Apple reportedly developing new fitness tracker to rival Whoop

Apple is exploring the development of a new screen-less fitness tracker that could put it in direct competition with Whoop, the fitness technology company whose valuation recently surpassed $10 billion, according to a Bloomberg report.

The report describes Apple's current work as a "technology investigation" — an exploratory phase used to determine whether an idea will move forward into full product development. Several prototypes of the device have reportedly already been built.

The device is described as a thin fabric band housing a sensor-equipped computing module. This form factor closely resembles Whoop's existing products, which are simple bands the company says can monitor a range of health metrics.

Apple already offers a fitness tracker in the form of the Apple Watch, which records workouts, heart rate, sleep and other health data. However, the new screen-less design would represent a distinct product category closer to Whoop's approach. Bloomberg reports the device would not be released before 2028 at the earliest. TechCrunch has contacted Apple for comment.

A period of transition

The report comes as Apple undergoes leadership changes. Tim Cook stepped down as CEO in August, moving into the role of executive chairman, while John Ternus took over as the company's new chief executive. Apple has also faced rising costs tied to a memory chip shortage affecting the broader industry.

Despite these challenges, the company has signaled plans to release several new devices, including a foldable phone, new tablets, and an updated MacBook Pro. Apple is also currently engaged in litigation against OpenAI, accusing it of trade secret theft, amid ongoing competition to build leading hardware for the AI era.