Hard for we consumers to really know the strategies, politics, etc. of the choices these companies make. We can only guess.
My guess is that Fitbit’s long term strategy is heavily centered on getting users into the Fitbit ecosystem and offering more products and services via that ecosystem. They may see allowing the easy syncing of Fitbit data into Apple ecosystem as contrary to those goals.
Given that Apple Health readily syncs with most of the other major players in the fitness tracker category (e.g., Garmin, Polar), this seems to be a Fitbit choice, not an Apple choice.
I have no idea whether or not this will prove to be a savvy choice on Fitbit’s part. I can report, however, that it drove me away. I bought an Apple Watch Series 3 when that product was released. The two draws were the far more robust smart watch offerings (beyond fitness tracking) and the fact that I could swim with it. There was truly waterproof Fitbit yet. I started syncing Apple Health with third party services and apps like WW. But I did not want to wear the Apple Watch all the time. I needed a tracker that would sync with Apple Health.
I was an early Fitbit adopter — Flex, Charge, Charge HR, One, ZIP, Alta). I wanted to stay in the Fitbit ecosystem. But when I Iearned that Fitbit would not sync with Apple Health, I reluctantly moved on. Now, I use a Garmin Vivofit 4 when I want a thin, unobtrusive fitness band. I use a Garmin Instinct when I need satellite based GPS tracking as well as standard fitness tracking. And I use my Apple Watch. If Fitbit ever resolves the Apple issue, I would certainly look at Fitbit when I next need a tracker.
