This article first appeared on GuruFocus.
Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOG) is moving deeper into the evolving wearable fitness market, with Google developing a screenless fitness band under its Fitbit brand that could be released later this year, according to a person familiar with the matter. The device is expected to follow a hybrid model, charging for hardware while also requiring a paid subscription to unlock additional functionality, aligning with how newer screenless wearables operate. The band is described as a gray cloth design with orange lining and appears visually similar to existing screenless devices, suggesting Google may be positioning the product toward continuous health tracking rather than traditional smartwatch use cases.
The product appears closely tied to Google’s broader push into AI-driven health insights, with the band expected to integrate with an AI-powered Fitbit personal health coach inside a redesigned app that entered public preview in October. That platform includes features spanning cycle health, mental health, nutrition, and water intake tracking, indicating Google is building a more comprehensive health ecosystem around recurring engagement. Stephen Curry surfaced the device publicly by teasing it on social media, describing it as enabling a new relationship with your health, while Google said he has been working with the team and that more details will be shared soon.
The timing comes as competition in the category intensifies, particularly from subscription-first players like Whoop, which recently raised $575 million at a $10.1 billion valuation and is planning a potential IPO within the next two years. Unlike Whoop’s model, which is based entirely on subscriptions without charging for hardware, Google’s approach could test whether consumers accept paying both upfront and on an ongoing basis. At the same time, companies like Apple continue focusing on screen-based devices such as the Apple Watch, highlighting a growing divide between full-featured smartwatches and screenless, data-focused fitness bands that could reshape how users engage with wearable health technology.
