Alphabet Inc.'s Google is developing its own fitness band, aiming to compete with screenless wearable devices from upstarts like Whoop Inc. and Oura Health Oy.
The company has been developing the new model under the Fitbit brand and plans to release it later this year, according to a person with knowledge of the matter. The device will include basic features and require a paid subscription to unlock more functionality — similar to the latest screenless wearables, said the person, who asked not to be identified because the product hasn't been announced.
Steph Curry, an NBA player for the Golden State Warriors, teased the device on social media on Tuesday without elaborating on the branding or functionality. Google said Curry has been “working with the team to cook up something special” and that the company will share more “soon.” Curry said in his video that the device will unlock a “new relationship with your health.”
The launch will tie into an AI-powered Fitbit personal health coach that will live inside the newly redesigned Fitbit app. The personal health coach's public preview started in October.
The device is a gray cloth fitness band with orange lining that looks strikingly similar to Whoop's current screenless fitness band. Unlike Whoop, Google will charge for the hardware, the person said. Whoop's business model is based entirely around a subscription.
A Whoop competitor would add to Google's growing roster of wearables, which includes its Google Pixel smartwatch and more standard Fitbits. On Tuesday, Google-owned Fitbit unveiled new personal health coach features for its app, which provides insights around cycle health and mental health, as well as nutrition and water intake tracking.
The news follows Whoop's announcement that it raised an additional $575 million from a handful of venture capital firms and high-profile individual investors, including professional athletes Cristiano Ronaldo, LeBron James, Rory McIlroy and Reggie Miller. The latest funding round values the company at $10.1 billion. It plans to seek an initial public offering in the next two years.
For their part, other wearable makers like Apple Inc. are sticking to devices with screens. The Apple Watch comes in multiple versions, all with displays to view information and apps on the go.
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