Last April, Nike cooled down on its Nike+ FuelBand endeavors in a move that was attributed to Apple's impending smartwatch efforts. But despite rumors of the wearable's demise, the line-up is still on sale, as is the companion app for iOS. Today, said app has been treated to a rather generous update, which not only offers integration with the iOS HealthKit, but also permits users to track data without the need for a FuelBand in the first place.
Nike's FuelBand line-up has given fitness fanatics a novel way of logging calories burned, steps made, and general health improvements achieved in a very eye-catching, wrist-worn package. Given the iconic sportswear manufacturer's close relationship with Apple, it's no surprise that the companion app has only hitherto been released for those on iOS, but today - finally - Android users can join in with the experience courtesy of the new Nike+ FuelBand app released over at the Google Play Store.
Nike and Apple, as many of you will know, are very closely tied. The fruit company's CEO is on the sportswear specialist's board of directors, and many of Nike's tech ventures have encircled the iOS device range. FuelBand, the wrist-worn fitness and activity gadget, is only officially supported with a companion app for those on iPhone, iPad and iPod touch, and the relationship between two of the most influential entities in their respective fields seems to blossom increasingly with each year. Following Apple's release of the iPhone 5s in gold back in September - an unprecedented move for the company's iconic smartphone - Nike has followed suit, offering a sleek, rose gold color option to the newly updated FuelBand SE. Check it out in all its glory after the break.
Nike's second-generation offering to the FuelBand range of wearable hardware has gone on sale through Apple's Online Store. Nike officially announced the FuelBand SE last month with the intention being to compliment the first-generation FuelBand with a more feature extensive successor. The wearable was originally intended to go one sale on November 6th, but it seems to have been made available early in a partnership with Apple and their sales channels.
Whenever a company updates a successful and well used product line with a new model it generally causes consumers to consider their position. Will their existing hardware and software combination become redundant? Will the company in question continue to offer support and period updates going forward, or will they need to bite the bullet and invest in the new product? All of those questions must have been going through the head of existing Nike FuelBand users when the newer FuelBand SE model was announced not that long ago. Nike has now confirmed that existing original FuelBand users will not be left behind and will indeed get a host of new features when the second-generation wristband launches on November 6.
Earlier on this month, we heard that Nike was planning a special event on October 15th to announce the details of its second-gen Nike+ FuelBand, and today, the world's most famous seller of sports and fitness-wear has come through with the specifics. The new wristband, which is called the FuelBand SE, arrives in a multitude of different colors, and if you thought the first-gen model was pretty cool, well Nike has, in typical Nike fashion, just made things a little bit cooler.
What with Nike and Apple being pretty big pals - the Cupertino company's CEO Tim Cook is, after all, a board member at Nike - the FuelBand is heavily supported by iOS devices and not much else. The official FuelBand app for iPhone can only be found over at the iTunes App Store, but third party developers have been hard at work in bringing support for those wielding devices on other platforms. Here, we take a look at Fuelboard, an unofficial FuelBand app for those languishing on Microsoft's fledgling Windows Phone platform. More details and download link can be found right after the jump.
Nike's FuelBand gadget / accessory may have hit the market alongside a plethora of great smartphone apps offering great options to the health fitness conscious, but the nice-looking wristband has already won legions of fans impressed by its beauty and effortless functionality. If you happen to be a Nike+ FuelBand user and have been on the look for a way to check your progress on an Android, look no further than Fuelly, a nicely designed app worthy of such a top-notch product.
Nike has enjoyed great success in its ongoing partnership with Apple, to bring its sporting and athlete-focused technologies to first the iPod, and more recently, iOS devices. The FuelBand, in particular, has been a huge hit among active folks, and although wireless syncing for iOS is nothing new, those of the supposition that such an Android app would follow suit have today had their dreams abruptly shot down.