Is Garmin CIRQA already a Whoop killer?

CIRQA hasn’t officially launched yet. It is the most credible Whoop competitor to date based on leaks and Connect app code, but until it ships and is tested, that question is open.

Which of these eight brands is most likely to launch a screenless band first?

This article makes the case for Huawei first (price and manufacturing speed), followed by Oura (IPO timing incentive) and Ultrahuman (track record of fast launches). The counterarguments are in the comments.

Do these bands require a subscription like Whoop?

Three business models are emerging: free (likely Garmin CIRQA, Coros, Wahoo), subscription (Whoop, possibly Apple), and hybrid with a free tier plus paid features (Oura, Fitbit AIR, Huawei). Most of the brands argued for here would likely go free or hybrid to undercut Whoop.