Kaitlyn Cimino / Android Authority
TL;DR
- WHOOP introduced its 5.0 and MG trackers earlier this month.
- A concerning number of new WHOOP MG owners have been posting about the trackers failing within hours of first use.
- This very public failure follows hot on the heels of WHOOP criticism for backing down from earlier upgrade promises.
Earlier this month, WHOOP introduced its latest fitness trackers, announcing the WHOOP 5.0 and WHOOP Medical Grade (MG). The company’s screen-less solutions offer an alternative to wearables that demand a lot of user attention, so long as you’re cool with the subscription-based model they require. While everything sounded fine initially, it didn’t take too long for the first sign of trouble to creep up, as existing users started complaining about being charged to upgrade to the new hardware, despite earlier promises of getting it for free. As if that weren’t trouble enough, today we’re leaning about yet another dark cloud casting itself over the recent launch.
Compared to the WHOOP 5.0, the WHOOP MG and its corresponding “Life” subscription tier offer advanced health features like atrial fibrillation (AFib) detection, blood pressure insights, and a heart screener with electrocardiogram (ECG). Understandably, a lot of the company’s users found that MG option particularly appealing, and signed up right away. But it took basically no time at all before reports of problems started piling up.
The crew over at Tech Issues Today has been compiling some of these user complaints, and there is absolutely no shortage of them. We hear in multiple Reddit threads, like these from users Kingmasala, SalesRep44, and ivanflo, that their brand-new trackers are just straight-up dying, either right out of the gate or within the first day or so of operation.
Some users, like Mountain-Lead, have shared communication they’ve received from WHOOP where the company says it’s proactively sending our replacement hardware, suggesting awareness of a widespread issue. Frustratingly, some seem to be getting the wrong devices, receiving the base WHOOP 5.0 instead of a direct replacement for the pricier WHOOP MG.
If you’re experiencing issues with your WHOOP tracker, the company offers some troubleshooting steps you can attempt, but you may ultimately need to contact support for a replacement. Just keep your fingers crossed that you get the right one sent to you, we guess.
