GADGET: The Nike FuelBand is dead: 5 ways the fitness band will live on

The Nike FuelBand is dead: 5 ways the fitness band will live on

Nike is calling time on its FuelBand fitness band. It’s fired most of the team who work on it, and has put the kibosh on a proposed next-generation version that was due to launch in the autumn. It’s also shelved all future physical products in its Digital Sport department, so we won’t be seeing the likes of it anytime soon.

In short, the FuelBand is dead.

But that doesn’t mean it’s the last we’ll see of it. Faced with strong competition from dedicated tech companies, Nike will focus on sports-orientated software instead, according to sources.

So how will the FuelBand live on? Lace up your running shoes, and let’s run down the ways.

1 In its imitators

The FuelBand helped kickstart the whole fitness band craze we’re currently in the midsts of. More widely than that, it helped start the wearable tech revolution we’re on the brink of. As such, there is no shortage of rivals for your wrist, some of which are, let’s say, “heavily inspired” by the FuelBand and its innovations.

LG and Samsung have announced their own fitness bands recently, while competition also comes from the Garmin Vivofit and Fitbit.

2 In the iWatch

Apple boss Tim Cook is a fan of the FuelBand, as well he might be, seeing as he sits on Nike’s board. The Cookie Monster has been seen wearing the FuelBand, and has also praised the device in the past. Nike did a “great job” on the product, he reckons.

All of which suggests that some of the FuelBand’s workings will find themselves in Apple’s much-rumoured smartwatch, the iWatch. Cook has previously said he finds the wrist “interesting” as an area for product development, and he said wearable computing is an area that’s “ripe for exploration”. So it sounds like Apple has something pretty tasty up its sleeve.

With Cook such a fan of the FuelBand, would it be any wonder if we saw the iWatch using Nike’s fuel points to track your fitness?

3 Through continued support

The existing FuelBand isn’t going anywhere. It’ll still be sold and supported by Nike, and we might even see it get some new features. So if you’re thinking of buying one, or already own one, you can rest easy that it won’t be rendered obsolete overnight.

“The Nike+ FuelBand SE remains an important part of our business,” Nike said in a statement. “We will continue to improve the Nike+ FuelBand App, launch new Metaluxe colours, and we will sell and support the Nike+ FuelBand SE for the foreseeable future.”

4 In the iPhone

Apple’s M7 motion coprocessor in the iPhone 5S promised to open up a whole new world ofhealth and fitness apps. At the launch of the 5S, Apple demoed the M7 using Nike+ Move, which works just like the Nike+ FuelBand app, but doesn’t require an external sensor.

Apple has also hired a number of health specialists recently to work on devices, and its Healthbook app has been rumoured again and again. All of which hints that the company will focus on health and fitness.

With Apple making more fitness-focussed hardware, and Nike concentrating on the software, it could be a match made in lycra-clad heaven.

5 In other phones

The FuelBand itself might not live on in other handsets – there’s still no Android version of the app, after all – but its legacy certainly will.

Samsung has fully embraced fitness features. Its Galaxy S5 features a heart rate monitor, and Samsung’s S Health app comes pre-loaded. We can expect to see other manufacturers follow suit.

There has been an explosion in third-party health and fitness apps of late, too. It’s not all down to the FuelBand of course. But Nike’s fitness band will go down in history as the first really usable piece of wearable fitness tech.