QALO is preparing a screenless fitness tracker

QALO appears ready to move beyond smart rings with a screenless health tracker called the Sport Loop 1. We dug up a recent FCC filing which reveals ECG and a long list of health features, but the hardware itself may not be entirely new.

For those not in the know, QALO was founded in 2013 and made its name selling silicone wedding rings to athletes and people who could not safely wear traditional metal rings. It later entered wearable tech with its subscription-free QRNT smart rings.

QALO moves from rings to wrists

The FCC filing, published on August 17, identifies the new device as the QALO Sport Loop 1, model SL-1. Photos show a screenless rectangular tracker that can be fitted to either a silicone or fabric band.

According to the user manual, it contains optical heart rate and blood oxygen sensors, ECG electrodes and a skin temperature sensor. QALO also lists blood pressure, blood glucose, sleep apnea monitoring, HRV, stress, women’s health and activity tracking. So quite bold claims.

The band itself measures 40.3 by 29.6 by 11.8mm and uses a 110mAh battery. QALO claims more than 10 days of normal use, 30 days of standby time, IP68 water resistance and enough onboard storage for 30 days of data.

ECG readings are started inside the app. The user then places a finger on the electrode for 30 seconds, after which the app can display, save and export the waveform.

That is a lot for one small band, especially the blood glucose, blood pressure and sleep apnea features. However, it’s important to keep in mind that FCC authorization only covers its wireless radio. It does not confirm that any health measurement is accurate.

This hardware has been seen before

Sport Loop 1 appears closely related to the Youhong V8S, a white-label health band already offered to other companies. The V8S manual uses the same dimensions, illustrations, sensor layout and ECG instructions as QALO’s document.

There are some differences. Youhong lists a larger 180mAh battery, Bluetooth 5.4 and an SOS feature, while QALO specifies 110mAh, Bluetooth 5.0 and leaves out SOS.

That does not prove the two products are identical. It does suggest QALO has adapted an existing platform, much like other affordable bands entering the increasingly crowded screenless fitness tracker market.

Some doubts

QALO has already followed a similar playbook with its QRNT smart rings, which appear to use J-Style hardware paired with a custom QALO app. Feedback on social media is mixed, with some happy owners but recurring complaints about battery life, step counts, distance tracking and workout calories.

That does not prove the Sport Loop 1 will have the same problems. It does mean the huge list of health features should be taken with a pinch of salt, particularly blood glucose, blood pressure and sleep apnea monitoring.

QALO has not announced the band, so pricing and launch timing remain unknown. A cheap screenless tracker with no subscription could still be appealing, but only if the app can turn all that sensor data into something people can actually trust.