Deep Dive Digest #16: Screenless Band Wars, Garmin Sued for False Claims & Apple’s AI Gamble
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Whoop built a $1 billion category and every boardroom in wearables wants a piece of it. CIRQA is unshipped. Fitbit Air arrived at $99. This issue maps the key brands most likely to move: they’re not yet contenders but probably more than uninterested onlookers.
Two big bets are in play, and both tell you the era of easy growth is gone. Amazfit’s three-year exclusive HYROX partnership has now produced a dedicated HYROX watch. The wager is that owning the fastest-growing fitness format beats fighting for share in a crowded watch market. Apple bet the Watch on AI: watchOS 27 leaves traditional sport and health features at maintenance pace while the engineering effort goes to intelligence. One company is buying a sport, the other is buying a future. Both are Hail Marys dressed as strategy.
The lawsuits are maturing too. Garmin faces a proposed US class action over accuracy claims on its BIA scale and Index S2. Patent disputes protect growth; false claims cases pick over what has already been sold. This industry now has both to contend with in growing volumes.
From 2028 the UCI will cap bike computer sizes in competition at 126 by 71mm. Every current device complies. A governing body that spent a decade arguing about sock height has found a new hill, and there is nobody on it. Markets mature, and so do their bureaucracies.
Elsewhere: Oura’s CEO has confirmed the ring most commonly mistakes sex for horseback riding. such mistakes leave the data nerds speechless. Well, breathless at least.
Whoop killers: which brands will launch a screenless band?
Every boardroom in wearables is watching Whoop’s $1bn category. CIRQA hasn’t shipped and rivals are already drawing up the spec. Eight brands, one case each: here’s why they’ll all build one. The counterarguments are yours.
Amazfit goes all in on HYROX. Hail Mary or smart investment?
Amazfit signed a three-year exclusive global partnership with HYROX in April 2026. The licence fee was not disclosed. For a loss-making company, the size of the commitment matters. Smart bet or Hail Mary?
Apple watchOS 27: all the details, just the facts
Everything announced for watchOS 27 at WWDC 2026. Compatibility, AI requirements, sport and fitness features, health, timeline. Updated as betas reveal more.
Amazfit Cheetah 2 Ultra Review: Trail Watch Tested
The Amazfit Cheetah 2 Ultra improves on the Pro across every test: GPS up from 73% to 85%, five Excellent heart rate sessions from six, and a 55-hour GPS battery projection. The trail-specific features work. At £599.90 it faces the Garmin Forerunner 970 at the same price.
My Oura ring thinks I’m having sex when I’m on a horse.
Oura CEO Tom Hale has confirmed that the ring’s automatic activity detection most commonly mistakes horseback riding and wrestling for sex. We looked at how every major wearable platform handles the same category, and only one gets it right.
Banned: Large Bike Computers in Competitions from 2028 as Pros Faced with UCI Ban
The governing body has capped bike computer dimensions at 126 × 71mm. No current device is banned, but the rule closes off where the industry was heading next, and the cognitive load argument has a flaw.
Garmin Sued Over Misleading Accuracy Claims In USA (BIA, Index S2)
Garmin is facing a proposed class action in the US over misleading accuracy claims on one of its health tracking products. Here are the case details, allegations, the rebuttal, and where the case is likely to turn.
The Deep Dive Podcast
Listen to one of our recent discussions on the Deep Dive podcast – EP74 The Screenless Whoop Killer War
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Last Updated on 28 June 2026 by the5krunner
My favourite kit and nutrition
- Injinji – Runners protect your toes. Avoid discomfort and minor injury. Run more. run faster. I use them.
- Garmin 90-degree charging adapter — the small adapter that keeps your charging cables tidy. Essential for race day. I use one.
- Garmin charging puck — the fastest and most reliable way to top up your Garmin before a session. I use one.
- Ravemen FR300 — front light that mounts directly under your Garmin or Wahoo head unit. Keeps your bars clean and your beam pointed where it matters. I use one.
- Body Glide – The Blue anti-chafe stick that all swimmers and many runners use. I use it.
- Maurten — the race nutrition trusted by elite athletes. Gels and drink mix engineered to be easy on the stomach. I use them.
- Garmin Varia RTL515 — radar rear light that alerts you to vehicles approaching from behind. Pairs with your Edge or Garmin watch. I use this model.
- Favero Assioma Pro RS2 — the power meter pedals most serious cyclists end up choosing. Accurate, easy to move between bikes. I use this model.
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tfk is the founder and author of the5krunner, an independent endurance sports technology publication. With 20 years of hands-on testing of GPS watches and wearables, and competing in triathlons at an international age-group level, tfk provides in-depth expert analysis of fitness technology for serious athletes and endurance sport competitors. ID
