Nike Updated Nike+ App, Brings In Partners For Full-Fledged Platform

After refocusing their efforts with regard to fitness tracking, Nike is now making their Nike+ software available for more devices. If you use Nike+, you can now link your Garmin, Tom Tom, Wahoo, and Netpulse wearable to the platform. In the app, you'll find a new 'partners' feature that will tell you which devices from which OEM can be used. Nike suggests each partner was chosen for specific reasons, but all seem to be implemented due to Nike dropping their own hardware initiatives cold.

Thankfully, Nike did drop their hardware. The Nike Fuelband was a good first attempt at fitness wearables, but ultimately bulky and a bit clumsy. All their partners Nike is currently noting have much more straightforward wearables on offer.

What isn't immediately clear is which bands will be able to take advantage. On their announcement page, Nike brags up each partner for their individual strengths; Garmin is great at GPS watch tech, as is Tom Tom. Wahoo and Netpulse have more straightforward fitness wearables, but it's not yet clear if Nike is cherry-picking bands for Nike+.

For runners, this will be a welcome improvement, and shows Nike is still in the game. In addition to the partnerships, Nike is upgrading both their iOS and Android Nike+ apps. The iOS version will get "an optimized landscape/armband mode that makes it easier to control the in-run experience, easier in-run music controls and improved access to route maps", while Android will see "updated shoe-tagging and a new auto-pause mode that automatically halts the session when the runner stops".

Source: Nike