Apple is reportedly developing a new screenless health and fitness tracker designed to compete more directly with products from Whoop, potentially giving the company a new wearable alongside Apple Watch.
According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Apple has been exploring the category for several months and is now developing prototype hardware. The project remains at an early stage, however, and Apple has not yet decided whether the device will ultimately be released.
Current prototypes reportedly use a thin fabric band connected to a sensor-equipped computing module, without a display. That would make the device substantially simpler than Apple Watch and put the focus on continuous health and fitness tracking rather than apps, notifications and watch faces.
The project is said to have support from senior Apple executives, including Tim Cook and services chief Eddy Cue. Cue took charge of Apple’s health efforts last year and has reportedly pushed the company toward some of the simpler health-focused experiences offered by newer wearable rivals.
A screenless tracker would put Apple into more direct competition with Whoop, which has built its wearable around continuous health, recovery and fitness monitoring without a traditional smartwatch display.
Apple has already moved closer to that approach with its latest Apple Watch software and hardware. The Apple Post previously reported on Apple’s Readiness experience, which uses health and activity data to give users a clearer indication of how prepared their body is for exercise and daily activity.
Apple Watch Series 12 also introduced more advanced heart-rate monitoring, while Apple’s latest health features increasingly emphasize recovery and longer-term fitness information rather than simply recording workouts.
The reported screenless device could allow Apple to offer those capabilities in hardware designed to be worn continuously, without attempting to replace the broader Apple Watch experience.
The project remains in what Apple reportedly calls a “technology investigation” phase, meaning there is no guarantee it will become a shipping product. If Apple does move forward, Bloomberg reports that it is unlikely to launch before 2028.
Apple is also exploring other new wearable categories as it expands beyond its traditional Apple Watch lineup, including smart glasses and AirPods equipped with cameras.
For now, the screenless fitness tracker remains an experimental project, but its development suggests Apple is considering a significantly different approach to wearable health hardware as competition from Whoop, Oura and other dedicated fitness devices grows.