Why Removing Screens From Fitness Trackers Made Them 88% More Popular: ‘If It Has a Screen, It’s a Watch’
Companies like Whoop are betting billions that consumers want less tech, not more— and the strategy is paying off in a massive way.
No screen, no problem. That’s the bet $10 billion brands like Whoop, Oura and Fitbit are making, as sales for screenless fitness trackers surged 88% between 2024 and 2025.
Whoop raised $575 million in March while smart ring maker Oura pulled in over $900 million, both now valued north of $10 billion. The market got so hot that Google just launched its own screenless tracker—the $100 Fitbit Air ships May 26.
Apple Watch still dominates the wearables market, but the others aren’t trying to compete head-on. Instead, they’re differentiating by removing the one feature everyone assumed was essential. No screen means weeks of battery life instead of daily charging, enabling the 24/7 health monitoring these brands are betting on. It’s also a style consideration. “If it has a screen, then it’s a watch,” Whoop CEO Will Ahmed told WSJ. “If it’s a watch, then you can’t wear two watches.”
No screen, no problem. That’s the bet $10 billion brands like Whoop, Oura and Fitbit are making, as sales for screenless fitness trackers surged 88% between 2024 and 2025.
Whoop raised $575 million in March while smart ring maker Oura pulled in over $900 million, both now valued north of $10 billion. The market got so hot that Google just launched its own screenless tracker—the $100 Fitbit Air ships May 26.
Apple Watch still dominates the wearables market, but the others aren’t trying to compete head-on. Instead, they’re differentiating by removing the one feature everyone assumed was essential. No screen means weeks of battery life instead of daily charging, enabling the 24/7 health monitoring these brands are betting on. It’s also a style consideration. “If it has a screen, then it’s a watch,” Whoop CEO Will Ahmed told WSJ. “If it’s a watch, then you can’t wear two watches.”
