“If you want to track your fitness with Nike software, you’re probably going to have to use Apple products,” Kif Leswing writes for Gigaom. “The news that Nike had laid off a majority of its digital sport hardware engineering team last week meant the reported end of Nike’s FuelBand, the oldest of the current generation of wearable fitness trackers. Nike will still be a player in the wearable space, but it will no longer be producing hardware, according to reports from CNET and Recode.”
“If Nike exits the physical wearable market, as now seems likely, Apple will be the primary sensor maker for Nike’s future wearable apps given the length and depth of the two companies’ close ties,” Leswing writes.
Leswing writes, “In many ways, this is the culmination of a process that’s been taking place between the two companies for the better part of a decade: Nike will design the fitness app experience, and the hardware will be made by Apple… Nike’s strength is making fitness cool. Regardless of whether Apple introduces a wearable product this year, or simply introduces new features like the rumored Healthbook app, Nike’s fitness software will be a big part of it.”
Read more in the full article here.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “Dan K.” for the heads up.]
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Nike fires majority of FuelBand team, to stop making wearable hardware – April 19, 2014
Think that having Tim Cook on the Nike Board of Directors gave Nike an inkling of what the Fuelband’s competition in 6 months might be ? ( “Excuse me gentlemen, I (cough). . . watch (cough) . . . I mean, maybe Nike should focus on software” . . .
Since when has Nike been good at software??
Just get Apple to do the whole widget.
maybe it’s all about getting their sports equipment in tune with future Smartwatches of all sorts… Starting with Apple of course…
So does this mean Nike is making a smartphone with Nike OS? Hmm…sounds like something one of my “friends” could have predicted back in 1998…History repeats itself.
I think they are friends for a long time. That could mean anything, or nothing. I think, something.
Imho.. Amazon should do the same ! Stick to its services and form an aliance with apple ..
Totally agree – the best solutions are always created with partnerships and strategic alliances.
Two of the most innovative American companies working together to produce great products. This is nothing but good!
Similar statements were made about Apple and Google 6-7 years ago.
Yet but Nike haven’t a reputation of fucking people around and don’t need to anyway as they aren’t a startup like google.
Nike know who their customers are and which brand alliances will create value for those customers.
Google on the other hand don’t know who their customers are and are out to screw everyone.
Yep, I pity those who partner with Google. Even Samsung is slowly but surely getting the rug pulled from under them.
The truth is for Google to win everyone else has to lose. Unfortunately most of their so called parters tend to realise this a little too late.
I’m glad Nike is a company that has the good sense to stick with what they do best and not go around chasing the rainbow-du-jour.
Two companies that makes premium products working together
is always a good thing. Besides the fact that Tim sits on Nike’s board, we all know that both companies have the same audience.
Here’s a tip.
Go to the gym and look at the phone people are using.
Now look at the shoes.
🍏✔️