Whoop (5.0 / MG) vs Withings ScanWatch in 2026

Whoop (5.0 / MG)

Whoop (the 5.0 and the 'Medical Grade' MG, both launched May 8, 2025, from Whoop, founded 2012 in Boston by Will Ahmed) is a screen-free biometric wrist band and the subscription-only archetype of the biometric cohort: there is no standalone hardware sale. Access is a membership, Whoop One at $199/year, Peak at $239/year, and Life at $359/year (which includes the MG hardware), with the band provided inside the subscription.

Its PPG, skin-temperature, SpO2, and respiratory sensors feed Strain, Recovery, and Sleep Coach analytics and an LLM 'Whoop Coach'; the MG adds ECG, Blood Pressure Insights, and a Healthspan / 'Whoop Age' feature. DEPLOY records commercial maturity and a reported $10.1 billion valuation (March 2026).

Whoop is the strongest verified-vs-claimed cautionary exemplar in the cohort: its ECG is FDA-cleared (2025), but it marketed Blood Pressure Insights without clearance, drew an FDA Warning Letter on July 14, 2025, refused to remove the feature, and as of May 2026 the matter is unresolved with a class action filed, the market-first contrast to Oura's study-first posture.

Withings ScanWatch

The Withings ScanWatch (the ScanWatch 2 at about $349 and the ScanWatch Nova, including the Nova Brilliant at about $600, November 2024; from Withings, founded 2008 in France and independent since buying itself back from Nokia in 2018) is the hybrid-analog entry of the biometric cohort: a conventional analog watch dial paired with medical sensors (optical PPG, electrical ECG, SpO2, and TempTech24/7 continuous temperature) and about 30-day battery. Its cleared features include ECG (for AFib, sinus rhythm, and high heart rate, cleared 2021, with an OTC ECG clearance in 2025), SpO2 with breathing-disturbance detection, and temperature trends, with an optional Withings+ subscription (~$9.95/month).

It carries substantial peer-reviewed cardiologist validation for the size of the company. Cap-flag: as a French maker it is cleared in both the EU and the US, with different specific indications by region.