Technology
‘Medical Grade’ Whoop Tracker Gets Bigger Battery, New Membership Tiers
Fitness tech maker Whoop is back with the Whoop 5.0 and a new high-end Whoop MG that comes with a “medical-grade” ECG function. The screen-free fitness tracker provides users with insights into their recovery, strain, and sleep to help them perform better. The latest iterations build on the product’s functionality with some crucial health-centric features […]
Fitness tech maker Whoop is back with the Whoop 5.0 and a new high-end Whoop MG that comes with a “medical-grade” ECG function.
The screen-free fitness tracker provides users with insights into their recovery, strain, and sleep to help them perform better. The latest iterations build on the product’s functionality with some crucial health-centric features and significantly improved battery life.
The Healthspan feature, for example, uses nine different metrics related to your long-term health to calculate your physiological age, which is an indicator of how well your body is functioning compared with your actual age. This feature is available for users over 18, and it can help them slow down their pace of aging, Whoop says.
(Credit: Whoop)
Women’s hormonal insights are another addition. It goes beyond cycle tracking to “deliver insights on how hormonal shifts influence recovery, sleep, stress, and performance.”
The high-end Whoop MG also offers a new ECG function for users above 22. Called Heart Screener, the feature can take readings from your wrist and detect signs of Atrial Fibrillation, a leading cause of stroke. It also provides Irregular Heart Rhythm Notifications, something that’s been on Apple Watches since 2018.
To access the ECG, “place your thumb and index finger on the ECG-conductive clasp, and get a medical-grade reading in seconds,” Whoop claims.
On-demand ECG on Whoop MG (Credit: Whoop)
Additionally, Whoop MG can send estimated systolic and diastolic readings and provide insights on how blood pressure affects well-being and performance. To get the MG variant, though, you’ll have to shell out a lot more than usual; more on that later.
Whoop also announced an updated Sleep Score for a more accurate reflection of sleep quality. The company is also building an Advanced Labs feature that will soon allow members to schedule blood tests and receive reports on the Whoop app.
In terms of hardware, Whoop says the new trackers are 7% smaller, capture data 26 times per second, and run a redesigned processor that’s 10 times more power efficient.
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As a result, the Whoop 5.0 and Whoop MG can last 14+ days per charge—a significant upgrade over the 5-day battery life on the Whoop 4.0. Snap on the new Wireless Powerpack to charge on the go, and you can get up to a full month of battery life, Whoop says.
In our 2022 review of the Whoop 4.0, we found that it “suffered from inflated heart rate readings and falsely detected activities in testing.” Lifehacker, however, revisited the device recently and found that it’s improved significantly.
Membership Required
Whoop’s charging cases for One, Peak, and Life memberships, respectively (Credit: Whoop)
Unlike other fitness trackers, you can’t pay a one-time fee to purchase Whoop. You need to get a membership to unlock insights on the Whoop app and a lifetime warranty on the hardware. With the launch of Whoop 5.0 and Whoop MG, the company is overhauling its membership model and spreading its features across three new tiers: One, Peak, and Life.
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With the One membership, you get a wired battery pack alongside the Whoop hardware; with Peak and Life, you get the new wireless one.
Furthermore, Whoop One calculates your workouts’ cardiovascular and muscular load. In addition to personalized sleep, strain, and recovery stats, it provides insights about the menstrual cycle and pregnancy. You can get Whoop One for $199 a year.
Whoop’s new membership tiers (Credit: Whoop)
The Whoop Peak membership, on the other hand, is $239 a year and comes with advanced health, fitness, and longevity features. Apart from Healthspan, Peak includes the Health Monitor, comprising metrics such as respiratory rate, resting heart rate (RHR), heart rate variability (HRV), blood oxygen levels (SpO2), and skin temperature. A Stress Monitor measures real-time stress and offers science-backed breathing techniques to increase alertness and relaxation.
The Whoop Life membership is tied to the Whoop MG hardware, which differentiates itself from the Whoop 5.0 with a shinier casing. At $359 a year, the membership unlocks ECG on demand, daily blood pressure insights, and guidance on building habits to improve longevity.
By default, Whoop One comes with a CoreKnit Jet Black band, Whoop Peak comes with a SuperKnit Obsidian band, and Whoop Life comes with a SuperKnit Luxe band in Obsidian or Titanium. However, Whoop offers a wide variety of add-on bands. Among others, there’s a new LeatherLuxe band, crafted using Italian leather to provide a premium look and feel.
About Jibin Joseph
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