I’ve spent a few weeks with the Whoop 5.0, which is a return to the days when simple fitness bands ruled wearables, and distraction-free health tracking was the standard. Since then, smartwatches and smart rings have taken over, but is the change for the better? While the Whoop 5.0 has its quirks, and I personally get more value from the Apple Watch Series 10, I have identified several things Apple would be wise to imitate for the Apple Watch Series 11 and in WatchOS 12.
The Strain metric
The Whoop 5.0’s app uses three key metrics to help you understand your current state and position for the day: Sleep, Recovery, and Strain. Strain is the most interesting of the three, as it’s a different, but arguably more interesting way of assessing how hard you’ve worked. It takes in the data we’re more familiar with, such as steps and heart rate, and presents it in an easy to understand, but unique way.
You’re given a target Strain level and the Whoop keeps track of your activity during the day, and gives advice on how to reach it. It avoids the simplicity of step count or calorie burn, which some prefer not to know, as a way to understand how much you can push yourself. The Whoop app’s advice doesn’t just say “take a walk,” or “workout,” in its efforts to motivate you either.
It goes deeper by saying you’d need a 40 minute walk to reach your goal, and often suggests alternative activities like cleaning the house. Apple Health is far more passive, and I rarely have any reason to open the app. Whoop’s Strain metric encourages me to look at my stats more deeply, and then prompts me to get moving in ways which better suit my lifestyle. Yes, it’s another number in a sea of other numbers, but the way Strain evolves during the day, affected by more than just steps, makes it even more motivational than Apple’s already excellent and easy to visualize Rings.
Whoop band material
Apple’s range of bands for the Apple Watch covers almost all tastes and environments, but it would do well to take a close look at the straps attached to the Whoop 5.0, as they’re excellent. Whoop has three different types of strap — CoreKnit, SuperKnit, and SuperKnit Luxe — for the Whoop 5.0 and Whoop MG. I’ve been wearing the SuperKnit Luxe, and it’s soft, suitably stretchy, yet still grippy due to the way it’s constructed.
The do-it-all Apple Sport Loop band works in most situations, but for all its comfort, Whoop’s SuperKnit material is a step above. The closest parallel in Apple’s official range of bands of the Solo Loop, but it’s still heavier and less flexible. For 24-hour wear, I’d love to see an Apple Watch band in a material similar to Whoop’s SuperKnit. It’s really that comfortable.
Healthspan and Pace of Aging
In addition to Strain, there’s another data-driven Whoop feature I’d love to see in a future version of Apple Health and on the Apple Watch. It’s called Healthspan, and it only unlocks after you’ve tracked sleep for 21 nights. It’s also only available on the Whoop Peak and Life subscription plans, so you have to pay more to get it. However, it’s one of the few pay features most will find informative and motivational.
By using sleep, VO2 Max, type of workouts, Strain, and other factors it estimates your Whoop Age. If this is lower than your actual age, you’re doing the right things, but if it’s over then perhaps things need to change. It also calculates your Pace of Aging, helping understand your lifestyle’s affect on your body. It’s all accompanied by clear, informative graphs which show exactly where improvements can be made.
Healthspan is probably the most unique and informative data-driven health feature available in the Whoop app, and by incorporating something similar into Apple Health, the Apple Watch could elevate itself beyond its primarily casual focus, yet still remain relevant to those who aren’t into hardcore sport. I’m all for wearables explaining how my daily life impacts my long-term health, and Healthspan gets the balance between showing heavy stats and staying useful exactly right.
Longer battery life
I’ve worn the Whoop 5.0 for 21 days as I write this, and I’ve charged the battery once during this time. Whoop’s own estimate of the battery returning 14 days on a single charge seems to be accurate, and very different from the two days battery life I get from the Apple Watch Series 10. Not having to think about regularly charging a battery is freeing, and a genuine benefit of a screen-less fitness tracker like the Whoop.
Getting 14 days battery life from a complex smartwatch like the Apple Watch, with all the health tracking features active, is unlikely, but we are seeing advances in models like the OnePlus Watch 3. Its battery easily lasts four days on a single charge. I don’t expect Apple to suddenly work out how to extend the battery life to match the Whoop, but getting closer to the OnePlus Watch 3 should be a priority for the Apple Watch Series 11.
What’s next for the Apple Watch?
The Apple Watch Series 10 is my favorite smartwatch, but even I can see how it has only marginally advanced over the past couple of years. I’ve no doubt the Apple Watch Series 11 will continue to be one of the best smartwatches you can buy, but to take it to the next level and remain truly compelling, it needs something extra.
I don’t want direct copies of any Whoop features, and the Whoop itself is far from perfect, but spending some time with it did show me the joy of wearing a highly focused, distraction-free health tracker with some interesting ideas inside. The Apple Watch Series 11 is expected to launch later this year, likely alongside the Apple iPhone 17 series, while WatchOS 12 will be first revealed at WWDC 2025 in June. We’ve also explored some of the features the iPhone 17 will need to be compelling too.
