Apple is building a screenless fitness tracker to rival Whoop
Apple is developing a screenless fitness tracker designed to compete directly with Whoop and Google's Fitbit Air, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reports. The device is described as a thin fabric band with a sensor-equipped compute module — no display, no notifications, just health data. The earliest it could reach the market is 2028, and Apple has not yet made a final decision to ship it.
The device
Sources describe the tracker as a minimal wearable: a lightweight band made of fabric, with sensors for continuous health monitoring baked into a small attached module. Think Whoop's form factor — worn around the wrist or upper arm around the clock, tracking readiness, recovery, and biological markers without demanding your attention.
Apple Watch already covers a lot of this ground, but it's a different proposition entirely — a full computer on your wrist with a display, apps, and a price to match. This band would sit in a separate, simpler category, closer to what Whoop and the Polar Loop (launched September 2025) occupy.
The project has backing from Tim Cook and Eddy Cue, who took over Apple's health division in late 2025 after Jeff Williams retired. Cue has reportedly pushed for simpler, more focused interfaces — a philosophical shift from the everything-device Apple Watch has become. Engineers from Apple's Vision hardware team are involved, hinting at AI-driven health algorithms under the hood.
The market context
Whoop's appeal isn't hard to understand. The company raised $575 million at a $10.1 billion valuation in March 2026 — investors clearly see a durable business in screenless, subscription-based fitness tracking. MacRumors notes that Apple Watch Series 12 already adopted several Whoop-style features, including readiness scores and biological age estimates, suggesting Apple's software groundwork is already being laid.
What remains unknown is pricing. Whoop charges around $30 per month. Whether Apple goes subscription, one-time hardware cost, or bundles it with Apple One is entirely unconfirmed.
What to watch
A 2028 launch is tentative at best — Apple is still in prototype phase and no market decision has been made. FTC scrutiny over health data privacy in wearables could complicate the rollout, and leadership changes in the health division add further uncertainty. For now, this is a project Apple is serious enough about to prototype, but not yet committed to shipping. If you're in the market for a distraction-free fitness band today, Whoop and the Apple Watch lineup remain the established options — though that comparison may look very different by 2028.
