What sets Whoop MG apart vs Whoop 5 on the hardware level
Whoop MG is more expensive than the Whoop 5, and the company says the cost isn’t just about software. It turns out the hardware has changed more than it seems at first glance.
The ECG module is a real physical upgrade
At a glance, Whoop MG looks just like Whoop 5. But the similarities are mostly on the outside. The MG model includes extra components that allow it to record ECG and estimate blood pressure. These are not software-only features. They need specific hardware to function properly.
There’s a miniaturised ECG analog front-end inside the MG. This is made up of conductive pads built into the clasp, a high-resolution analog-to-digital converter, and custom firmware. That setup allows the band to sample your heart’s electrical signals at 250 Hz. That’s clinical grade, not typical fitness tracker quality.
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Those signals get cleaned up before they even leave the band. The firmware runs filtering to remove baseline drift, electrical noise, and motion interference in real time. None of that exists in Whoop 5. It relies entirely on optical heart rate and doesn’t support this kind of electrical signal capture.
The same ECG hardware also enables blood pressure estimation using pulse arrival time. That’s the time it takes for the pressure wave from your heart to reach your wrist. It’s a sensitive method and depends on accurate timing of both the electrical and mechanical signals. Again, not possible with the sensor stack found in Whoop 5.
The data pipeline had to be rebuilt
Once ECG and blood pressure are part of the equation, the entire back-end changes. These metrics are classified as protected health information. That means they can’t be processed or stored in the same way as regular sleep or strain data.
The MG encrypts data on the device, uses a secure protocol during transmission, and stores it separately from the rest of your fitness metrics. The storage system includes audit logging, tamper detection, and a disaster recovery setup. All of it is compliant with HIPAA and GDPR.
It doesn’t stop there. WHOOP has to follow quality management rules under FDA and MDR guidelines. Every algorithm update tied to ECG or blood pressure needs verification and, sometimes, regulatory submission. That means slower rollouts, more testing, and higher ongoing costs.
AI processing happens off the device
The MG band itself doesn’t do the heavy lifting. Once your data reaches the cloud, it’s sent to GPU-backed servers where AI models handle signal interpretation. This includes AFib detection, heart rate variability from ECG, and blood pressure estimation.
Also, its worth noting that these models aren’t static. They’re retrained regularly using new data and are constantly monitored for drift. If accuracy starts to drop, WHOOP retrains or recalibrates the model. That monitoring, version control, and revalidation adds another layer of complexity.
For blood pressure, there’s also nightly recalibration. The system blends your pulse arrival time with previous readings and updates the model gradually to keep it aligned with your physiology. This happens in a separate secure service with extra safeguards, again because of the clinical angle.
And what about Whoop 5.0 vs 4.0?
Well, it might not seem like it – but there are some upgrades here as well.
Let’s summarise them:
- 3x longer battery life than 4.0 (14+ day battery life)
- 7% smaller than 4.0
- 10x more power efficient
- 60% faster processing speed
- improved skin temperature sensors
- updated haptic engine
- improved Fast Link slider for easier band swapping and better band security
- Wireless PowerPack holds charge for 30 data
In terms of the data that you actually get, there is no difference. Currently owners of 5.0 get access to Healthspan metrics. But this will soon come to owners of 4.0.
You can check out the current pricing on Whoop’s website.
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