The fuel bands are simply fancy pedometer that really don't do much and have a very high failure rate. I've heard of so many complaints of product failures and a subsequent lack of support by Nike so this news wouldn't surprise me. It is a crappy product with crappy reliability.
I love the idea of a wearable companion to my iPhone but I have no desire for "Fitness apps" - I really, really don't care about calories burned, steps taken or any undefined fitness goals.
I want to know who's calling me, the ability to dismiss that call if I don't want to take it, the time, what Texts are coming in, and notifications that I set up on my phone. I want it light, clear to read, easy to charge, and to look nice.
I want an addition to my mobile. Not a replacement, and not some prettified overpriced pedometer.
Nike isn't ceding the market to Apple because Apple has no wearable devices as of yet. Nike is ceding it to Android/Samsung/Motorola. Nike wouldn't stand a chance against Google's Destroyer OS or Samsung's Tizen. By the time Apple gets into the wearables market, they'll be lucky to grab 5% of that potentially lucrative market. Samsung already dominates the entire smartwatch market with Galaxy Gear and Motorola's 360 might get lucky and snatch the rest. Apple is well behind the eight ball to begin with and it's a given they'll never have much in terms of market share. Apple usually needs to get first mover advantage before Android eventually takes all market share away from the company. Apple starting in a market that Android already controls is practically suicide. Nike is smart to give up because they would have no chance of being profitable after the wearable's price war starts among the mega-rich tech companies. Any market Samsung wants, they just take it and make it look easy.
Depends on what Nike's wearable products IP is worth.
Entirely possible that it's not worth a lot. At this point, Nike's behavior does not indicate high valuation. They shut the division down rather than selling it to someone else.
Samsung (and others) finally moved in a more reasonable direction this year with the "smartwatch" market by not trying to recreate features found in a smartphone but so far all are still lacking in duration of use between charges, simplicity of design, and ease of use with included and synced features. IOW, to paraphrase Jobs, "the current crop of [wearables] are going to be DOA, dead on arrival."
No it is more of a market nobody wants. I actually doubt that Apple will have a lot of success here. Now I could be wrong but the so called iWatch would have to be substantially different than what has been on the market so far. I just don't think that there are that many obsessives on the planet to make a watch worthwhile and in a way I actually hope that there aren't enough. The last thing this world needs is more self obsessed individuals.
Perhaps they will co-brand a version of the iWatch with Apple.
The Nike products are cool. Perhaps Apple can hire some of the Nike people.
The vast majority of Nike's products are junk!! The last pair of sneakers I purchased haven't lasted nearly as long as they should have and they squeaked terribly. I only bought them because the store actually had sneakers in my size, normally I buy New Balance.
Time will tell.
That is for sure. Im just wondering how much time has to pass this year before Apple releases any new products.
Depends on what Nike's wearable products IP is worth.
Entirely possible that it's not worth a lot. At this point, Nike's behavior does not indicate high valuation. They shut the division down rather than selling it to someone else.
I think [@]ascii[/@] makes a great point about at least staying in the wearable game with R&D. This is an area that is only going to grow, and few companies have experience with shoes, clothing and electronics. Nike seems pretty poised to be the top contender for a large variety of connected and/or intelligent wearables… whatever they may be.
The problem is that tech nerds, bloggers, and Wallstreet, think that Smartwatches and "wearables" are going to be the next huge multi-billion dollar market, overnight.
Think of all the smartphone buyers who get an iPhone, android phone, or windows phone for $0-100 on contract. Think of the same type of people buying a prepaid smartphone for $50-150 and no contract and smaller monthly fees.
These two groups represent the majority of the current smartphone market sales. These people don't value or cannot afford to spend $200-300 on Smartwatches. The market for Smartwatches is very small, that's one reason Samsung doesn't feel the need to support other devices besides there own. Besides brand reinforcement, Samsung knows how small the market really is.
The only people in the target market is iPhone, HTC one, high-end Samsung, and Google Nexus users. At least for the next 3 years till cost come down.
All the hype about Smartwatches is overblown if you look at the real numbers.
Target market is 20% or less of the 1 billion smartphones sold in 2013. Then the real market is much smaller than that.
I'd be surprised if Smartwatches hits 10 million in 2014 if Apple doesn't release a product.
I think wearables are going to be an exceptionally large and profitable market.
I have a feeling that wearables will be a profitable market for one or two vendors, a break-even market for a few more, and a loss for a bunch of other companies.
I have a feeling that wearables will be a profitable market for one or two vendors, a break-even market for a few more, and a loss for a bunch of other companies.
Possibly but my guess is the technology that created the massive textile industry in the first place will diversity greatly because fashion is so diverse and finicky. First we'll see the wrist-worn device, then the face-worn devices, then shoes, and eventually other parts of our attire get connected in some way.
It looks like we might see Marty McFly's power-lacing Nikes in 2015.
Samsung (and others) finally moved in a more reasonable direction this year with the "smartwatch" market by not trying to recreate features found in a smartphone but so far all are still lacking in duration of use between charges, simplicity of design, and ease of use with included and synced features. IOW, to paraphrase Jobs, "the current crop of [wearables] are going to be DOA, dead on arrival."
DOA is right, fact is nobody wants this crap which is why Nike is jumping ship. Apple will need to ship something more useful and desirable if it is expected to have any success.
Possibly but my guess is the technology that created the massive textile industry in the first place will diversity greatly because fashion is so diverse and finicky. First we'll see the wrist-worn device, then the face-worn devices, then shoes, and eventually other parts of our attire get connected in some way.
It looks like we might see Marty McFly's power-lacing Nikes in 2015.
Wearable technology has nothing to do with textiles at this point. It's a piece of technology that just happens to be associated with an article of clothing. You can take a Nike sensor, put in a plastic bag and tie it to the top of your non-Nike running shoe and it basically functions identically as if you had put the device in the special Nike shoe.
Hell, I can pin my iPhone 5s to a twenty year old jacket. That doesn't make is a "smart jacket". It's just a jacket with a smartphone.
Comments
They probably know something. iWatch announcement at WWDC?
Yes, I wonder if there's a formal contract announcement between Apple and Nike forthcoming? Maybe the iShoe.
Edit : they are not even good watches so '[S]smartwatches[/S]'
The Gear Fit literally does all of this.
Nike isn't ceding the market to Apple because Apple has no wearable devices as of yet. Nike is ceding it to Android/Samsung/Motorola. Nike wouldn't stand a chance against Google's Destroyer OS or Samsung's Tizen. By the time Apple gets into the wearables market, they'll be lucky to grab 5% of that potentially lucrative market. Samsung already dominates the entire smartwatch market with Galaxy Gear and Motorola's 360 might get lucky and snatch the rest. Apple is well behind the eight ball to begin with and it's a given they'll never have much in terms of market share. Apple usually needs to get first mover advantage before Android eventually takes all market share away from the company. Apple starting in a market that Android already controls is practically suicide. Nike is smart to give up because they would have no chance of being profitable after the wearable's price war starts among the mega-rich tech companies. Any market Samsung wants, they just take it and make it look easy.
LOL. Is that you, Steve Ballmer?
What if Apple bought all of Nike's wearable products IP?...or what if they bought Nike? BOOM!
Depends on what Nike's wearable products IP is worth.
Entirely possible that it's not worth a lot. At this point, Nike's behavior does not indicate high valuation. They shut the division down rather than selling it to someone else.
Samsung (and others) finally moved in a more reasonable direction this year with the "smartwatch" market by not trying to recreate features found in a smartphone but so far all are still lacking in duration of use between charges, simplicity of design, and ease of use with included and synced features. IOW, to paraphrase Jobs, "the current crop of [wearables] are going to be DOA, dead on arrival."
That is for sure. Im just wondering how much time has to pass this year before Apple releases any new products.
I think [@]ascii[/@] makes a great point about at least staying in the wearable game with R&D. This is an area that is only going to grow, and few companies have experience with shoes, clothing and electronics. Nike seems pretty poised to be the top contender for a large variety of connected and/or intelligent wearables… whatever they may be.
I have a feeling you're very wrong. I think wearables are going to be an exceptionally large and profitable market.
Think of all the smartphone buyers who get an iPhone, android phone, or windows phone for $0-100 on contract.
Think of the same type of people buying a prepaid smartphone for $50-150 and no contract and smaller monthly fees.
These two groups represent the majority of the current smartphone market sales. These people don't value or cannot afford to spend $200-300 on Smartwatches. The market for Smartwatches is very small, that's one reason Samsung doesn't feel the need to support other devices besides there own. Besides brand reinforcement, Samsung knows how small the market really is.
The only people in the target market is iPhone, HTC one, high-end Samsung, and Google Nexus users. At least for the next 3 years till cost come down.
All the hype about Smartwatches is overblown if you look at the real numbers.
Target market is 20% or less of the 1 billion smartphones sold in 2013. Then the real market is much smaller than that.
I'd be surprised if Smartwatches hits 10 million in 2014 if Apple doesn't release a product.
Be realistic people.
I think wearables are going to be an exceptionally large and profitable market.
I have a feeling that wearables will be a profitable market for one or two vendors, a break-even market for a few more, and a loss for a bunch of other companies.
You test positive. You now have iAIDS.
Possibly but my guess is the technology that created the massive textile industry in the first place will diversity greatly because fashion is so diverse and finicky. First we'll see the wrist-worn device, then the face-worn devices, then shoes, and eventually other parts of our attire get connected in some way.
It looks like we might see Marty McFly's power-lacing Nikes in 2015.
DOA is right, fact is nobody wants this crap which is why Nike is jumping ship. Apple will need to ship something more useful and desirable if it is expected to have any success.
Possibly but my guess is the technology that created the massive textile industry in the first place will diversity greatly because fashion is so diverse and finicky. First we'll see the wrist-worn device, then the face-worn devices, then shoes, and eventually other parts of our attire get connected in some way.
It looks like we might see Marty McFly's power-lacing Nikes in 2015.
Wearable technology has nothing to do with textiles at this point. It's a piece of technology that just happens to be associated with an article of clothing. You can take a Nike sensor, put in a plastic bag and tie it to the top of your non-Nike running shoe and it basically functions identically as if you had put the device in the special Nike shoe.
Hell, I can pin my iPhone 5s to a twenty year old jacket. That doesn't make is a "smart jacket". It's just a jacket with a smartphone.
Could be! If Apple does have success it will likely be something significantly different that is Now on the market.
Could be! If Apple does have success it will likely be something significantly different that is Now on the market.