The wearable technology industry is undergoing a major transformation as companies like Whoop, Oura, and Apple are redefining what fitness trackers can do. These brands are shifting their focus from basic workout and sleep tracking to developing smart devices that serve as continuous health companions, enhanced by artificial intelligence. This evolution is pushing wearables into a new role, one that extends beyond casual fitness tracking toward long-term health management.
Whoop and Oura have both seen massive investment in the past year, signaling their growing importance in the health tech space. In 2025, Whoop secured $575 million at a valuation of $10.1 billion, while Oura raised $900 million at $11 billion. These figures represent a significant influx of capital, far exceeding what most consumer health technologies usually see in a decade. The surge in funding highlights a broader trend in which wearables are becoming more than just tools for fitness; they are evolving into devices that offer meaningful health insights.
Whoop and Oura Push Into Health Intelligence
Both Whoop and Oura have spent the past few years adding features that focus on delivering in-depth health insights. Whoop has introduced Blood Pressure Insights, an FDA-cleared ECG function, and Healthspan, which allows users to access targeted blood panels in categories such as cardiovascular health, performance, and women’s health. Whoop has collected over 24 billion hours of health data and reports that users open the app more than eight times a day. This high engagement rate is a crucial indicator of success for a subscription-based business, as it reflects user dependency beyond hardware.
However, with this growth comes regulatory scrutiny. In 2025, the FDA issued a warning letter to Whoop, stating that Blood Pressure Insights qualifies as a medical device and requires marketing authorization. This situation highlights the challenges companies face as wearables increasingly cross into the medical domain. As devices add blood pressure monitoring, metabolic insights, and AI-driven health guidance, the line between wellness features and clinical claims grows thinner, drawing more attention from regulators.
Oura has taken a similar path, building on its foundation of sleep and recovery tracking to expand into broader health intelligence. The new device is 40% smaller than its predecessor, with extended battery life and new software capabilities. Health Radar now tracks nighttime breathing patterns and blood pressure signals, while GLP-1 Insights offer more targeted metabolic tracking. The launch also includes Health Records, which allows users to import clinical data, and a Brain Health Study, further pushing the brand into the preventive health arena.
Apple and Garmin Target Endurance Athletes
Apple has leveraged its dominant position in the wearable market to expand into health research and fitness tracking for serious athletes. The Apple Watch is now more than just a sports tracker; it serves as a research asset through Apple’s ResearchKit platform and Investigator Support Program. These tools have enabled studies on topics like AFib detection, marathon training physiology, and cardiovascular risk. These collaborations with major academic medical centers demonstrate Apple’s commitment to bridging the gap between consumer tech and clinical research.
The company is also focusing on the endurance market, aiming to establish the Apple Watch as the default device for serious athletes. This strategy is highlighted by its partnership with the 2026 TCS London Marathon as the official performance technology partner. Eric Jue, director of Apple Watch product marketing, emphasized the importance of GPS in sports tracking, stating, “(Apple) does have the most accurate GPS in any sports watch, and we’ve tested that against all of the competition. The GPS part of it is so important because that feeds into pace and distance calculations.”
Garmin has similarly capitalized on the endurance segment, with its fitness wearables growing 42% year over year in the first quarter of 2026. The brand has built a strong reputation among serious runners and cyclists through high-performance GPS watches. Now, Garmin is entering the screenless recovery band market with a new product called Cirqa, priced at $199. This move positions Garmin to compete with Whoop in the physiological interpretation space, leveraging its credibility among athletes to challenge an established player.
Google and New Entrants Enter the Market
Google is also trying to reestablish itself in the wearable market through the launch of the Fitbit Air, a screenless health tracker priced at $99.99. The device offers features like heart rate, HRV, SpO2, sleep stage tracking, Afib alerts, and up to a week of battery life. It also includes three months of Google Health Premium, an attempt to bring affordable, always-on health tracking to a broader audience. This product aims to regain market share in a segment Google has largely ceded in recent years.
Ultrahuman, a new entrant, is positioning itself at the technical forefront of the smart ring market. The company targets users who want more than basic sleep tracking, offering deeper, data-driven health insights. By focusing on precision and performance, Ultrahuman is trying to carve out a niche for itself in a competitive market dominated by established players. As the wearable industry continues to evolve, companies like Ultrahuman represent the growing diversity of solutions available to consumers seeking more advanced health tracking tools.