Under Armour ties with HTC to take on Nike+

Under Armour has partnered with HTC in an effort to compete with rival fitness app-makers and technology brands such as Nike and Apple.

Under armour logo 2

HTC will design a series of products intended to work with Under Armour’s newly-launch UA Record app as the mobile technology brand looks to enter the world of health and fitness products.

Peter Chou, CEO of HTC, says: “We feel we have a tremendous opportunity to disrupt and accelerate the development of this market.”

For Under Armour, the partnership is an effort to stand out among the fierce competition surrounding fitness apps by promoting UA Record, which tracks food, sleep and calories and works alongside most major fitness and motion trackers.

It also includes features such as MapMyRun and MapMyRide from Under Armour-owned MapMyFitness, and contains a tab to buy Under Armour gear.

The brand released a digital performance monitor, the Armour39, in 2013, and currently makes activity trackers, heart rate monitors and activity watches.

Under Armour’s rival Nike, who has been considered a trailblazer for its work alongside Apple, has largely dominated wearable technology in the fitness arena.

The brand collaborated with Apple on the Nike+ Running sensor range, which connected with iPod, in 2006. Nike has since introduced various apps for iOS including the FuelBand app to accompany the brand’s recently discontinued fitness-tracking bracelet.

In 2013, Adidas also launched a version of its miCoach fitness app with features exclusive to Nokia’s Windows Phone 8 devices, including integration with Nokia Music.

Nike announced last year that it would stop making the FuelBand, which is sold by Apple and tracks daily activity and goals, in order to focus on software. Soon after, it was rumoured that Nike and Apple were working together on new wearable technology.

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