Nike is stopping production of wearable hardware, including its FuelBand fitness tracker, CNET reports. Most of the team responsible for the development of FuelBand has reportedly been fired, as Nike is shifting its focus from hardware to fitness and athletic software.
A new, slimmer version of the FuelBand was canceled, as have “all future physical product projects under the Digital Sport helm.” Nike will continue to sell its second-generation FuelBand SE — reviewed here — for the time being. While the report notes that it makes less sense for Nike to stay in hardware when there are so many fitness trackers on the market — a somewhat confusing suggestion given the FuelBand’s popularity — the company could also avoid competing with upcoming devices such as Apple’s iWatch.
Apple reportedly hired some key FuelBand developers last year.
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