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Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reports Apple is building early prototypes of a display-free health and fitness band, using a thin fabric strap paired with a sensor module. The project has been in development for several months, remains in early stages, and Apple has not decided whether to actually release it, with a possible launch no earlier than 2028.
Bloomberg reports Apple is running an early 'technology investigation' into a screen-less fitness band, described as a thin fabric strap with a sensor-equipped computing module. Multiple prototypes reportedly exist, but any product would not launch before 2028. Apple has not commented; TechCrunch says it reached out for details.
The September 22, 2026 episode of 9to5Mac Daily rounds up the day's Apple news, focusing on early details surrounding a possible M6 Mac mini and speculation about where Apple Fitness+ is headed next. The podcast episode is available across major platforms including Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, TuneIn, and Google Play.
Bloomberg reports Apple is prototyping a screenless fitness tracker with a fabric band and sensor-equipped module, similar to Whoop's wearables. The device is described as being in early development, with a possible release no earlier than 2028 if Apple proceeds. Whoop's existing products include a medical-grade EKG variant and batteries lasting over 14 days.
Apple has built native live step tracking directly into the watch face on the new Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4, joining live heart rate as a standard complication option from the Fitness app. Previously, step data was only viewable inside the Fitness or Health apps, even though third-party apps like Pedometer++ had offered on-face step counts for years.
Apple has cut a small number of employees working on Fitness+ audio content, including the Time to Walk and Time to Run series, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. He says new episodes will continue but less frequently, and the layoffs are seen internally as the start of larger cost-cutting changes to come rather than a one-off trim.
Garmin CIRQA owners report that workouts started directly from the wearable disappear when they tap 'End' from the Activity in Progress prompt in the Garmin Connect app. Garmin has confirmed the bug, is investigating, and is contacting affected users for more details.
Amazon has discounted the recently released Garmin Vivoactive 6 fitness smartwatch by 23% off its list price, marking the lowest price the device has seen since launch. The deal applies to Garmin's latest wearable, which tracks fitness and health metrics.
Researchers are increasingly using wearable devices—smartwatches, wristbands, patches and rings—to collect real-time physiological data such as heart rate, blood pressure and activity in clinical trials. Specialists say advances in sensor technology and AI could enable decentralized trials where participants are monitored remotely, with dosing personalized to individual data rather than fixed protocols. Current devices already track metrics via accelerometers, gyroscopes and photoplethysmography, with future versions potentially measuring biomarkers like glutamate and cortisol.
Apple's GymKit feature, which lets gym equipment exchange workout data with Apple devices via NFC tap, is expanding beyond the Apple Watch. With iOS 27, iPhones can now tap compatible cardio machines to sync data, while AirPods Pro 3 measure heart rate, letting people without an Apple Watch use the feature. The underlying requirement for GymKit-enabled gym equipment remains unchanged.
Hotel developer Ian McClure has become the first outside operator in more than ten years to sign a fresh development agreement with Planet Fitness, rather than buying into the chain by acquiring an existing franchisee's gyms. McClure's firm, Gulf Coast Hotel Management, which runs extended-stay hotels and Wyndham properties across several states, secured three area deals to open over a dozen locations on Florida's Gulf Coast. Each gym costs between $1.3 million and $5.4 million to launch depending on financing.
An Android Authority writer who has tested watches from Garmin, Apple, Samsung, OnePlus and Withings says the Pixel Watch 5 impressed him with its bright Actua 360 display, accurate dual-frequency GPS and improved health tracking, but he still won't buy one. He lists five changes Google needs to make, starting with the watch's bulky 12.3mm case and dated 'water droplet' design.