Apple is prototyping a screenless fitness band aimed at rivaling Whoop, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reports. Apple has explored the category for several months and now has prototypes, but it has not decided whether to sell one.
What Apple’s reported fitness band looks like
The prototypes reportedly pair a thin fabric band with a sensor-equipped computing module. The screenless design would put health and activity tracking first, without the display, apps, and notifications found on Apple Watch.
Bloomberg has not reported what the sensors measure. There is no confirmed list of tracked health metrics, and Apple has not shared details about how the band would work with iPhone, Apple Health, or Apple Watch. That leaves the device’s day-to-day features unclear.
It would play a different role from Apple Watch
The reported target is the dedicated fitness-tracker category, where Whoop and Fitbit Air compete. WHOOP’s U.S. One membership costs $199 per year and includes sleep, strain, and recovery insights with coaching. Its sleep tools track all four sleep stages and estimate how much rest members need after training. Higher tiers add health alerts and real-time stress tracking. The app turns ongoing measurements into guidance for sleep and training, while users check trends on a phone rather than a watch face. WHOOP also syncs data with Apple Health and lists more than 14 days of battery life for its current band, two details Bloomberg has not reported for Apple’s prototype. Apple Watch, meanwhile, combines health tracking with apps and notifications, giving it a broader role.
Apple’s Series 12 health features show the broader role of its smartwatch. Gurman has not said whether the new band would replace any Apple Watch features or require its own subscription, so the two products’ relationship is still unknown.
Apple has not committed to shipping it
Gurman describes the project as an early “technology investigation,” not a product development commitment. Apple has not approved the band as a product. The report says a release, if Apple moves forward, likely would not happen before 2028. That is a conditional outlook, not a launch window.
Apple has not announced a price or release date, and the project could still be canceled. For now, the report shows Apple testing a new kind of wearable, not preparing a product for sale.
