The Verge is covering the rapidly evolving world of wearables. We test everything from smartwatches like the Apple Watch, to smart glasses like the Meta Ray-Bans, to fitness trackers like the Oura Ring to find out which ones deliver on their promises. Follow along to find out whether covering our bodies in screens and sensors can actually make us smarter and healthier.
Unsurprising, given Oura’s discreet form-factor and its long-term relationships with several professional sports organizations. You likely won’t see it on the pitch during this year’s World Cup (FIFA is a no-go for wearables during play). That said, it is another example of how professional athletes are integrating wearables into their training.
Cook once said Apple’s greatest contribution to mankind would be ‘about health.’ If true, he’ll get much of the credit.
According to journalist Ken Klippenstein, ICE may be working on developing smart glasses capable of facial and biometric recognition. Klippenstein claims the agency wouldn’t just be using this tech on illegal aliens, but all Americans, especially protesters. College students proved this tech is already doable, but thanks, I hate it.
[https://www.kenklippenstein.com]
The first hint was a sponsored Instagram post on March 31st. But Curry has been spotted wearing the mysterious device (possibly dubbed “Google Fitbit Air”) in a video from Sotheby’s, and it even made an appearance in a behind-the-scenes clip way back from All-Star weekend. We don’t know much, but it looks like Google is getting ready to take on Whoop.
Multiple CEOs have insisted it’s not ‘just a fitness tech company,’ but maybe it should be.
In a podcast with David Senra, Spiegel says, “I think Meta needed to partner with [Essilor]Luxottica because the Meta brand, I think, is not something people want anywhere near their face.” He’s not wrong. I hear that all the time from y’all in my smart glasses coverage — and the facial recognition controversy hasn’t helped.
The civil rights organization and 75 other groups published an open letter to Mark Zuckerberg, urging him to “immediately halt and publicly disavow” plans for a reported facial recognition feature on its Ray-Ban smart glasses. It’s unsurprising that privacy advocates are wary, especially since documents show Meta originally planned to launch the feature during public unrest.
[ACLU of Massachusetts]
I don’t make a habit of featuring Verge writers in the comment of the day, but since Nilay’s testosterone levels were the impetus for Victoria Song’s latest Optimizer column, on Whoop’s hunt for new health metrics, it only felt fair to air his response.
Nilay Patel:
Cmon everyone wants to see what I’m like jacked on literally 10x the testosterone
Get the day’s best comment and more in my free newsletter, The Verge Daily.
The next big product category Apple is supposedly tackling is display-free smart glasses to rival Meta’s. But the design has yet to be locked in, according to Cupertino whisperer Mark Gurman. The company might launch some or all four of the designs under consideration:
A large rectangular frame, reminiscent of Ray-Ban Wayfarers
A slimmer rectangular design, similar to the glasses worn by Apple Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook
Larger oval or circular frames
A smaller, more refined oval or circular option
Whoop and Oura are health tech trendsetters. But hurtling toward innovation can have some unintended ripple effects.
MAHA is obsessed with these wearables — for all the wrong reasons.
After scoring $575 million in funding earlier this week, Whoop is suing Bevel — a startup that has marketed itself as “Whoop, but for the Apple Watch.” The complaint centers on whether Bevel copied Whoop’s app, a claim the former denies. Can’t lie… I feel like I’ve seen 10,000 versions of this app design over the last decade.
The latest addition to My Play Watch’s collection of gaming wearables is a $79.99 Mega Man version, available for preorder soon, with themed watch faces, sounds, and matching straps. Instead of distracting you with notifications it includes a custom version of the NES’ Mega Man 2 playable on the watch’s small touchscreen.
Digital health screeners weren’t a thing until the Apple Watch. It’s shaped how we think about wearables ever since.
The Oura Ring Pet isn’t real, but based on the Instagram comments, some people really want this.
One way to reduce screen time? The Scrōll Stoppr by Yahoo. Who knows if it actually ships, but these are listed in the TikTok Shop at a price of $4.99 with free shipping for anyone who’s tried every other way to put their phone down.
Not because they’re so ugly, it’s because Garmin wearables that track skin temperature during sleep — like the Fenix 8 and Forerunner 970 — can now feed that data to the FDA-cleared Natural Cycles birth control app to show the wearer’s daily fertility status.
Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman says Nothing plans on launching AI smart glasses during the first half of 2027. The upcoming glasses will reportedly come with built-in cameras, microphones, and speakers, while offloading AI processing to a user’s smartphone and the cloud.
Starting Monday, wearing smart glasses with audio or video recording is verboten in Philadelphia’s courts. That includes prescription smart glasses. Violators could be arrested and face contempt charges. This follows other state bans and a judge reprimanding Mark Zuckerberg’s team for wearing smart glasses during Meta’s social media addiction trial.
[NBC10 Philadelphia]
The Polar Grit X2 Pro smartwatch that debuted in 2024 is now $999.99, but the company’s new Street X has launched at $249.99. It features a 1.28-inch AMOLED touchscreen, built-in GPS with a compass and barometer, a skin temperature sensor, fitness tracking for over 170 sports and activities, and up to 10 days of battery life.
If you buy something from a Verge link, Vox Media may earn a commission. See our ethics statement.
Its smart rings disappeared from sale following a patent dispute with Oura, but the Ring Pro has been cleared to launch thanks to a redesign. Preorders start today from $399, with some discounts for early buyers and no ongoing subscription cost, but the rings won’t ship until May 15th.
If you buy something from a Verge link, Vox Media may earn a commission. See our ethics statement.
This time, the French newspaper found the location of an aircraft carrier because a sailor jogging on deck was recording their run on Strava. This isn’t even the first time. In 2024, Le Monde also found President Emmanuel Macron’s bodyguards also leaked his location by tracking workouts on the platform.
Garmin users can now compose and reply to WhatsApp messages directly from their watch after downloading the app, just like Apple Watch owners. DC Rainmaker has all the details.
The exec, Brian Lynch, will be Oura’s SVP of hardware engineering, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reports.
