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Whoop, the fitness wearable founded by Will Ahmed, is expanding its focus beyond elite athletes to target Medicare recipients as part of a broader strategy to integrate with the U.S. healthcare system. The move follows the company's reported $10.1 billion valuation and mirrors a similar strategy pursued by rival wearable maker Oura.
Google's new screenless Fitbit Air is being compared against Whoop's band lineup, with Whoop's newer 5.0 and MG models rated for 14+ days of battery versus up to seven days for Fitbit Air. Both offer companion apps with AI assistants for logging meals and building workout plans, but Whoop requires a paid membership to function while Fitbit Air can be used without a subscription for basic tracking. Whoop membership pricing starts around $149 for the first year, rising to $199 annually or $25 monthly, while Fitbit Air includes a three-month Google Health Premium trial.
A tech reviewer testing Apple Watch Series 12 alongside Apple's redesigned Health app says the software lacks a feature found on WHOOP: measuring a 'day' from sleep cycle to sleep cycle rather than the standard midnight-to-midnight clock. The new Health app, which includes features like Readiness and Health Age, briefly appeared in an iOS 27.2 beta before being pulled, with Apple saying it will return in a later beta ahead of a full release this year.
Regulatory filings indicate Suunto is developing a new wearable device that lacks a display, focusing on heart rate monitoring and recovery tracking. The design approach mirrors devices like Whoop, which rely on bands rather than screens to deliver fitness data through a companion app.
An Entrepreneur contributor argues many startups make a hiring mistake that resembles success: bringing in a senior marketing leader before the company has the infrastructure to support them. The piece contrasts this with WHOOP's July hire of ex-Nike CMO Dirk-Jan van Hameren, who joined a company already at a $10.1 billion valuation with 3 million members, cash-flow positive, and a 65-person marketing team already built.
Jewelry and smart-ring maker Qalo has released the SL-1, a subscription-free, screenless fitness band priced at $199.95 that condenses health metrics into a single score. The device syncs with Qalo's existing smart ring ecosystem, letting wearers switch between ring and band while data feeds into one account, and Qalo says the SL-1 runs on its own software and design rather than white-labeled hardware.
A tech writer who skipped many Apple Watch generations upgraded from the Series 10 to the Series 12, despite near-identical design, citing improved heart-rate monitoring, a new 'Readiness' app, faster performance, and a redesigned Health app. The reviewer says the device now rivals third-party wearables like WHOOP, which charges a $239/year subscription.
Qalo has introduced the SL-1 Smart Band, a screenless fitness tracker positioned as a rival to Whoop that requires no subscription fee. The device can function independently or be paired with Qalo's existing smart ring for expanded tracking capabilities.
Bloomberg has reported that Apple is developing a screenless fitness tracker, described as a thin fabric band with a sensor-equipped computing module, similar in concept to WHOOP or Fitbit Air. The device is early in development and would not launch before 2028.
Bloomberg reports Apple is building prototypes of a display-free wearable, described internally as a technology investigation, pairing a fabric strap with a sensor-and-computing unit focused on passive health monitoring. The project has backing from executives including Tim Cook and Eddy Cue, though Apple has not committed to shipping a product, and a launch could come as early as 2028.
Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reports Apple has spent months investigating a screenless wearable, testing prototypes with a fabric band and sensor module built by the team behind the Vision Pro headset. The company has not decided whether to actually launch the product, though executives Tim Cook and Eddy Cue are said to be interested. Apple did not respond to a request for comment.
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.