Google is reportedly planning to bring a new fitness band under its Fitbit brand. The tech giant is planning to launch the purported device as a screenless product to compete with companies such as Whoop and Oura Health.
Bloomberg said in its report that the fitness band under the Fitbit brand is expected to arrive later this year. The purported device has also been teased by basketball player Stephen Curry, who works as a “Performance Advisor” at Google.
On his Instagram account, the basketball player posted a 15-second clip that shows shots of Curry playing with a basketball, while a gray-and-orange band sits conspicuously on his left wrist. Interspersed in the clip are the words, “A new relationship with your health coming soon,” and the video ends with the Google logo.
“Our Performance Advisor has been working with the team to cook up something special. More to share soon,” Google said in a statement to Engadget.
It is unclear how Google’s product would be different, but Bloomberg reported, citing a company source, that Google will charge for the hardware and the device will include basic features. Users may need a paid subscription to unlock additional functionality.
Whoop’s business model, on the other hand, is based entirely around a subscription.
Expected to launch alongside AI-powered Fitbit health coach
Bloomberg also reported that the device is expected to launch alongside the AI-powered Fitbit personal health coach, which has been in public preview since last October. The personal coach will live inside the newly redesigned Fitbit app.
Meanwhile, Google-owned Fitbit recently unveiled new personal health coach features for its app. These provide insights around cycle health and mental health, as well as nutrition and water intake tracking.
The news arrived shortly after Whoop, which was started in 2012, said that it raised an additional $575 million from a handful of venture capital firms and high-profile individual investors. The latest funding round values the company at $10.1 billion.
Google acquired the smart wearable company Fitbit in January 2021. The search giant purchased Fitbit for 2.1 billion dollars.
