The Up24 is our favorite fitness wearable, not so much because of its design or ergonomics, but because of Jawbone's excellent software — it does the best job of converting the data collected by the wristband's sensors into useful and stimulating information for the user. Now Jawbone's decided to be more inclusive and will accept such data from competitors like Fitbit and other mobile platforms, including Google's Android Wear, the Pebble smartwatch, and Apple's HealthKit. The latter preempts Apple's widely anticipated announcement of an iWatch. Windows Phone is also about to get its own long-awaited Jawbone app.

In all cases, what's on offer is the chance to continue using Jawbone's great software with a much wider range of hardware. So you can keep track of your steps while at the office with the Moto 360 and later carry out a workout while wearing Jawbone's own band. It would all go to the same data depository, and though Google and Apple are planning to build their own competing services, Jawbone's advantage is in having built up a loyal following with a lot of recorded information. The company isn't relying on simple user inertia, however, and has today also announced a new firmware update for its Up24 that doubles its battery life from one week to two.

Given that most people will only wear (and tolerate) one smart device on their wrist at a time, it's sensible for Jawbone to accept and try to work with the rising tide of smartwatches rather than fight them directly. The company still retains a unique proposition with the long battery life and general simplicity of the Up24, but its future seems to now lie in being a hub to collect all your fitness stats, no matter the device used for recording. Cited by Reuters, a Jawbone spokesman has also added that, unlike Nike, the company has no intentions of halting development of its own wearables and is actively working on new sensor advancements for future models.