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Nike Fires Majority of FuelBand Team, Plans to Stop Making Wearables
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I always wondered why the Nike Fuelband was never available for purchase in sports stores, tech stores, and other retail stores. It always seemed like they were limiting its availability for some reason. If the Fuelband were as widely available as an iPod it would have sold much better. I wonder if lackluster sales were the reason for the layoffs? I doubt the layoffs are directly related to the iWatch because from the rumors the two are very different products.
Yep I was thinking the same thing. Nike was obviously kept informed by Tim/Apple. It would be unseemly and unethical for Tim not to.
'Fruition' what a great word, MacRumor should use this unique word as much as possible.
Oh wait, they do
'Expected' hmm, say it enough and it will come true.
Maybe Nike got out of the market because they were losing money.
That's because MacRumors is embellishing and every other tech site is saying laid off.
Yep that is exactly the point. It must mean that the Nike Exec on the Apple Board is saying that since Apple is about to release a wearable bio-metric device, that Nike is wasting time going after that hardware market.
Hence, the we'll just do the Software approach.
We are closer to the much anticipated and speculated iWatch. My wallet is ready. 
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This doesn't make any sense...
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This doesn't make any sense...
How many MP3 players failed before the iPod? How many smartphones failed before the iPhone? There is a strong market for such devices, look at the sales of Jawbone and Fitbit devices over the last two years. Additionally, you're confusing a "concept" with a market segment. While the Fuel Band may not have set sales records, those other manufacturers I mentioned before have been making money in the same segment.
Hopefully these alternate hardware products like the iWatch include GPS. I don't think many (or any) fitness "wearables" do... do they? Without GPS you can't do route mapping. And speed and distance are much more accurate from a GPS than an accelerometer.
A sign at an Apple conference like the one in September/October with a sign that says iWatch on it?
I'm starting to get the feeling that this is truly going to be an accessory to a phone, possibly even something in the box with the new iPhone - explaining the extra $100 on the price.
While I'm not one to speculate or run with things, putting this in the box will sell more iPhones.
Yeah... While surprising (and sad), I can't really say I'm surprised.
"Say what?"
Nike Fuel Band + is without question the best hardware design of current wristables. And the ecosystem they have created is what truly separates them from the comp. And while they've done well with what they have, at the end of the day, it's a pretty basic offering. Glorified pedometer.
Enter Apple. THE hardware masters with an impenetrably robust ecosystem. And with the intimate relationship the companies shared, the writing was on the wall. Nike had no option but to cease all hardware design and put all their tech eggs in the software basket. Again, the ecosystem Nike established has been pretty impressive. They can leverage their relationship with Apple and offer a built-in (or at least prominent) aspect of the iwatch experience. Possibly furthering their already established ecosystem. If they play their cards right. Or not. We'll see.
"The douchebag execs at Nike are going to lay off a bunch of the eng team who developed the FuelBand, and other Nike+ stuff. Mostly because the execs committed gross negligence, wasted tons of money, and didn't know what they were doing,"
Now that is a quote
Now that is a quote
This may have been done so that Tim doesn't have to resign from the Nike board due to conflict of interest.
Like Erik should have fired the Android team when he was on Apple's board.
Like Erik should have fired the Android team when he was on Apple's board.
I agree - wearables are a narrow idea. Totally unclassy, purely athletic, purely North American market. Non-starter. If Apple makes this thing, it will fail. Nike is not dropping this because of a non-compete, they're doing it cuz they got smart.