Apple has apparently pulled all Fitbit products from its online store, likely to make room for its own smartwatch set to launch next year.
Just last month, Apple decided to remove all Bose products from its online store, and now another brand got the axe - Fitbit.
If you access Apple's online store now and check out its selection of fitness trackers, you'll find plenty of devices from Jawbone, Nike, Wahoo, Mio, and others, but no trace of Fitbit anymore. Up until now, Apple was selling the Fitbit Flex (pictured above), as well as several other fitness trackers from the company.
This change seems to confirm reports that surfaced last month, claiming that Apple planned to remove Fitbit gadgets from its stores in order to make room for the upcoming Apple Watch.
The first smartwatch from Apple made its debut not too long ago, but it has yet to hit commercial availability. The Apple Watch was set to hit retail in early 2015, as the company announced at that time, yet the launch is now expected later in Spring. Apple's first wearable will come with a $349 starting price and be available in three versions with different bands - Apple Watch, Apple Watch Sport, and Apple Watch Edition.
The Apple Watch Sport model is expected to challenge other fitness-tracking devices out there on the market, including Fitbit gadgets. On the other hand, the $349 price tag is not exactly budget-friendly, and puts the Apple Watch at the high-end segment of the market.
While the Apple online store no longer shows any trace of Fitbit gadgets, some Apple retail locations still have some Fitbit stock left that is still available for sale, 9to5Mac reports. Once existing stock is cleared, however, Fitbit devices will most likely disappear from these retail locations as well.
When it comes to the reason for ditching Fitbit, but not others, from its online store, 9to5Mac suggests that Apple may have come to this decision because Fitbit has no plans to support the new iOS 8 Health app. Jawbone, for instance, is among the first to support iOS 8 Health, so it would make sense for Jawbone devices to remain on the Apple online store while others get the boot. With no official comment from Apple, however, only one thing's for sure: Fitbit devices are no longer part of the Apple online store.
