The screenless fitness tracker arena will get even more crowded this year with Google’s Fitbit and Garmin likely to release their own devices in the coming weeks and take on Whoop — and a host of other competitors.
Garmin’s tracker, which is though to be called Cirqa, was first teased in late January when a reference to the band, part number, sizing, colors were accidentally leaked on the company’s website and quickly pulled. But now the device appears to be more of a reality, with a trademark filing from February 25 suggesting that the Cirqa name is not just a placeholder.
A serial number for Cirqa was included in the filing and the band is described in the trademark as a device that is “to be placed on the human body, namely, electronic sensors and monitors for measuring and analyzing the body’s physical parameters and other physiological data, bio-signals, and bodily behavior, and for measuring and analyzing recovery from physical and emotional stress, human alertness level, and performance, all for non-medical and non-therapeutic purposes.”
That description is broad and could easily mean that a new Garmin Forerunner smartwatch is on the way.
Garmin is no stranger to the simplified fitness tracker segment and released the Vivofit in 2014, which featured a small curved screen that displayed important information like steps and heart rate and wasn’t as configurable as its watches. But Vivofit pushed into three generations and was a predecessor to the aging Vivosmart, which continues to be sold.
It could be thought that Cirqa is a spiritual successor to Vivosmart, but better equipped to take on Whoop, the Polar Loop, Luna Band, Speediance Strap, Amazfit Helio Strap, Rogbid Halo Band and other players in a packed tracker field.
And that group will grow even larger with Google showing a glimpse of a Fitbit device that’s far more than speculation.
Last week, basketball superstar Stephen Curry offered a clear look at what Google is planning after he posted a short video on social media with him wearing a band style tracker on his wrist.
“I’m excited for what this is going to mean for the world — for health and wellness,” Curry said. “It’s a first of its kind, in a way.”
Curry brings instant star power and eyes to the once-popular Fitbit brand, which was a powerhouse in the fitness tracker world more than a decade ago with the Flex. Google announced in 2019 that it was acquiring Fitbit for $2.1 billion but the deal took over 15 months of regulatory hurdles over concerns of potential antitrust practices and data privacy.
After the deal was completed in 2021, the brand was renamed Fitbit by Google and later changed again to Google Fitbit.
For now, Google is staying quiet about its plans for Fitbit even with Curry’s teaser adding fuel to what the new tracker could offer.
“Our performance advisor has been working with the team to cook up something special,” Google said in a statement shortly after Curry’s reveal. “More to share soon.”
But what’s clear is that a new product is on the way. Bloomberg reported that the tracker will be bundled with an AI-powered health coach and be one of the highlights of the redesigned Fitbit app. The health coach has been previewed since October, with sleep tracking, mental check-ins, cycle health, nutrition and water intake monitoring all included as features.
