Fitbit, one of the popular fitness trackers, confirmed that it is ditching support for older Apple iPhones. It has quietly bumped up its iOS system requirement on its support page.
With this, older iPhone users are most likely to lose support on their Fitbit devices. But do not sweat it. The smartwatch maker still supports a couple of iPhones. Yet, relatively older versions are getting left behind.
A sign at the Fitbit booth is shown at CES 2017 at the Sands Expo and Convention Center on January 5, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada. CES, the world's largest annual consumer technology trade show, runs through January 8 and features 3,800 exhibitors showing off their latest products and services to more than 165,000 attendees.
Fitbit Drop Support for Older iPhones
According to a report by 9to5 Google, Fitbit recently updated its software requirements on its support page, dropping support for older iPhones.
The Fitbit support page previously states that its devices support Apple iPhone devices with at least iOS 14. But this time, the software requirement has been updated.
New Minimum iOS Requirement
The support page of the fitness tracking service notes that "the Fitbit app is compatible with most popular phones and tablets."
It further disclosed that the new software requirement for iPhone users is at least an iOS 15 update or newer.
(Photo : FABRICE COFFRINI/AFP via Getty Images)
Irish rock band U2 singer Bono's hands hold is "Red" iphone during a session pannel at the World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting, on January 23, 2019 in Davos, eastern Switzerland.
9to5 Google notes in its report that the said software version supports relatively newer iPhones. In fact, if you are still clinging to an iPhone 6s, you could continue using Fitbit. However, older Apple devices, such as the iPhone 5s or the iPhone 6 are now getting left behind.
As long as your iPhone can handle iOS 15 or the newer iOS 16, the new requirement does not affect you at all.
Read Also: Fitbit Plans to Drop Top Feature: Open Groups and Challenges to be Removed
How About Android?
On the other hand, Fitbit has yet to update the software requirement for Android users. As of writing, its support page says that it supports "Android 9 or higher." So even if you own an older mobile device, it could most likely still support the fitness platform.
So it looks like the Google-owned Fitbit will continue extending support even to a couple of generations of older Android software. Yet, with the recent changes for iOS, this might change anytime soon.
Although Fitbit supports devices with Android 9 or newer, it might not work smoothly with some phones, according to its support page.
It includes offerings from Huawei, such as the Huawei P9 Lite, Huawei P8 Lite, and the Huawei P20 Lite. The Xiaomi Mi 6 also joins the list of devices with potential compatibility problems.
The fitness platform notes that "the following devices often exhibit compatibility issues that cause our products and services to not operate properly."
In other news, Fitbit recently filed a patent for a blood pressure wearable tech for its upcoming smartwatch offering.
Related Article: Fitbit to Expand its Health Metrics Data to All Users for Free, No Need for a Subscription
