Apple removes rival bands from retail, online stores; focuses on Apple Watch

In a move to increase sales and reduce competition for the Apple Watch, the company has pulled out rival fitness bands like Jawbone Up and Nike+ Fuelband from their retail stores in San Francisco, Palo Alto, Los Angeles and New York.

These fitness bands are also expected to be pulled out from Apple’s online store soon. Nike+ Fuelband and Mio have already removed although a few fitness bands like Jawbone Up are still available, points out The Next Digit .

Apple had informed Mio CEO Liz Dickinson of the company’s decision to remove Mio fitness bands from Apple stores but did not mention the launch of Apple Watch. The Mio CEO adds that Apple had shown interest on focusing on their latest wearable for now.

Apple feels that users show a preference  for fitness bands and clearly do not want them to do so at the expense of the Apple Watch. In fact, the company has been gradually removing fitness trackers from its stores since a while. This report points out that Apple had earlier removed Fitbit’s products from its stores as well. Following this move, Fitbit declined to be a part of HealthKit, Apple’s new software platform which collects data from various health and fitness apps.

Will this move help boost Apple Watch sales? A recent report pointed out that 69 percent of Americans are not interested in buying the Watch. Analysts estimate that Apple will sell between 10 million and 32 million units of the device in 2015.

The new watch, a test of Cook’s leadership, is the company’s first new product in five years, and it hits stores on 24th April. To know more about the Apple Watch, click here .