Google has offered the first glimpse of an entirely new direction for the Fitbit brand, teasing an upcoming wristband device that departs significantly from the display-equipped trackers the brand has been known for. The device appeared on the wrist of basketball star Steph Curry in a video posted to his Instagram account, showing what appears to be a woven fabric wristband with no visible screen or physical buttons. The teaser ends with the words “coming soon,” the Google logo, and a confirming emoji response from Fitbit’s official account, signalling that an announcement is not far off.
The timing is notable because observers had been anticipating either a Fitbit Charge 7 or an Inspire 4 as the brand’s next move, making this screenless band an unexpected turn. Curry, who serves as Google’s Performance Advisor and appeared at the Made by Google event in August 2025 when the Pixel 10 phones and Pixel Watch 4 were unveiled, described the upcoming device as something he believes will mean a great deal for health and wellness globally, calling it the first of its kind in a meaningful way. The design is strikingly similar to the Whoop Strap 5.0, a minimalist fitness tracker engineered for continuous 24-hour wear that has become particularly popular among professional athletes, having been spotted on the wrists of figures including Cristiano Ronaldo, LeBron James, and Michael Phelps. Whoop’s approach centres on continuous biometric monitoring, including heart rate, skin temperature, and recovery metrics, with all interaction handled through a companion app and access requiring an annual subscription priced from $149.
According to a Bloomberg report, Google’s new Fitbit band will offer some features at no additional cost beyond the purchase price, while expanded capabilities will be available through a Fitbit Premium subscription, currently priced at $79.99 per year. This positions it as a more accessible alternative to Whoop’s subscription model, while still benefiting from Google’s broader health data infrastructure and Fitbit’s established consumer brand recognition. The question of whether Apple will also enter this screenless fitness band space has already been raised, with Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman suggesting that Apple may need to develop its own comparable device to remain competitive in the health tracking wearables segment, particularly given the brand’s recent expansion of health sensing capabilities through its AirPods Pro range. Whether this will be the only new Fitbit hardware arriving in 2026 remains to be seen, with a successor to the Fitbit Charge 6 also anticipated at some point during the year.
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