Apple May Launch A Screenless Fitness Tracker To Rival Whoop By 2028

Apple is developing prototypes of a screenless fitness tracker similar to Whoop’s wrist-worn bands, Bloomberg reported, as the company explores new ways to expand its health and wearable technology business.

The project remains at an early stage and Apple has not decided whether to release the device. If the company moves ahead, the product is unlikely to arrive before 2028, according to people familiar with the project. Apple declined to comment on the report.

The reported device would differ from the Apple Watch by removing the display and focusing primarily on health and fitness monitoring. Prototypes are said to feature a thin fabric band connected to a sensor-equipped computing module worn on the wrist. The sensors could track metrics such as heart rate and other health data and send the information to a smartphone or Apple’s wider health ecosystem.

The approach mirrors Whoop’s screen-free design. Whoop has built its business around continuous monitoring of health, sleep, activity and recovery without a screen, allowing users to access their data through a smartphone app rather than constantly checking a watch. Whoop had more than 2.5 million members as of March and was valued at $10.1 billion after a $575 million funding round.

A screenless device could offer some practical advantages. Without a display, the tracker could be lighter and less distracting, while also being designed for continuous wear, including during sleep. The absence of a screen could also help reduce power consumption, although Apple's eventual design and battery specifications remain unknown.

Apple's interest comes as the health tracking market expands beyond traditional smartwatches. Oura is preparing for a US initial public offering that could raise as much as $2.2 billion, while Whoop has also been moving towards a potential public listing. Oura's latest IPO filing puts the proposed valuation at about $15.6 billion.

Apple is also expanding health-focused features within its existing ecosystem. Its latest Apple Watch models include a Readiness score designed to assess how prepared users are for daily activities and workouts based on health and activity data. Apple has also introduced a biological-age related health metric, putting some of its software capabilities closer to features offered by Whoop and Oura.

The reported project could allow Apple to collect health information continuously while leaving users to view detailed results on an iPhone rather than another wearable screen. It could also fit into Apple's broader push to make health data more useful through software and artificial intelligence, although any specific AI features for the unannounced tracker remain unconfirmed.

The project is reportedly being explored within Apple's broader wearable strategy, with the company also considering other changes to its product lineup. Bloomberg's report said Apple has been examining the screenless tracker for several months, but the prototype stage means the device could still be cancelled.