A problem for Whoop and Google? Apple is reportedly considering a display-less wristband

For more than a decade, Apple has been recycling the same recipe: a square display on the wrist. However, according to the newsletter of renowned insider and journalist Mark Gurman, the company is considering fundamentally transforming its smartwatches – and a display-less wristband is reportedly in play, which could compete with Whoop or new products like Fitbit Air or Garmin CIRQA.

Apple is considering a different display type and new sizes

According to Mark Gurman of Bloomberg, Apple’s industrial design team has been exploring a broader transformation of the watch for some time, with several directions in play. In addition to a screen-less wristband, they are reportedly also considering models with a different display type and in new sizes.

Apple was also reportedly considering Apple Watch with a round display, but Gurman adds that such a device will likely never see the light of day. The company was also reportedly thinking about premium variants beyond the Ultra and Hermès models, and conversely, more affordable pieces below the Apple Watch SE.

The new watches are expected to be more focused on artificial intelligence, and a major overhaul of the Health app is also planned. Gurman compares the entire transformation to how a classic iPhone became a foldable phone – that’s how fundamental a step it’s supposed to be, according to him. The company aims to revitalize the wearables segment, which has struggled to grow in recent years.

Why a display-less wristband?

Display-less wristbands are currently experiencing a minor renaissance. In addition to the established Whoop, Amazfit, for example, offers them, and Fitbit and Garmin have recently joined the segment. We described how such a display-less wristband works in practice in our review of the recently released Fitbit Air.

The demand for devices of this type is also confirmed by the recently launched Garmin CIRQA, which immediately sold out after its release. Furthermore, Google last week enabled Fitbit integration with Apple Health, so data from the wristbands can also be pulled into the Apple ecosystem.

Gurman notes that Eddy Cue, Apple’s Senior Vice President of Services and Health, is also a fan of similar devices – and his voice could carry weight in internal discussions.

Still early considerations

However, don’t expect a major revolution at the upcoming September event. According to Gurman, Apple is still in the early planning stages and this year will apparently only show standard Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4 – meaning classic annual updates without surprises. When and if a display-less wristband will appear on wrists, no one can say yet.

Would you opt for a display-less wristband with the Apple logo, or stick with classic watches?

Sources: Bloomberg, MacRumors