Fitbit Might Be Making a Whoop-Like Smart Band
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Google hasn’t launched a new Fitbit device since 2023, instead seeming to pour all its hardware efforts into Pixel watches. But all along the company refused to confirm that Fitbit hardware was truly dead, and a new promotional video appears to show why—it looks like there’s a Whoop-style smart band on the way.
What was teased
The video was posted to Steph Curry’s Instagram page on March 31, so it’s not an April Fool’s stunt. In a few short clips, we see a gray and orange fabric band around Curry’s left wrist. He says “I’m excited for what this is going to mean for health for the world and wellness. It’s a first of its kind, in a way. I don’t want to spoil it. You kind of have to see for yourself.” Text on the screen states: “A new relationship with your health. Coming soon. [Google logo].”
What we actually know
Google has not publicly confirmed any details. News and rumor sites, and user forums, are converging on the explanation that this is a Whoop-style smart band with no screen, and that it will be Fitbit-branded. Visually, I agree with the smart-band theory—it certainly looks like one, and the only way it would be something else is if there’s a screen that has been turned to the inside of the wrist.
The Fitbit branding isn’t confirmed—we only see a Google logo in the video, not a Fitbit one. A Bloomberg article cites “a person with knowledge of the matter” as saying that Google is working on a Fitbit-branded smart band.
Right now, Fitbit's only real offerings are the Charge 6, released in 2023, and a few 2022-era models: the minimalist Inspire 3, and two smartwatches (Versa 4 and Sense 2) that Google still sells but does not seem excited about. Smart bands, meanwhile, seem to be a growing product area. Whoop was the undisputed leader in this area for years, but last year we got the Polar Loop, Amazfit Helio/Core, and a Garmin sleep band. This year, fertility-tracking app Natural Cycles began selling a temperature-tracking smart band, while Luna and Speediance announced new smart bands at the CES trade show. (Neither of those two has launched yet.)
Why I think they’re announcing it now
Ironically, the fitness gadget internet has lately been abuzz with expectation for a new Whoop-style smart band. But not from Fitbit! The rumor (here, for example) was that Garmin was about to announce one. A listing for a “Cirqa smart band” appeared briefly on some Garmin websites earlier this year, but if it’s a real product, it doesn’t seem to be ready yet.
This reminds me of something that happened last year in the smart band space: Amid rumors of a Garmin smart band, Polar announced it was working on its own smart band. Garmin’s Index Sleep Band dropped the next day.
So this feels like round two. Garmin’s new band might be a proper Whoop competitor (which the Index sleep band wasn’t), and Fitbit might be trying to get ahead of an imminent Garmin product announcement. I don’t have any inside information on when or whether either of these two rumored products are launching, but I wouldn’t be surprised if Garmin’s arrives before Fitbit’s.
Also this week, Google announced an expansion of the AI health coach in the Fitbit app. (Yes, this the the same AI coach that told me the Pixel Watch 4 didn’t exist, and that was comically bad at the actual coaching part. Maybe it’s gotten better.) The AI coach is now available to free users and not just subscribers, and has incorporated more features.
Smart bands are having a moment, and I think it's because gadget makers have run out of new things they can stuff into a watch. Once you've got sensors for motion and heart rate, you have the main functions a fitness watch needs. Extra bells and whistles don't add enough excitement to justify higher prices or frequent upgrades, so companies are realizing they can pare down the hardware and pivot to software features and subscription services. The smart ring market is already a bit further down this path, as I've written before. Now it's time to see what happens with smart bands.