For every step forward that the wearables sector has seen, there appears to be another step back.
At a time in which fitness trackers are supposed to be becoming an explosively popular form of wearable technology, those that are already in existence are finding themselves suffering from a tremendous number of hurdles and bumps in the road.
Nike is planning layoffs within the fitness accessories line with its FuelBand, as Fitbit faces recalls.
Many experts in the mobile industry have been predicting that this year would be a defining one for wearable technology, and that it would be a time in which a great many people would become the owners and users of devices such as fitness trackers and smartwatches. However, as much as people have been showing interest in this sector, these gadgets have been causing a great deal of controversy, and their makers have been facing considerable struggles.
Fitness gadgets have been seen as the device to watch as they are to become the most rapidly popular wearable technology.
Among the struggles that have arisen are that companies have tried very hard to be able to keep up with the hype that has been generated over wearables. This has led them to try to rush their products to the store shelves, sometimes doing so before they are truly ready to be there. Overall, this has caused more harm than good, even in gadgets that are meant to be relatively simple, such as pedometers and those that count burned calories and other aspects of activity levels.
Nike’s announcement on Monday that it would be laying off a number of employees from its FuelBand line in order to “align resources with business priorities” shocked the industry, as it indicated that this giant brand would be stepping back in its efforts to pursue wearables and fitness trackers.
That announcement was made on the heels of one surrounding Fitbit, one of the most popular of the fitness tracking wearable technology devices. Earlier this year, it was withdrawn from the shelves, voluntarily, as wearers complained of skin reactions such as blisters and rashes, from the wrist band.