Apple Screenless Fitness Tracker: Release Not Before 2028, Bloomberg Reports

Apple is developing a screenless health and fitness tracker, according to a report from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman. The device would join a growing category of wearables that focus on health tracking without a display.Apple has built prototypes and has explored the product category for several months. However, the company has not yet decided if it will release the device. If plans move forward, Apple’s first fitness band could launch before 2028.

Key Highlights

• Apple is developing a screenless health and fitness tracker, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman - no release decision has been made yet.
• Launch timing: not before 2028 - the project is still in an early "technology investigation" phase, and could be shelved entirely.
• Design: a thin fabric band paired with a sensor-equipped computing module - no display, unlike the Apple Watch.
• Executive backing: Tim Cook and Eddy Cue (Apple's services and health chief) are personally supporting the project.
• Competitive context: aimed at rivaling Whoop, Oura, and Google's $99 Fitbit Air, plus Garmin's screenless CIRQA Smart Band.
• Parallel health efforts: a redesigned Health app is being tested in iOS 27.2, and a broader Apple Watch redesign could arrive as early as late 2027.
• Other wearables in the pipeline: smart glasses and AirPods with cameras targeted for 2027; an AI pendant with a camera has been postponed.

Device Features and Development

The prototypes feature a thin fabric band with a sensor-equipped computing module that sits on the wrist. Unlike the Apple Watch, this device would not have a display. Instead, it would focus solely on health and fitness tracking. The project has support from senior Apple executives, including executive chairman Tim Cook and services chief Eddy Cue, who now leads Apple’s health efforts. Gurman notes that the project remains in early development, and no final decision has been made about its release.

Screenless health and fitness wearables have become more popular in recent years. Companies such as Google, Whoop, and Oura have built large user bases with devices that prioritize health tracking over apps and notifications. Garmin also offers fitness trackers without displays. Apple appears to be following this trend, aiming to bring advanced health and fitness features from its smartwatch lineup to a simpler, screenless device.

Apple’s Broader Health Initiatives

The latest Apple Watch models already offer advanced heart-rate tracking, readiness-style scores, and estimates of biological age drawn from health data. Apple is also testing a redesigned Health app in iOS 27.2, featuring a simpler interface and clearer guidance. Under Eddy Cue, the health team is reportedly being pushed toward products that are easier to use and more tightly focused on fitness tracking , a direct response to the appeal of minimalist competitors like Whoop and Oura.

Other Wearables in Apple's Pipeline

Apple is working on several other wearable products in parallel:

• Smart glasses and AirPods with built-in cameras, both targeted for a 2027 release
• An AI pendant with a camera, which has reportedly been postponed
• A broader Apple Watch redesign, which could arrive as early as late 2027, following an Apple Watch refresh this month that added audio recording and AI-generated summaries of daily conversations and activities