Jawbone reaches out from grave to sue Apple over audio tech
A non-practicing entity has taken control of a patent hoard from defunct device maker Jawbone and is now leveraging a cache of audio-related IP against Apple.
A non-practicing entity has taken control of a patent hoard from defunct device maker Jawbone and is now leveraging a cache of audio-related IP against Apple.
Jawbone, once a serious competitor in the wearables market, has begun the process of liquidating its assets, according to multiple reports on Thursday.
A report on Friday claims Jawbone is officially exiting the consumer wearables space, seemingly confirming rumors that the audio accessory maker turned fitness tracking firm will instead focus on high-margin health products sold to clinicians.
Jawbone could have become the latest acquisition of main rival Fitbit, with a report alleging the two fitness wearable competitors discussed a possible sale of assets at the end of last year, talks that ultimately broke down over a low-ball offer.
Once a mainstay of both industries, Jawbone is reportedly exiting the fitness-tracking world — at least temporarily — as well as trying to sell off its speaker division.
On Thursday one of Jawbone's more advanced fitness trackers, the UP2, appeared at the online Apple Store, following a brief and still unexplained removal of most of the company's product line.
Jawbone is suing rival fitness tracker maker Fitbit, accusing the latter of "systematically plundering" corporate secrets by hiring Jawbone workers who smuggled sensitive data before exiting the company.
Fitbit devices remain both the most used and most wanted fitness trackers, but Apple is in a position to make gains with the Apple Watch, especially as a huge number of consumers plan to buy a wearable device in the near future, according to a U.S. consumer survey published on Friday.
In what appears to be Jawbone's attempt to keep up in an escalating wearables arms race, the company on Thursday unveiled the Up4 fitness tracker with built-in NFC payments provided in partnership with American Express.
{{ summary }}