrumfox said:
Some of the responses from people on this board are bordering on scary.

For example, saying FitBit deserves to go out of business because they don't want to support Apple's HealthKit, and they deserve what they get.

Since when was partnering with Apple a requirement for a company?
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You can't really blame Apple for not carrying a product that doesn't work with their own.
 
I think that the MIN reason is that the idiots at FitBit has (in their LACK of wisdom) decided to NOT sync with Apple's Health App. I really liked my FitBit but I just bought a Withings Pulse that WILL sync to the Health App. SAD :(
 
terryzx said:
I think that the MIN reason is that the idiots at FitBit has (in their LACK of wisdom) decided to NOT sync with Apple's Health App. I really liked my FitBit but I just bought a Withings Pulse that WILL sync to the Health App. SAD :(
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So the Pulse will work with Healthkit? For my use cases, I need something like this. It just sucks because I have the scale made by fitbit and the flex.
 
terryzx said:
I think that the MIN reason is that the idiots at FitBit has (in their LACK of wisdom) decided to NOT sync with Apple's Health App. I really liked my FitBit but I just bought a Withings Pulse that WILL sync to the Health App. SAD :(
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so all accessories must only use Apples app or be kicked out?

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spazzcat said:
I bike around 2500 miles a year and use my iPhone to track my miles. I also wear a fitbit, well until my Misfit gets here on Friday. It's my data and I say how and where it gets used not fitbit...
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no your letting apple decided how it gets used.
 
oh my...

Is Apple one of those that likes to hide rather than to be professional about it.

Steve jobs once said we avoid all the marketing hype, because we try and make the best products.

However, in this case Tim is running like a mad man because its more of a "Well,, u'r not using our technology so :p"
 
bozzykid said:
So why only Fitbit then? Why aren't they removing the rest? This has nothing to do with Healthkit and everything to do with the Apple Watch. Apple is trying to get a part of the accessories pie they missed out on for years. There is a reason why Bose is gone and soon probably any other accessory maker that makes similar products to Apple.
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Have other accessory makers that Apple features expressly said they are not supporting HealthKit? Nike says its coming, as does Jawbone. Not sure what other trackers Apple sells. Please make your point clearer and give concrete example of a health device who's makers has announced it definitely will not support Healthkit anytime soon.
 
Here's I think an apt analogy...

Imagine Apple was still selling boxed Create Suite software in the Apple store. Then Adobe said, "Photoshop does not yet support Mavericks, because we're waiting until there's a larger base of Mavericks users to justify the effort."

So you buy a new Mac in the Apple store, you buy Photoshop, it doesn't work. That'd be stupid bad, right?

On the other hand, Apple telling Adobe, "fine, we're not selling Creative Suite anymore" might give Adobe a reason to drag their feet further, since sales of CS might drop.

However, notice that this is talking about emotions, not business sense:

-> In this hypothetical situation, it makes sense for Apple to not carry CS - sure, they could but huge red stickers saying, "Warning - will not work with Mavericks or any new Apple computer bought since 2013."

-> But it also makes sense for Adobe to say, "We'll try to get in Mavericks support ASAP."

Two key differences though:

1) Apple really should give ample warning and a chance, e.g., "All products not supporting Mavericks by launch will not be sold in the Apple store".

2) It's not clear what functionality FitBit gives Apple users without using HealthKit. If they still give users a lot of functionality, then Apple's being a bit hasty IMO. For example, most people I know prefer to use individual store apps than PassPort integrated apps, but they still appreciate getting the store apps.
 
Don't let the door hit ya in the arse on the way out, Fitbit!
36.gif
 
vhalik said:
Yeah, you sound like a bitter and ignorant person. Do a little research and get your facts straight. No one likes an ignorant idiot.

Apple might be late to the game, but they weren't the only ones who created an "activity tracker" device. Those who have "activity trackers" like Jawbone, Garmin, Nike or countless others; if they had their own stores they would not carry fitbit and understandably so.
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Either way, Apple was not first, hence stole an idea from another company.
 
charlituna said:
Not at all. No one is making you buy an apple watch. You can go get whatever you want, it just might be from somewhere other than an Apple Retail Store
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Huh?

I mean that Fitbit's lack of ongoing support is going to make them swiftly obsolete themselves, which will make the value proposition of buying an Apple watch that much stronger, given that it will very tightly integrate with Apple's ecosystem. I assume nearly every apple aficionado on these boards will eventually end up with an Apple watch. Having an existing device which I do like continue to see excellent integration with an evolving operating and eco-system would mean that I would hold off on that purchase for that much longer.

What I did not mean was "The fitbit corporation is going to make me purchase an apple watch", and it's strange that I even need to explain that to you.
 
I went to the Apple store and got the Withings Pule O2 and the Withings Body Analyzer on Friday...I am taking them back today. The form factor of the Withings isn't as nice as the Fitbit Flex, but that is not the reason I am returning.

The Withings has the following issues for me:
  • Doesn't have a vibrating alarm
  • The app is not good (subjective, but I am used to the Fitbit app)
  • The Pulse O2 would not sync automatically for me

Although that may not seem like a lot, I also added in the fact that the Health App does not seem to pull all of the data from the Withings Health app and MyFitnessPal consistently.

The scale, compared to the Aria scale, was fine. I just had to choose what to do without currently and I am choosing to do without Health app integration. I would imagine Fitbit may reconsider since they have new trackers coming out (there was a leak) and not integrating will hurt them.
 
haruhiko said:
If the third party cases doesn't support dimensions of Apple's devices Apple will stop selling them. Just like the Fitbits which don't support HealthKit and Health app.
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Fitbit devices work just fine with iOS 8 however. The reason they are getting removed have everything to do with the iWatch. Justifying it because of Healthkit, is just making up an excuse. Apple is free to sell what they want in their stores. I don't see why people get so defensive to try to make Fitbit look like the bad guy in this situation.
 
bozzykid said:
Fitbit devices work just fine with iOS 8 however. The reason they are getting removed have everything to do with the iWatch. Justifying it because of Healthkit, is just making up an excuse. Apple is free to sell what they want in their stores. I don't see why people get so defensive to try to make Fitbit look like the bad guy in this situation.
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I'm not defending Apple and I'm in no position to do so. I mean, if you find a problem on an accessory that you bought from an Apple Store, do you go back to the Store to complain or return or do you go to the manufacturer? How about an iPhone user who expects accessories that are sold in an Apple Store to work with Apple's technology? It's not you or me, it's the average Joe. If they expect Fitbits to work with HealthKit and turns out it does not, they'll blame Apple for selling incompatible products.

For Bose, I think it's most because of Apple's Beats purchase. Bose may not be that great, but I think it's way better than Beats.
 
And the plot thickens with new trackers and a direct Apple watch competitor.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/columnist/baig/2014/10/27/fitbit-unveils-fitbitsurge-charge-chargehr-trackers/17969157/
 
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