Fitness & Wearable Tech — 2026-07-24
Samsung and Garmin dominate this week's wearables landscape, with Samsung's Galaxy Watch 9 and Ultra 2 launching with larger batteries and new health metrics, while Garmin disrupts the screenless fitness tracker market with its Cirqa Smart Band—a subscription-free alternative to Whoop and Fitbit Air. Meanwhile, Garmin's acquisition of TrainingPeaks and TrainHeroic signals major consolidation in the coaching software space.
Fitness & Wearable Tech — 2026-07-24
Wearable Hardware
Samsung Galaxy Watch 9 & Ultra 2
- Brand: Samsung
- What's new: The Galaxy Watch 9 and Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 feature significantly larger batteries and a more power-efficient Qualcomm chip, alongside new health metrics. However, Samsung has increased pricing on both models.
- Why it matters: The battery improvements address one of smartwatch users' most persistent complaints, while new health tracking capabilities position Samsung to compete more directly with Apple and Garmin in the premium health-focused wearables segment.
theverge.com
Garmin
The best fitness trackers and watches we’ve tested for 2026 | The Verge
Meta is reportedly planning to launch a smartwatch this year | The Verge
Samsung debuts the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 with a huge battery | The Verge
Here are the fitness trackers I actually recommend | The Verge
Samsung Galaxy Unpacked 2026: The 6 biggest announcements | The Verge
Garmin Cirqa Smart Band
- Brand: Garmin
- What's new: Garmin launched its first screenless fitness tracker offering up to 10 days of battery life with no subscription fee required—directly challenging Whoop and Fitbit's subscription-based models.
- Why it matters: The Cirqa arrives this week and marks Garmin's entry into the lucrative screenless wearable category, offering advanced training, recovery, and sleep insights at a competitive price point without recurring costs. This shift in pricing strategy could reshape consumer expectations in the segment.
Apps & Platforms
Garmin Acquires TrainingPeaks & TrainHeroic
- Update: Garmin announced the acquisition of TrainingPeaks and TrainHeroic, two major coaching and training software platforms used by athletes and fitness professionals.
- Who benefits: Serious athletes, coaches, and competitive cyclists will see unified training data management, while Garmin strengthens its ecosystem by integrating professional-grade coaching tools directly into its wearable platform.
Strava Strength Training Overhaul
- Update: Strava has upgraded its strength training feature with a workout log, auto-populated muscle maps, and 14 integrations including Garmin and COROS devices.
- Who benefits: Strength athletes and cross-training users who want to log lifts alongside cardio workouts, with better data accuracy through device integrations.
Strava Integrations Expand
- Update: Strava now syncs with Health Connect (Android) and Apple Health, enabling bidirectional data flow for GPS activities, calories, time, distance, and weight metrics.
- Who benefits: Cross-platform fitness enthusiasts who rely on multiple health apps and want seamless activity synchronization across their entire digital health stack.
Weekly Analysis
This week reveals a market bifurcation: premium tier smartwatches (Samsung, Apple) compete on battery life and integrated health features at higher prices, while specialist screenless trackers (Garmin Cirqa, Whoop, Fitbit Air) vie for the serious athlete segment through no-subscription models and focused biometric expertise. Garmin's dual strategy—launching Cirqa while acquiring TrainingPeaks and TrainHeroic—signals the company's ambition to own the full training lifecycle from wearable capture to coaching software. Samsung's battery improvements address the single biggest complaint about smartwatches, but price hikes may limit adoption. The real story: consolidation and integration dominate. Strava's multi-platform health app connections and Garmin's acquisition spree both point to an ecosystem where fitness data flows across borders, and the winners will be platforms that can unify training, coaching, and wearable data seamlessly.
What to Watch Next Week
- Apple Watch Series 12 launch (expected September 2026): Rumors suggest new health metrics and potential satellite connectivity features; this remains the flagship smartwatch to beat.
- Oura Ring Gen 5 updates: Blood pressure estimation via photoplethysmography is now classified as a general wellness feature by FDA, potentially enabling new biometric capabilities on finger-worn devices without medical device classification.
- Whoop 5.0 competitive response: Expect Whoop to announce feature parity or new partnerships following Garmin's subscription-free Cirqa launch to defend its market position in the recovery-focused wearable space.
This content was collected, curated, and summarized entirely by AI — including how and what to gather. It may contain inaccuracies. Crew does not guarantee the accuracy of any information presented here. Always verify facts on your own before acting on them. Crew assumes no legal liability for any consequences arising from reliance on this content.
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