2013/07/03 Fitness Apps focus on iPhone and Wearable Tech
OEM's, outside of Apple, are struggling to attract development of Health & Fitness apps from globally recognized brands such as Nike, Adidas, Reebok, Under Armour, Puma, Asics, New Balance.Boston, MA - July 1, 2013 - The Strategy Analytics report, "A Vertical View of Health & Fitness Apps," examines the investments made in fitness apps from major sports equipment brands. Nike, Adidas, Under Armour and "indie" app provider Fitbit have all created iPhone apps which integrate with wearable technology.
The latest research from Strategy Analytics' Application Ecosystem Opportunities (AEO) service, delves into Health & Fitness apps. While the iPhone has 17 apps from major sportswear brands, the other operating systems – Android, Blackberry and Windows - have a poor showing of large brand interest.
| Company | BlackBerry World | Google Play | iPad | iPhone | Windows Phone Store | Grand Total |
| Nike | - | 2 | - | 6 | 1 | 9 |
| Adidas | 1 | 1 | - | 1 | - | 3 |
| Reebok | - | 1 | 1 | 1 | - | 3 |
| ASICS | - | 1 | - | 4 | - | 5 |
| New Balance | - | - | - | 2 | - | 2 |
| FitBit | - | 1 | - | 1 | - | 2 |
| FitnessKeeper | - | 1 | - | 1 | - | 2 |
| Under Armour | - | - | - | 1 | - | 1 |
| Grand Total | 1 | 7 | 1 | 17 | 1 | 27 |
Report author, Adam Thorwart, Research Associate in the Application Ecosystem Opportunities research program, notes, "As well as integrating with sensors and other tech on the device itself, such as GPS location and music playback, sports manufacturers are increasingly creating apps which integrate with wearable technology such as Nike's FuelBand. The apps are typically free; this strategy is all about keeping the user engaged with the brand. Additional sensors on wearable devices allow for better performance tracking for end users, integrating the sports brand's app into their daily fitness routine."
David MacQueen, Executive Director of Apps and Media research at Strategy Analytics, said, "Smartphone OEMs other than Apple need to up the game on wearables. As wearable technologies continue to mature the apps surrounding them will as well. Making the phone an even more essential part of consumer's lives will mean working with sport manufacturers on these new devices, and opening up APIs for developers to integrate with new technology via apps."
Source: Strategy Analytics
