I stopped paying for Whoop thanks to this open source app
A tech journalist discusses the shift toward screenless fitness trackers and criticizes the subscription-heavy model of the Whoop fitness band. The author highlights the appeal of open-source alternatives that do not lock data behind a paywall.
Why it matters
The debate highlights growing consumer pushback against subscription-based hardware models in the wearable technology market.
By Sanuj Bhatia Published Jun 13, 2026, 12:15 PM EDT Sanuj is a freelance tech journalist with over six years of experience covering smartphones, wearables, and consumer technology. He currently writes for Android Police, Tom's Guide, Android Central, Android Authority, and Pocket-lint. He has previously contributed to publications like Pocketnow and MakeUseOf. Since the start of 2025 alone, he has tested over 30 smartphones. He has also attended major global trade shows including MWC (2024, 2025, 2026) and IFA (2024, 2025), along with launch events hosted by Google, Samsung, and other leading Android brands. When he's not writing about tech, you'll find him sipping a cup of chai, scrolling Twitter, and reading updates about his favorite football club, Chelsea FC. Feel free to reach out to him via email at sanujb6 [at] gmail [dot] com. Sign in to your Android Police account Add Us On follow Follow followed Followed Like Like Thread Log in Here is a fact-based summary of the story contents: Try something different: Show me the facts Explain it like I’m 5 Give me a lighthearted recap Ever since the launch of the Fitbit Air last month, interest in screenless fitness trackers has skyrocketed.
The article is a personal tech review, which inherently contains subjective opinion, but it remains focused on consumer utility.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in