Fitbit-Apple split traced to Fitbit's own smartwatch plans

Staff -

Earlier this month, Fitbit announced its popular fitness trackers would not integrate with Apple's HealthKit mobile platform.

 

"We do not currently have plans to integrate with HealthKit," according to the company. "It is an interesting new platform and we will watch as it matures, looking for opportunities to improve the Fitbit experience. At the moment, we're working on other exciting projects that we think will be valuable to users."

One of those exciting projects is a new smartwatch that will directly compete with the Apple Watch, according to a Tech Crunch report. Called the Fitbit Surge, the "superwatch" as it is called in marketing materials will be able to track users' heart rates and their location via GPS.

The new device is fitness-focused, while the Apple Watch has more functionalities that allow it to be more multi-purposed. However, it may be a stiff competitor for potential Apple customers looking for an advanced wearable; Fitbit had about 67 percent of the U.S. fitness tracker market in 2013, according to NPD Group.

 

More articles on wearables:

New University of Memphis center seeks to make sense of health sensor data
Stanford launches mHealth research center
Survey: Despite privacy concerns, consumers see benefit of HealthKit, other data aggregators

Copyright © 2024 Becker's Healthcare. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy. Cookie Policy. Linking and Reprinting Policy.