News

Don't Worry, This Isn't Going Away

by Sarah Hedgecock

Have we already come to the end of an era? A CNET exclusive published Friday reported that Nike has laid off the majority of the team behind its FuelBand fitness tracker, with plans to scrap the product itself soon after. The company's technology division, according to the report, wants to focus more on software, leaving hardware products like FuelBand out in the cold.

But the report isn't all that it seems. CNET relied on an inside source who said that 70 to 80 percent of the 70-person hardware team was laid off and that plans for a new FuelBand slated for fall release have been tossed. However, in a statement released after the report was published, Nike claimed things aren't so simple. Yes, there have been layoffs. But don't write off the FuelBand just yet.

“The Nike+ FuelBand SE remains an important part of our business,” reads the statement, emailed to tech site Re/code. “We will continue to improve the Nike+ FuelBand App, launch new METALUXE colors, and we will sell and support the Nike+ FuelBand SE for the foreseeable future.”

Still, the company seems to leave plenty of wiggle room. Compare that to its statement to CNET: "As a fast-paced, global business we continually align resources with business priorities ... As our Digital Sport priorities evolve, we expect to make changes within the team, and there will be a small number of layoffs. We do not comment on individual employment matters."

We're not saying FuelBand is on its way out. But you might want to start looking elsewhere for your fitness-tracking fix.