Smart scale goes dumb as Under Armour pulls the plug on connected tech

The UA Scale. (credit: Under Armour)

Any smart device comes with its own set of benefits and trade-offs, but there's one huge shoe waiting to drop with every single one of them: anything you connect can be disconnected at the other end, and there's absolutely nothing you the consumer can do about it. Today's example of smart stuff going dumb comes courtesy of Under Armour, which is effectively rendering its fitness hardware line very expensive paperweights.

The company quietly pulled its UA Record app from both Google Play and Apple's App Store on New Year's Eve. In an announcement dated sometime around January 8, Under Armour said that not only has the app been removed from all app stores, but the company is no longer providing customer support or bug fixes for the software, which will completely stop working as of March 31.

Under Armour launched its lineup of connected fitness devices in 2016. The trio of trackers included a wrist-worn activity monitor, a smart scale, and a chest-strap-style heart rate monitor. The scale and wristband retailed at $180 each, with the heart monitor going for $80. Shoppers could buy all three together in a $400 bundle called the UA HealthBox.

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