The Nike FuelBand is on its last legs
The Nike FuelBand appears to be nearing the end of its life, with latest reports suggesting the upcoming Apple iWatch is behind the death of the Nike wearable.
Last week it emerged that Nike has laid off part of its team responsible for the FuelBand fitness tracker and will abandon the hardware in the near future.
Now, according to insider sources, Nike’s FuelBand efforts will instead be targeted on pushing its software and services to third-party hardware makers.
Given the longstanding relationship between Nike and Apple, a partnership that sees Nike fitness apps come preinstalled on the iPod nano, the Apple iWatch is a likely first call for the company’s wearables expansion. With Apple CEO Tim Cook also serving on Nike’s board of directors, a deal between the two companies should not be hard to broker.
Speaking with Mashable, claimed “sources familiar with Nike’s thinking,” have “strongly implied” that Nike is working on bringing its fitness software to the Apple iWatch, a device which is expected to have a strong fitness and wellbeing ilk.
Adding fuel to the fire, Nike spokesperson KeJuan Wilkins recently stated: “Building on these successful products and services, Nike and Apple continue to partner on emerging technologies to create better solutions for all athletes.”
Although confirmation that Nike’s FuelBand efforts are being wound down has brought the partnership to light, it has long been suggested that Nike will be a key software partner for the iWatch. Last year, Apple hired Nike’s Design Director Ben Shaffer, a move which sparked much debate.
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