Apple is developing a screenless fitness tracker to take on Whoop, the wearable maker now valued at around $10 billion.
Apple has spent several months exploring the category and is now building prototypes of a band that drops the display entirely, according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman.
Garmin, which sells display-free bands of its own, saw its shares fall as much as 2.5% after the report, while Apple stock rose about 1%. Before that, Apple is expected to launch smart glasses and camera-equipped AirPods in 2027, with a redesigned Apple Watch due as early as late 2027.
The project sits in an internal stage called a “technology investigation,” and even if it moves ahead, a launch before 2028 looks unlikely. The early hardware pairs a thin fabric strap with a small computing module packed with sensors. Apple hasn’t decided whether the product will ship. Apple declined to comment. Markets noticed. A screenless band would give Apple something it currently lacks: a way to sell its health tracking to people who don’t want a smartwatch, including those unwilling to give up a mechanical watch.