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Withings returns at a dark time for wearables
Withings, which briefly became Nokia Health, is now Withings again. Nokia bought the health-tracking business in 2016 and rebranded it, hoping to compete with Fitbit and even Apple. Amid a bad wearable-market slump, though, the division foundered. To make things worse for Nokia, it was also having other problems elsewhere, like with its costly Ozo camera. Withings co-founder Eric Carreel just bought the company back (for undisclosed terms) with plans to revive the original name and develop new products. But wearables have struggled to become the must-have gadgets they were once framed as, and without Nokia's resources, Withings will have a tough time.
Nokia might give up on wearables (updated)
Less than two years after spending millions repositioning itself in the consumer health market, Nokia has announced a strategic review of its digital health business which comes after news that the company could shed up to 425 jobs in its home country of Finland. Nokia acquired French fitness tracker manufacturer Withings for $191 million in 2016 as part of its new digital health strategy WellCare, which is not dissimilar to Apple's HealthKit. The deal came amid a spate of acquisitions by Nokia, buoyed by investment from Microsoft following their Windows Phone agreement.
Withings' wearables will adopt the Nokia name this summer
So long, Withings. The health and fitness brand will be retired this summer as the team adopts the name of its new owner: Nokia. The company's smart(ish) watches, scales and home security cameras will still be around -- they'll simply have Nokia, rather than Withings written on their exterior. The rebrand is unsurprising, given Nokia's ambitions to move into the health tracking and analytics game. Withings was a $191 million jump-start for its HealthKit-style "WellCare" strategy, which involves consumer-facing fitness tracking and high quality data for medical professionals.
Nokia bought Withings to take on Apple's HealthKit
Nokia just reentered the consumer market by acquiring well-regarded fitness tracker manufacturer Withings for $191 million. But why now, and why wearables? Nokia President Ramzi Haidamus explains that Nokia has been developing a digital health strategy called WellCare, something that sounds similar to Apple's HealthKit. He says that the acquisition of Withings -- which makes not only wearables but also scales, blood pressure monitors and other medical devices -- will accelerate its plans.
