Digital health and fitness company WHOOP has released the latest version of its wearable, the WHOOP 4.0. 

The new wearable includes haptic alerts that use gentle vibrations to awaken the wearer based on their sleep cycles, a pulse oximeter and a skin temperature sensor. 

It also features a “health monitor” that allows users to track their heart rate, skin temperature, blood oxygen saturation, resting heart rate, heart rate variability and respiratory rate in one spot. They can also export 30-day or 180-day trends for all this data.

The new tech is smaller than its predecessor, the WHOOP 3.0. It works with WHOOP Body, so allowing the user to place the 4.0 sensor on other places on the body. The company also released lines of training gear, bralettes and boxers where the sensor could be worn.

WHOOP pairs the wearable with a membership program that provides coaching and community support. WHOOP members can receive an upgrade to the 4.0 free of charge. 

"I've been thinking about this technology for more than a decade, and I can promise you that this is the most innovative product we have ever released," Will Ahmed, the company's founder and CEO, said in a statement.

"We've always aspired to develop wearable technology that is either cool or invisible. With the launch of WHOOP 4.0 and WHOOP Body, we have accomplished both."

WHY IT MATTERS

Wearables are a big business. The market is expected to generate a record-breaking $487 billion in revenue in 2021, according to a report by the Consumer Technology Association. 

Big players in the market include Apple, Fitbit, Samsung and Garmin.  

THE LARGER TREND

The company has been making a lot of news lately. Last week, it announced the acquisition of sports technology startup PUSH just after it announced it had raised $200 million in Series F funding.  

The new round of funding brought WHOOP’s valuation to $3.6 billion. It achieved unicorn status, meaning it reached a valuation of at least $1 billion, in October 2020, when it raised another $100 million in Series E financing.