Fitbit’s lineup of activity trackers may soon get exiled from the Apple Store, sources have told Recode, as Apple prepares to launch its own lineup of wearables next year.
It’s unclear whether other activity trackers will suffer the same fate, but the move comes just days after FitBit announced it has no plans to support iOS 8’s HealthKit in the near future, which makes it easy for iOS users to track all of their fitness data in one app.
Fitbit’s fitness trackers have been sold in Apple Stores for the past few years and quickly captured nearly 70 percent of the fitness-tracking device marketshare thanks to the early start over competitors like Nike’s FuelBand and Jawbone Up.
Only 3.3 million fitness trackers were sold from March 2013 to March 2014, but with Apple Watch poised to take a big chunk out of Fitbit’s marketshare when it launches in early 2015, the company will need to find new retail partners to help sell its heart-rate tracking bracelets.
Apple Stores also sell a number of other fitness and activity trackers from Strava, Withings, Nike, iHealth, and Jawbone, all of which have updated their apps to work with HealthKit. It’s unknown if those trackers will also get kicked out of the stores down the road, but if you want to get a Fitbit, you can still grab one from Best Buy, Kohls, Target, and Walmart.
Source: Recode
