Whoop has released a new version of his intelligent bracelet, but with a change in his updating policy he damaged the people who maintained him alive: long -standing subscribers.
Whoop 5.0 has arrived, but it’s just the beginning. In a world where refrigerators still require a subscription to access the “Premium cooling”, WHOOP is a kind of pioneer: an intelligent -screen intelligent bracelet that monitors the user 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and tells him when to rest, exercise or drink more water (and probably when calling the midwife). All this in exchange for a monthly subscription. Just a few years ago, it was a new, almost radical approach. Today? An increasingly confused labyrinth of hidden conditions, models and costs. A big change is coming – I scream 5.0.
The evolution of Whoops: from exclusive gadgets for elite to chaos of subscriptions
When Whoop appeared on the market for the first time, he was intended for professionals: elite athletes, coaches, biohackers. His main advantage: the analysis. Not “how many steps you did”, but how your heart rate varies during the REM phase of sleep and if you are able to repeat the marathon of the day before without collapsing.
Later, Whoop launched a revolutionary offer: a free hardware update for faithful customers: if you remained subscribers for at least six months, you received a new bracelet at the exit of the new version. Simple. Until he arrived who 5.0 arrived.
Whoop 5.0: the best product ever?
We have no comments. Whoop 5.0 is a serious step forward:
- Processor 10 times more efficient from an energy point of view – It translates into up to two weeks of autonomy.
- Advanced sensors For even more accurate measurements of sleep, stress, HRV, oxygen in the blood and more.
- Duration of health and rhythm of aging – Analysis that tell you if you are aging like wine or like milk in the sun.
- ECG in versione MGwhich is certified from a medical point of view and clearly addresses the health sector.
In short: this is not a toy. A biometric laboratory on the wrist.
And then: an inversion. Confusion. Panic. Reddit.
Everything would have gone better if Whoop had not changed the conditions of the update from one day to the next. Although an old blog post said that anyone who had at least 6 months of subscription would receive a free update, the company suddenly requested that 12 months of remaining subscriptions or – look at it in a fraction – Payment for the update.
When users rebelled (Reddit went on fire like Apple’s ineffective maps in 2012), the company ceded to pressure, but not completely. Those who have a subscription for more than 12 months now can get WHOOP 5.0 for free. Rest? Let’s say they are “encouraged” to extend.
New subscription models: more choice or just more confusion?
Whoop now offers three packages:
Whoop One – $199/anno
Basic package. Nothing special. There are no updates.
See also
Whoop Peak – $239/anno
Standard. The updates have arrived. Also a wireless charger.
Whoop Life – $359/anno
For those who still want ECG, health analysis and the feeling of living in 2040.
If all this seems complicated, it is because it is. A Reddit user even wrote: “I would prefer to have 10 different protein smoothies to choose from rather than three subscription models that I don’t understand”.
Public relations scandal? Or simply capitalism in sports clothing?
Whoop tried to correct the impression with the classic move “That was a wrong blog post, it was never our official policy”. But the internet, as we know, never forgets. Users have screenshots, interviews, tests. And no, they don’t believe it was a “error”.
What have we learned?
- Transparency matters.
- It is not taken for granted that users are faithful.
- If you are building a community, don’t lie to them in the face.
Whoop 5.0 is undoubtedly an exceptional device. But if the company continues with this approach, even the most advanced algorithms will have difficulty measuring the number of users who simply leave.
