Whoop's Wearable Whirlwind

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Welcome back to Tech Between the Lines-a
special edition episode today,

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folks!

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Special edition, huh?

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Should I be worried?

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Oh no, not worried-excited!

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This one's a rollercoaster.

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We're diving into the drama around
Whoop's brand-new hardware launch.

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Rollercoaster?

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Sounds more like a train wreck waiting to
happen.

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Okay,

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fair.

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But it's juicy, Finn!

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We've got new fitness trackers,

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broken promises, and-Wait, let me guess.

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Social media outrage?

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You nailed it.

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The Whoop 5.

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0 and MG just dropped,

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and instead of applause,
they're getting roasted online.

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Sounds about

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right.

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What's the problem this time?

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Was it overpromised?

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Or underdelivered?

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Oh, it's a mix of both.

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They've made some pretty bold moves with
the hardware upgrades-super

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sleek stuff.

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But, uh-Let me guess again.

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They tweaked something just enough to
tick off their loyal fans?

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You're

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getting really good at this.

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Their subscription model is at the heart
of the controversy.

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But before we get into all the uproar,

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let's talk about the shiny new features.

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Ready to geek out?

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Geeking out isn't exactly my scene,

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but for you, sure.

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Let's hear it.

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Alright, Finn,
even you might appreciate this one.

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First up, the Whoop 5.

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0-this isn't just a minor tweak.

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It's 7% smaller than the 4.

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0, which was already impressively compact.

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And get this: it's got a 14-day battery
life.

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A 14-day battery?

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Finally, something that doesn't need
charging every night.

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Now, if only they'd add a screen.

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Ha,

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well, screens aren't Whoop's style.

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They're sticking with that minimalist,

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screen-less approach, but they've
supercharged it with a data boost-tracking

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health metrics 26 times per second!

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Ah yes,

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26 times per second.

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Because tracking it 10 times wasn't
enough?

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What'd we do before all these "metrics"
anyway?

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Just guess if we felt tired?

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Oh come on,

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Finn, this is cutting-edge stuff!

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And then we've got the Whoop
MG-medical-grade with FDA-cleared ECG

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capability.

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It's a whole new level.

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Medical-grade,

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huh?

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So, what?

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It replaces your doctor now?

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Not quite,

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but it does up the ante.

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The MG tracks blood pressure,
heart rhythms,

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and even hormonal insights for women.

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And-and this is the killer feature-it
calculates your "Whoop Age" using

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nine key biomarkers.

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It's basically giving you a snapshot of
your healthspan!

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Your "Whoop Age."

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Let me guess,
I'm probably 83 by their metrics.

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Sounds more like a guilt-trip generator
than a fitness tracker.

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No,

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no, it's not about guilt-it's about,

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you know, understanding how your habits
impact your longevity.

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Plus, they've made it wearable in
different places,

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like around your arm or even your torso.

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That's a lot more versatility than just
the wristbands.

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Great.

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Now people can track their stress levels
wherever they think they don't

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already have enough.

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You're impossible.

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But seriously, imagine the potential here.

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This isn't just a tracker-it's like
having a personal health lab.

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The implications for personal health
monitoring are huge.

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This could really-Yeah, if you've got the
patience to figure out all

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those metrics.

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For the rest of us, it's probably just a
reminder we should eat more

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broccoli.

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Maybe!

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But still, the tech here is incredible.

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And honestly, this hardware makes most
other wearables feel pretty basic.

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Alright,

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so after diving into all those amazing
features,

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here's where things get a little more
interesting.

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As groundbreaking as Whoop's new gadgets
are,

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they do come with, let's say,
a few considerations to keep in mind.

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Strings?

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Sounds more like a tangled web.

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Let me guess,
this is about their upgrade promise?

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Nailed it again!

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Since 2018, their subscription model has
included free hardware upgrades-sign

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up, stay a member for six months,

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and boom, you got the latest tracker at
no extra cost.

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It was like this unspoken pact with their
users.

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Ah,

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nothing like "free" to keep folks happy.

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Let me guess, they broke the pact.

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Yup.

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With the 5.

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0 and MG, they've dropped the whole
free-upgrade thing.

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Now, users have to extend their
memberships by a year or pay an upgrade

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fee-49 bucks for the 5.

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0, 79 for the MG.

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I knew it.

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This isn't their first rodeo, you know.

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Back in the '90s, there was this big
name-won't drop it here-we're talking

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major player in PCs, by the way.

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They promised lifetime support for their
fancy new desktops.

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Guess what?

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Within two years, "lifetime" mysteriously
turned into "limited." Customers

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went ballistic.

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Wow, classic bait and switch.

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Honestly, it gets worse.

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People started noticing that a blog post
from March of this year-it confirmed

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the free upgrades-just vanished from
their site.

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Like, poof, gone.

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Oh, that's subtle.

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Nothing screams "trustworthy" like
scrubbing your own promises from history.

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What's their excuse?

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Get this: a spokesperson told The Boston
Globe,

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"Like any company, we update our
commercial policies." That's it.

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No apology,
no acknowledgment of the outrage.

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Just...

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"We changed the rules,
deal with it."Translation?

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"We've got new toys,
and you're gonna pay for 'em,

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like it or not." Bold move.

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Did they at least improve the membership
tiers?

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Depends how you look at

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it.

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They added three new tiers-Whoop One at
199 bucks,

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Peak at 239, and Life at 359 for the MG.

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But get this-those on the base plan?

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They're locked out of advanced health
metrics entirely.

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Pay more if you want the good stuff.

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So it's like buying a premium car

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and discovering you have to shell out
extra for the steering wheel.

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They're cooking up some creative ways to
tick people off.

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Exactly!

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And loyal users aren't letting it slide.

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They're calling it "shady," "false
advertising," and honestly?

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They're not wrong.

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Alright,
so the backlash has been nothing short of

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explosive.

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Social media is flooded with furious
posts,

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users are demanding explanations,

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and some are even posting screenshots of
the promises that Whoop quietly

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erased.

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It's messy, and honestly,
it's hard to blame them.

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Ah,

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the sweet sound of a PR firestorm.

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Let me guess-X, Reddit,
all the usual suspects?

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You got it.

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One X post said it all: "Whoop promised
free upgrades.

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Now they're charging $49 and wiping their
website.

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Not cool." And honestly,
it's hard to argue with that.

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Not at all.

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When you yank away a promise, especially
one baked into your whole model,

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people are gonna notice.

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And let's face it; this isn't some
revolutionary blunder.

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Plenty of companies have pulled stunts
like this before.

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True,

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but man, the timing couldn't be worse.

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Competitors like Garmin and Oura are also
using subscription models,

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but guess what?

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They're not reneging on their promises.

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That makes Whoop's move look even worse
by comparison.

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Yeah,

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Garmin's probably sitting back,

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watching this unfold with popcorn in hand.

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And Oura?

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They've built this loyal following with a
no-surprises approach.

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They're probably reaping the benefits
right now.

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It feels like a missed

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opportunity for Whoop to lead with
innovation instead of squeezing their

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user base for more cash.

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But here's the thing-Here's the
thing-it's about trust,

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right?

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Once you break that, it doesn't matter if
you've got a tracker that brews

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your coffee and tells you stock tips.

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You're toast.

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Exactly.

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Although, it's situations like this that
sometimes force brands to evolve,

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you know?

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Maybe this will push the whole
subscription model space into new

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territory.

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Like, what if Whoop or one of their
rivals actually comes up with a system

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that balances user loyalty with
profitability?

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And what if pigs fly?

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It's the tech world; they'll just find a
shinier way to keep people on

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the hook.

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You're such a cynic, Finn.

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But I still think this drama could set
off some creative thinking.

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Both users and companies are gonna push
for something better,

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at least with enough heat.

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Maybe this'll end as a turning point.

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Or it ends with Whoop scrambling

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just to keep the lights on while Garmin
and Oura scoop up their users.

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Either way, it's got the rest of the
industry paying attention,

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that's for sure.

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Totally.

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The ripple effects here could be huge,

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and not just for Whoop but for the whole
wearables market.

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If nothing else, it's a wake-up call.

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Finn,

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if this whole Whoop mess makes one thing
clear,

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it's that the industry's got its eyes
wide open right now.

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You've got state-of-the-art tech on one
hand and,

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well, decisions that seem to walk
backwards on the other.

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Questionable?

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That's generous.

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Let's call it what it is-trust gymnastics.

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They've bent over backwards and dropped
the ball.

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Still,

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though,
the advancements are kind of thrilling.

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The potential for health monitoring,

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the customization-it's like-It's like
dangling a Ferrari keychain and

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handing you a bicycle.

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Alright, fair,

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but it does show how fast this space is
evolving.

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Wearables are only getting smarter,

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and who knows where this tech goes next?

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Hopefully somewhere that doesn't

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involve rewriting promises in
disappearing ink.

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But yeah, I'll admit,
the tech itself is solid.

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If they can stop stepping on their own
toes,

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maybe they'll stick the landing next
time.

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Here's hoping!

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Okay, listeners, that's a wrap for today.

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What do you think about the Whoop drama?

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Share your thoughts with us on X,

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Reddit, or wherever you hang out online.

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And hey,

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if you're already wearing a tracker,

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maybe check if it's tracking your blood
pressure through this podcast.

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You're welcome.

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On that note,
thanks for tuning into Tech Between the

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Lines.

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Stay curious, stay critical,
and always read between the lines.

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Catch

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you on the next one.