As health and fitness trackers become more and more of a mainstream item, smartphones and brands continue to look for new ways to bring them into their offerings. HTC’s new HTC One (M8) isn’t the first such item to do this with their phone, but it’s the first to partner with category-wide leader FitBit to bring their software onto all new HTC One devices. It means that the FitBit software will be pre-installed, so users will be much more inclined to use FitBit’s built-in software rather than heading to the Google Play store for their own. The FitBit software won’t just work with the Force or Flex; FitBit’s software will also work with any of the tracking sensors in the HTC One itself – so whether users use FitBit’s hardware or the technology built into the phone, FitBit wins. The goal, of course, is for FitBit to be to health and fitness trackers what Kleenex are to Tissues, and by integrating their software within popular smartphones at the point of purchase, they’re certainly well on their way to getting there. But whether they will be undercut by bigger companies yet to release their products – i.e. Apple – remains to be seen. Nevertheless, this is big news for both FitBit and HTC.
Tag: Flex
Fitbit Updates Wristbands
Fitbit appears set to launch a new personal tracking device called the Fitbit Force. It’ll incorporate many of the features that make it’s One tracker clip so popular – including calculating altitude, 24 hour step calculations, and sleep. The Force will also include a digital watch face, effectively turning it into a fitness-focused smartwatch, a notable advantage over competitors in the wearable tech space. It’s set to be priced at $129.95, which is $30 more than the Flex. There’s no release date yet, but it should be available for the holiday season.