The BBC reported on Monday that many users of the former Withings Health Mate app were bashing Nokia over their recent update of the app. The new version has missing features, and it won’t sync with other smart products from the Withings lineup.
Nokia recently updated and rebranded the Withings Health Mate app under the company name, roughly a year after acquiring the healthcare venture. The move sought to capitalize on the relatively unexploited market share, although things had been fairly quiet until now.
Other companies like Apple and Google are also developing smart health solutions on their own, albeit much more ambitious and bolder. The iPhone maker wants to create a non-invasive blood sugar tracker, while the Mountain View giant is developing a contact lens that does the same.
Users say Nokia has “trashed” the app
For their report, the BBC interviewed a couple of users about the functionality upgrade that the app was supposed to be getting with the update. That was not the case judging by their comments and online reviews.
The app, which originally packed more features and more in-depth analysis, now has been somewhat downgraded to a standard fitness tracker that monitors activity, sleep, weight, and pressure.
One user said Nokia had “totally trashed” the original Withings app, while others claimed the Finnish giant had “decimated” the investment they had made in smart healthcare and fitness products.
Withings products like their signature smart scales work together with their proprietary mobile app to provide deeper insights into the progress and improvements of people trying to get healthier.
The application was so popular that it had over 1 million users, but now many of them are sinking it to the bottom of the ranking lists with one-star reviews. Nokia Health products also include blood pressure monitors and fitness trackers in the form of stylish watches.
Nokia might be more into hardware than software
Nokia has since responded to the widespread backlash with a regretful tone, but reassuring users that they are working to improve the app and bring the removed features back and better on a new version.
Fitness enthusiasts have complained about the user-unfriendly interface, the syncing problems with other products, and a lot of bugs that plague the Health Mate app. The phone maker has said this is just part of the transition from Withings to Nokia branding.
However, Nokia might not be too concerned about making software since the brand name leased to HMD Global is doing so well in the Android market. The premium hardware seems to be the endgame now, with little to no focus on software to the point of packing a near-stock version of the OS in the new phones.
Source: BBC