Apple is reportedly at the prototype stage for a new fitness and health tracker that looks less like an Apple Watch, and more like Whoop's device. When Apple published its heart study intended to demonstrate that the Apple Watch Series 12 was the most accurate health wearable, it also showed how good some rivals are. That included the Whoop 5 fitness tracker, and now according to Bloomberg, Apple is aiming to compete more directly with that.

Reportedly, some months of research have already taken place and Apple is developing prototype hardware. It's in a phase that Apple is said to refer to as a technology investigation, meaning that it continues to be a research topic. That's as opposed to one that Apple has committed to shipping. Despite support from the likes of Tim Cook and Eddy Cue, the company has yet to decide whether to pursue the new device to market.

For now, the prototype versions are said to be a thin band of fabric, with sensors in a computing module. There won't be a screen, so that this does not compete with Apple Watch, but the controls are also said to be simplified. If the device does get to market, it is reportedly not expected before 2028 at the earliest.