Apple Said to Be Developing Screenless Fitness Tracker for Possible 2028 Debut

Bloomberg's report was discussed in a Sept. 27 9to5Mac article by a writer who has used WHOOP for six months. The writer called the concept great but said there are things Apple could do better.

The writer's main concern was workout tracking without a phone. The writer said automatic workout detection will never be perfect and found it annoying to pull out a phone to log a workout, whether before or after the activity. With an Apple Watch, the writer could start a workout on the screen, and WHOOP would sync the times from Apple Health. That was the main reason the writer kept wearing an Apple Watch.

For gym workouts, pulling out a phone might be fine, the writer said, but for casual biking or long walks, the writer would rather not fiddle with a phone. For Apple's screenless tracker, the writer would like to see some sort of button and indicator LED that could start and stop a workout. The user would still need to go on the phone later to categorize the workout, but the writer would rather do that than deal with it in the moment. Apple could also develop a classification model based on certain factors, the writer said.

The writer concluded that if Apple managed to develop a screenless fitness tracker that did not feel like a pain to use without a phone, it would be quite compelling. The writer said the form factor has advantages including comfort, battery life, and the ability to wear it alongside a traditional watch.

After evaluating WHOOP, the writer said they personally prefer just having a smartwatch, even with battery life disadvantages. The writer understood wanting something screenless so it is distraction-free, but said they just enable Do Not Disturb on their watch. The writer asked readers what they think about Apple working on a screenless fitness tracker and what price point it would need to be for them to buy one.