Whoop 5.0 Disappointment: No Free Upgrade and Controversial New Membership Model
Whoop 5.0 Is Here – Smaller, More Powerful, and With Up to 14 Days of Battery Life. But the New Membership Model Divides the Community. What does the MG model with an ECG sensor bring to the table? And why are some users disappointed by the broken promise of a “free upgrade”?
On May 8, 2025, Whoop unveiled the fifth generation of its fitness tracker, Whoop 5.0, along with a new “MG” variant featuring medical-grade sensors, and a completely redesigned membership system.
The new model boasts up to 14 days of battery life, a 7% reduction in size, and new metrics including ECG tracking and “Healthspan” (biological age). However, access to these features depends on choosing a more expensive subscription tier.
We built this site to test, compare, and review smart rings—but we strongly believe it’s essential to evaluate them in the broader context of the wearable ecosystem.
That’s why we’re also testing devices like the Whoop 5.0. Understanding how it stacks up helps us better judge what smart rings are doing right—and where they still need to catch up.
While officially promoted as a major leap forward in health and performance tracking, the announcement has sparked a wave of criticism among long-time users. Let’s take a closer look at the three key points of contention:
- The unfulfilled promise of a free upgrade
- The introduction of tiered memberships
- And whether Whoop 5.0 is truly an innovation—or just a clever marketing move.
🙃 Free Upgrade? Promise vs. Reality
This one’s a hot topic. Whoop earned loyalty in the past by bundling its hardware with the membership cost—meaning users didn’t have to buy a new device with every generation. As recently as late 2024, the company’s official materials stated:
“Instead of purchasing new hardware with each upgrade, Whoop members will receive the next generation device for free, provided they’ve been members for 6 months or more.”
This promise built trust—users paying the premium monthly fee believed they’d automatically receive the latest Whoop device.
Want to Find That Information Now? Tough Luck.
Existing Whoop 4.0 Users Quickly Found Out the New Model Wouldn’t Be Automatic.
Instead, they’d need to either pay a one-time fee (around $49 for the base version, or ~$79 for the MG model), or commit to extending their membership by another full year—often at a higher subscription rate.
🔥 Community Backlash
Unsurprisingly, this sparked an uproar among long-time users, especially on forums like Reddit.
One Reddit post, however, suggests a potential workaround—no lawsuits required (though some are reportedly in the works). The trick? Simply message Whoop support and state that you’ve been a member for over 6 months.
It might just work out for you—just like it did for Leo:
Three Membership Tiers: More Choice or Just More Confusion?
The second wave of backlash came with Whoop’s major overhaul of its membership plans. Gone is the simple, unified subscription (with only the length of commitment to consider). Instead, users now have to choose between three distinct tiers: Whoop One, Whoop Peak, and Whoop Life—each with different pricing and feature sets.
What Does It All Mean?
- Whoop is clearly expanding its focus beyond athletes, aiming squarely at the Health and Wellness crowd—and it’s honestly surprising they haven’t dropped the word Longevity yet 😄
- The entry-level Whoop One is, in many ways, a step down from the 4.0 model: no Stress or Health monitoring, and you’re back to wired charging.
- On the plus side, the promised 14-day battery life is a strong selling point.
- At the top end, the Whoop Life tier leans hard into the hype around high-end health tracking, offering premium metrics like ECG and Blood Pressure—but only if you’re willing to pay.
I’m not the only one who was instantly reminded of the first episode of the new Black Mirror season. The timing? Let’s just say it couldn’t have been worse for Whoop 😅
Progress or Just Marketing?
Whoop 5.0 brings a handful of improvements: a smaller form factor, longer battery life (up to 14 days), and faster data processing. The Whoop MG variant adds ECG and blood pressure estimates.
However, for the average user, these changes aren’t groundbreaking. The real shift lies in the new business model—with three subscription tiers, where advanced features are locked behind the most expensive option.
🤔 In Conclusion
On paper, the Whoop 5.0 is far from a flop—it combines the unique qualities of a screenless tracker with stellar battery life, continuous monitoring, advanced analytics, and standout features like Coach and Journaling.
However, the way the upgrade was rolled out—and the changes to the subscription model—left many fans feeling uneasy. Whoop will need to tread carefully to maintain the trust of its community. The brand’s mission to “unlock human performance and health” risks being overshadowed by the perception that what it’s really unlocking… is wallets.
It seems Whoop seriously underestimated the mindset of its loyal base—many of whom expected that paying a subscription meant they’d receive the best version automatically when new hardware dropped. With the new subscription tiers—otherwise a solid idea—they’ve shattered that expectation completely.
It’d be easy to jump on the hate bandwagon. Loud voices always drown out the quiet, content users. Personally, I’m curious about the device itself and the sensor quality. But I can’t shake the lingering aftertaste of business-marketing hype. Unfortunately, that’s just part of the modern wearable landscape 💸.
Whoop one month free
Even though I still had 18 months left on my subscription, the upgrade ended up costing quite a bit—and the subscription period got shortened in the process…
So once the Whoop 5.0 MG finally arrives, we’ll take a proper look at it here on the blog and over on the YouTube channel. Stay tuned!
Feel free to let me know in the comments—did the new updates get you excited, or are you feeling more let down?
