Polar shows first glimpse of its new screenless Whoop competitor
Polar has just shared a first look at its upcoming wearable set to launch on September 3. The new image gives away more than the previous teasers did. It shows the curved silhouette of what looks like a lightweight strap, and there is no screen in sight.
This lines up with what we suspected all along. Polar is leaning into screenless health tracking. The new visual strongly hints at a Whoop-style device.
Polar leans into minimalist health tracking
The teaser image is part of Polar’s French-language marketing. It appears in an email header with the following text:
Free shipping | Easy returns | 2-year warranty
That’s not the interesting part. The real focus is the photo below. A shadowy outline shows a slim band, with a curved form that wraps like a wrist strap or band. One end appears to house a small sensor unit. The other side shows a secure loop, possibly for adjusting tension.
It looks like a design made for passive health tracking. Something that stays out of the way during the day and night but keeps logging data in the background. Very much along the lines of the Polar 360. But clearly not the same device.
Still no specs but the message is clear
Polar has not published any technical specs yet. But the branding continues to suggest this is not going to be a smartwatch. Their earlier teaser said: “Not another screen… Promise.” That is a pretty strong message.
Essential reading: Top fitness trackers and health gadgets
If this turns out to be a redesigned consumer version of the Polar 360, it will likely come with heart rate tracking, sleep monitoring and raw data exports. The Polar 360 has already been used by businesses but has never been available to the general public.
That could now be changing. A recent FCC filing appears to match the timing of this teaser. It may well be for the same device.
No subscription?
We are fairly sure this will be a device without a subscription. If our expectation turns out to be accurate, Polar will offer a similar experience to Whoop but without locking data behind a monthly plan. That would set it apart.
Whoop has defined the screenless wearable category. But the subscription model puts off a lot of people. If Polar keeps things simple, with a one-time purchase that syncs to the Flow app, it could appeal to users who want recovery insights without a recurring cost.
To pull that off, they will need to improve the software experience. Whoop’s app is clear and focused on recovery and strain. Polar Flow is capable but built around watches. If this new band is going to succeed, the app will need to evolve with it.
More screenless bands are on the way
Polar is not alone in this direction. Zepp Health has the Helio Strap. Garmin revealed its Index Sleep Band. And Whoop continues to refine its offering. These devices all have something in common. They are not watches. They focus on one or two things like sleep or recovery, and they try to do that well.
This new teaser confirms that Polar is moving in the same direction. And with the launch date now fixed for September 3, we will not have to wait long to find out exactly what this strap delivers.
This article originally appeared on Gadgets & Wearables, the first media outlet to report the story.
Subscribe to our monthly newsletter! Check out our YouTube channel.
