❯ Apple is prototyping a screenless health band to rival Whoop, with no decision to ship

what the prototype looks likePer Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Apple is developing prototypes of a screenless health and fitness band to rival Whoop. The prototypes are thin fabric bands with sensors packed into a small computing module, with no display and fewer controls, positioned to complement rather than replace the Apple Watch — letting people track health around the clock without another screen or constant notifications.

still earlyThe project is reportedly in what Apple calls its technology investigation phase, after months of research and now prototype hardware, with backing from Tim Cook and Eddy Cue, but no decision on whether to ship; if it does, it would not arrive before 2028. Per earlier reports, Google already sells the screenless Fitbit Air, and Gurman reported in late August that the next Apple Watch Series 12 adds all-day continuous heart rate tracking and Whoop- and Oura-style wellness tracking — Apple is placing both bets at once. Gurman also reported that Apple had developed a camera-equipped AI pendant, wearable as a necklace or clipped to clothing, which has been postponed.

a new direction for wearablesThe screenless band follows the same line as the earlier-reported cameras in AirPods and a home security device: more sensors, fewer screens, with the data handed to AI to analyze. If Apple enters, the pressure falls on the subscription pricing of screenless products like Whoop, which would face a competitor tied into the iPhone ecosystem. Watch whether the project makes it out of the technology investigation phase.

▪ SIGNALApple building devices without screens says it believes the value in health data has moved from display to analysis.