Should Apple Release a Fitness Band in 2024?
I think it would be pretty cool, or would it?
With everyone talking about the Vision Pro, it’s nice to have a break from it once in a while. I mean, don’t get me wrong, the technology is incredibly cool, but everyone seems to be talking about it!
That is why, I want to talk about tracking your fitness and activities.
When it comes to fitness, I tend to keep track of it as well as my health through the default Apple Health and Workout apps, which are actually rather good.
A few weeks ago, I was on a cycle ride in the British countryside with a few friends, and they all had fitness bands. From memory, one friend had a Xiaomi Mi Smart Band and the others had a Fitbit.
That got me thinking, the Apple Health apps are pretty good, so, wouldn’t it be great if Apple released a slightly cheaper activity tracker primarily aimed at tracking fitness instead of the smart features?
Do people still use fitness bands?
Before we get any further in this article, we have to ask ourselves a question, do people still use fitness bands?
I mean, I can name a few friends who do, but a few friends is hardly a good answer, So let’s have a look at the current market, starting with Fitbit.
Fitbit is a veteran when it comes to fitness trackers, they have been around for a long time and I remember owning a few models such as the Fitbit Blaze and Fitbit Charge 2.
Fitbit now produces smartwatches, and it looks like their primary focus has shifted to the Google Pixel Watch, which by the way is an excellent watch!
But they are also promoting the Fitbit Charge 6 which looks like a pretty decent fitness tracker.
Fitbit isn’t the only brand that manufactures’ fitness trackers, there are many to choose from, and they don’t have to be expensive either!
But should Apple release a fitness band?
We’ve established that fitness trackers are still available on the market, but are they still popular?
An article from The Verge, dated back to August 2023, suggests that they are on a decline and that they are unlikely to make a comeback and looking at other sources, it appears to be correct.
In all fairness, we don’t have to look far, believe it or not, even Samsung seems to have stopped making fitness trackers. I was once the proud owner of a Samsung Galaxy Fit 3, but they only seem to make smartwatches now.
But with all that in mind, Fitbit, Xiaomi, Amazfit, Huawei and multiple other brands still sell fitness bands and I don’t think they would be making them if people weren’t buying them.
The truth of the matter is that fitness bands have dropped in popularity, but I still see plenty of people out in public using them. So, maybe if a brand with a lot of potential and influence releases one (I’m looking at you Apple), they will gain popularity again?
Conclusion
I think it would be great if Apple released a purpose-built fitness tracker, it would be even better if they combined it with wellness technology to help people track sleep, recovery and strain, a bit like a Whoop.
However, I don’t think it’s in Apple’s interest to release one. I mean, you can buy a new Apple Watch SE for around £219, that’s around the price of a Fitbit Sense 2.
Moreover, when I used to work in an electronics store, I remember the Fitbit Charge 2 costing around £150, the current model costs £139, which isn’t far off.
As an owner of an Apple Watch SE, I think that it’s brilliant as a smartwatch and a fitness tracker.
That is why, overall, I think the fitness band market is a niche market that is slowly moving on to smartwatches. I mean, traditional fitness tracker bands, such as Fitbit and Garmin, wouldn’t be making fitness watches if it wasn’t right?
That is why, I don’t think Apple should release a fitness tracker, but if they do decide to release one, it may potentially influence other brands to release more in the future.
What are your thoughts on this? Let us know in the comments!