EP33 - July 20, 2025 - Deep Dive chat on Sports Tech and training of the week (ft_ AI Insights)
Lots of things to discuss this week with some more general stories after the last few weeks of new product announcements. A little bit on a new bike from Cervelo and ...oh, and a bit of endurance sports tech as usual ;-)
- FitGearHunter Helio Accuracy Review
- TheQuantifiedScientist Helio accuracy Review
- Garmin Rally X10 Leaked
- Whoop rebuffs FDA warning
- Hilo Band is first cuffless BP monitor
- Form Swim Review - dcrainmaker
- gpllama Zwift HUD updates
- Escape Collective TdF and Cherry Juice:
- New Balance V5 Review
- A rethink on women's fitness marketing athlnews
Resources & Links:
- Main Channel: https://the5krunner.com
- My other channels: https://linktr.ee/the5krunner
—Credits: Content in this episode was generated using AI tools (NotebookLM) based on original content from @the5krunner, DC Rainmaker, Escape Collective and other sources as cited,
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
Welcome, curious minds, to another exciting deep dive.
Today, we're not just looking ata handful of new gadgets, we're
exploring A fascinating tension in sports technology.
Oh yeah? What's that?
Well, it's this relentless drivefor ultimate precision, you
know, but bumping up against thedesire for accessibility and,
(00:21):
well, affordability. Right, seeing how far the tech
can go versus who can actually use it.
Exactly. We'll see how companies are
pushing the boundaries of what our bodies can tell us, and
whether that cutting edge tech will land in your hands easily.
That's right, Our mission today is all about extracting the most
important Nuggets of knowledge from the week's most interesting
sports tech stories, helping youstay well informed without
(00:43):
getting, you know, bogged down by all the noise.
And for this deep dive, we're drawing heavily from top
industry sources. We've got detailed insights from
the 5K runner, who, if you don'tknow, is a triathlete, runner,
gym goer with a really keen eye for what's new and noteworthy in
sports tech. Yeah, great source.
So we're going to cover each of their highlighted stories in
detail, really dig into what's truly new and what we can
(01:06):
actually learn from these developments.
OK. So get ready.
We'll be exploring quite a diverse range of innovations.
Definitely. We're looking at everything from
a surprisingly strong whoop alternative to cutting edge
continuous blood pressure monitoring.
Some intelligent swim goggles. And even some fresh leaks from a
major player in cycling tech andsmartwatches.
(01:28):
Yep. Lots to cover.
OK, let's unpack this. We're starting with a device
that's stirring up a lot of buzz, the Amaze Fit Helio Strap.
It's often positioned as like a subscription free alternative to
Whoop. Right, we're kind of calling the
Helio strap a whoop tickler. A whoop tickler.
OK, I like that. Why?
Because it's directly targeting whoops market share, it's
(01:48):
aggressively priced, you know, 99 dollars, $69 and crucially no
ongoing subscription. That's the big hook, isn't it?
No subscription. Totally.
It's definitely designed to annoy Whoop, offering this
compelling subscription free alternative that might tempt new
users purely out of curiosity, but it still needs a fair bit of
(02:10):
Polish to really compete head tohead.
That's a bold move, though, so let's dive into the scientific
reviews. We've got insights from the
Quantified Scientist and Fit Gear Hunter, and they highlight
it's surprising heart rate accuracy.
Yeah, they do. So what did the Quantified
Scientist find? They tested on the wrist and the
bicep, right? Yeah.
During different exercises. Yeah, and the findings are quite
(02:30):
impressive, especially for bicepwear.
So for indoor motorcycling, the wrist sensor performed really
well, showed a .99 correlation, which is, you know, excellent.
It's already top tier. It is, but on the bicep it hit
an almost unheard of 1.00 correlation.
Whoa, person. Almost perfect.
What that means for you is like if your heart rate changes by a
(02:51):
single beat per minute, the device is almost instantly and
perfectly reflecting that change.
It's like having a lab grade ECGstrapped to your.
Arm that's that's genuinely groundbreaking for a consumer
device at this price. It really is.
And that accuracy likely comes from the bicep being a less Bony
surface. You know better signal then
running outside. The BICEP achieved another
(03:14):
perfect 1.00 correlation. Seriously.
Making it the best performer thequantified scientist had ever
tested for running comparable even to the Apple Watch in
Huawei. That is genuinely surprising.
I mean, we've kind of been conditioned to think risk based
is the standard even with its known limitations.
Does this suggest maybe a shift in how future wearables might be
(03:35):
designed? Or is the bicep just a niche
solution for peak accuracy? That's a good question.
It definitely highlights the potential for bicep worn devices
to fill a crucial gap for accuracy, especially in high
motion activities where wrist sensors can struggle.
Right, like outdoor cycling or weightlifting.
Exactly. For those, there was a clear
advantage for bicep wear, significantly better accuracy.
(03:57):
The Helio strap on the bicep actually rivals Apple Watch
performance and outdoor cycling,and it's among the top
performers for weightlifting, soApple Watch still holds a slight
edge there. OK and thick, your hunter saw
similar things. Yeah, Thick, your hunter
corroborates this. Describe the bicep performance
as a mirror image of greatness for cardio and fantastic for
lifting and CrossFit. They even noted it caught a
(04:20):
palpitation spike over 200 BPM. Wow, over 200 BPM with an
optical sensor? That's genuinely incredible.
It almost sounds too good to be true for something at this price
point. It is remarkable, yeah.
So if accuracy during workouts is your main goal, especially on
the bicep, this sounds like a truly strong contender.
But I have to wonder, is wearinga strap on your bicep something
(04:43):
most everyday users would actually commit to, especially
if they're also wearing a watch?That's a fairpoint.
It's certainly won't be for everyone.
And you know, you hit on anothercritical point, sleep tracking.
Right, because heart rate duringactivity is one thing, but
recovery often comes down to good sleep data.
How does it do there? Yeah.
Well, unfortunately the Heliostreps performance here is
less impressive. It's it's not quite there yet.
(05:06):
Pretty similar to other Amazefitdevices actually.
Oh OK, so struggles where it. Particularly, struggles with REM
sleep showed only about 36% agreement with reference
devices. Ouch.
Why is that, do you think? Well.
The core reason here is usually the software algorithms.
Amazefit likely hasn't invested as much in refining those sleep
algorithms as a company like Roop has.
(05:27):
Gotcha. And the overall app experience,
does it live up to that promise of being a whoop alternative?
Well, the app clearly attempts to mimic whoops layout and
features. You know, it includes concepts
like health span and biological age.
Which are kind of indicators of your physiological age versus
your actual age. Exactly how your markers
compare, but it's just not as polished are some definite beta
(05:50):
issues. Like what?
Like inaccurate heart rate zone configuration, it defaults to
that simple 220 minus age formula for Max heart rate.
Oh, that'll chestnut. Yeah, that's often way off for
individuals. Totally, and it's a big problem
because those zones are used to calculate things like strain how
hard you worked and biocharge how recovered you are if the
(06:10):
input data your zones. Are off, then the key metrics
become unreliable. Exactly.
It could tell you you're recovered when you're actually
exhausted, or the other way around.
Plus the daily insights can be abit sticky, like they don't
always update properly when you scroll back through days.
OK. So in summary, who is the Helio
strap really forgiven these trade-offs?
(06:32):
I'd say the Helio strap is best suited for people purely focused
on accurate heart rate tracking during exercise, especially if
an official bicep band becomes available, because that accuracy
is its strong suit. And of course, for those looking
to save money in the long run since there's no subscription.
Right, contrasting with Woop, which is still maybe better for
the whole package. Health tracking, sleep stages,
(06:55):
Ageing insights that more refined app.
Precisely, and it's important toremember neither of these straps
is a substitute for a watch withbuilt in GPS if you you know,
don't want to carry your phone during workouts.
Good point. OK, so it's clear, detailed body
data is transforming how we train on land.
But what about the quiet, often overlooked metrics?
(07:16):
Let's pivot now to something truly groundbreaking, I think in
the medical device side of Wearables, the Hilo band
formerly known as Actia. Yeah, this is a big one.
It's significance really can't be overstated.
This is the first cuffless and FDA approved continuous blood
pressure monitor. It's set to hit the US market in
2026. Cuffless and FDA approved.
(07:36):
That's huge. It is this technology could
genuinely transform hypertensionmanagement.
It gets around the limit of traditional cuff based
monitoring, especially for understanding those critical
fluctuations during sleep and just throughout the day.
For patients and doctors, this is a massive step forward.
How exactly does it work though?Continuous monitoring without a
cuff still sounds a bit like magic, yeah?
(07:57):
Yeah, it's certainly innovative.It's basically a lightweight,
waterproof wristband that uses something called
Photoplethysmography PPG. OK, break that down.
Think of it like this. It shines a tiny light into your
skin. As your heart beats, blood flows
and recedes, right? That changes how much light gets
absorbed or reflected back. OK, by precisely measuring these
(08:19):
tiny light changes, the band candetect your pulse, and then
using some pretty sophisticated algorithms, it estimates your
blood pressure continuously, allwithout needing a cumbersome
cuff. Wow, and it takes readings
constantly. It takes up to 50 average
readings daily even during sleepwithout disturbing you.
Yeah, and the accuracy it's beenproven in diverse clinical
(08:40):
settings. We're talking mean differences
of less than .5 millimetre each year for both systolic and
diastolic readings in month longtrials.
That's incredibly precise. Less than half a millimetre of
mercury difference. Yeah, it's really good.
So what does this all mean for our listener?
Why should they care about this beyond just, you know, cool
tech? What's the real impact?
Well. The impact is significant.
First, it enables early detection of blood pressure
(09:02):
changes. This empowers you to make timely
lifestyle adjustments or seek medical advice much sooner than
you would with just sporadic measurements.
Right catching trends before they become big problems.
Exactly, and it's ease of use should greatly boost adherence
to monitoring. Let's be honest, people often
forget or just dislike the hassle of a traditional cuff.
(09:23):
Guilty as charge. Right, so this overcomes that
barrier. Plus the detailed continuous
data it provides empowers clinicians for truly
personalised care. Instead of just a few readings,
they get a full 204 seven picture of your blood pressure
trends. That makes sense.
How does it compare to somethinglike WHOOP MG's blood pressure
estimation? Good question.
(09:45):
WHOOP MG offers trend estimationwhich is useful, but the Hilo
band provides more frequent and critically more precise intra
daily monitoring. It's aiming for medical grade
accuracy. This sounds like it could
reshape a huge part of health monitoring.
What are the market implications?
Are we going to see this kind oftech integrated everywhere soon?
That's definitely the hope and the expectation.
(10:06):
The major wearable companies, Samsung, Apple, Huawei, Garmin,
they're all keenly aware of thistechnology.
So they might licence it or develop their own.
Exactly. The expectation is they'll
either licence this Hilo solution or integrate similar
validated cuffless blood pressure monitoring into their
own devices. We've already seen user comments
(10:27):
expressing a strong desire for this kind of thing in their
existing Garmin watches, for example.
Yeah, I can see the appeal. It's a clear sign that consumer
wearables are moving closer and closer to offering medical grade
functionality. OK, moving from land to water,
the quest for real time insightsfor swimmers has, well,
traditionally been a challenge. And that's where the new form
(10:48):
Smart Swim 2 Pro Goggles really make a splash, pun intended.
And for this, a big shout out toDC Rainmaker and his incredibly
in depth review. For anyone who might not know,
DC Rainmaker is one of the most respected independent reviewers
in sports tech, known for his meticulous real world testing
that often goes way beyond what manufacturers.
(11:09):
Provide Yeah, his reviews are legendary, so when he praises
something, it definitely carriesweight.
Totally. So what did his review highlight
about these new goggles? Any big hardware changes?
Yes, the DC Rainmaker review pointed out one notable hardware
change the switch to Corning Gorilla Glass 3 for the lens.
Like on smartphones, so tougher.Exactly.
(11:30):
Significantly improves scratch and crack resistance.
Now the trade off is that it loses the original anti fog
coating, but form provides A practical solution right in the
box. Oh.
What's art? It's just a simple mixture like
4 parts water to one part baby shampoo that you can spray on.
Seems low tech but apparently effective.
(11:50):
Huh, OK. And DC Ringmaker really put that
durability to the test, right? I heard he was dragging it on
pool decks and stuff. He did, dragging it on abrasive
pool surfaces, even dropping it,and the glass reportedly
remained perfectly clear. Honestly my first thought seeing
that would be there goes anotherpair.
As someone who's definitely scratched Google lenses way too
easily, that kind of durability is a potential game changer.
(12:13):
Absolutely. Then on the software side, the
new features are primarily for subscribers.
The subscription model again, what do subscribers get?
There's smart set for automatic interval counting during free
swims, which is a huge convenience if you're not
strictly following a preset workout.
And then there's head coach plans and head coach insights,
(12:33):
which are actually coming in September.
What do those do? They offer continuously adapting
personalised swim plans and provide technique feedback
directly in your heads up display while you swim.
OK, now subscription fatigue is a real thing for a lot of
consumers. How does form address that,
especially when the goggles themselves aren't cheap to begin
with? Yeah, it's true many people
(12:54):
dislike subscriptions and form acknowledges this, but
apparently they've genuinely tried every possible business
model over their history. Non subscription blended models
and they found that this currentsubscription model is what works
best for them as a sustainable business.
So it's a business necessity forthem.
It seems so, and they also note that their data shows the
(13:16):
training plans are making their core audience faster compared to
free swim users. So they're arguing there's a
clear value proposition there for this subscription beyond
just unlocking basic features. It's about delivering a more
effective training experience. OK, that makes sense from their
perspective. So how do they actually perform
in daily usage that heads up display?
(13:36):
Is it easy to see? What about limitations?
The heads up display is remarkably clear and bright.
Apparently it's easily visible even in bright sunlight, which
is crucial. Where form truly excels, and has
always been a leader, is it's incredibly reliable.
Length counting accuracy. It's virtually flawless.
That's their main gem, right? Absolutely.
(13:56):
The optical HR sensor however, it tends to be a bit all or
nothing, meaning either it gets a perfect signal lock and it's
pretty accurate, or just loses the signal entirely.
There's very little in between. It's basically saying I'm either
perfectly happy reading your heart rate or I'm completely
ignoring you. Sounds like some people I know.
What about open water swimming? That's a whole different beast.
(14:19):
Yeah, for open water, you can pair them with a Garmin or Apple
Watch to pull in GPS data, and they have this feature called
Swim Straight, which is basically a compass to help with
sighting, a nice touch if you tend to swim off course.
OK, that's useful. However, a persistent complaint
remains, and it's kind of a big one for triathletes or open
water enthusiasts specifically. Let me guess, peripheral vision?
(14:42):
You got it. There's limited side visibility
compared to traditional simpler goggles.
This makes them less ideal for open water swimmers who really
rely on that peripheral vision for safety spotting other
swimmers buoys, you know. Right.
So it's a trade off you make forhaving that integrated display
right in front of you. Exactly.
Despite all the other advanced features, that limited side view
(15:04):
is still a factor for that specific group.
OK, shifting gears again. Let's talk Garmin, a Titan in
sports tech. We've got some exciting leaks,
starting with new power pedals. Power metres are pretty crucial
data for serious cyclists. Yeah, absolutely.
And the existing Garmin Rally RS200 pedals are, well, they're
over 4 years old now, so a refresh is definitely needed.
(15:26):
Plus, competitors like Favreau, Osceoma, PRORS 2 are offering
really strong competition at lower price points.
So Garmin needs to step up theirgame.
Pretty much they need to innovate not just on features,
but maybe also on value. So what are the key leaked
features for these new Rally X10pedals and what do they actually
mean for a cyclist using them? Okay, there are two sort of
(15:48):
leaked features floating around.1 is secure sensor connection,
which is just an expected trend.You know, more reliable
Bluetooth antique plus connections in sports
electronics. Pretty standard improvement.
OK, what's the? Other one, the 2nd and
potentially more interesting one, is direct force
measurement. Direct force measurement.
What's the significance of that?So this could be a game changer
for very specific types of training.
(16:10):
If you're a cyclist working on pure strength, doing drills
where you push really big gears at very low RPMS like strength
intervals, this pedal can now apparently tell you exactly how
much force you're putting down independent of your cadence.
So it separates force from speed.
Exactly. It isolates the force component.
For elite athletes and coaches doing highly targeted training,
(16:33):
it provides a much cleaner data set.
And for reviewers like us, it offers a better way to compare
accuracy by isolating force errors from potential cadence
errors makes it easier to pinpoint where any discrepancies
might be coming from. Gotcha.
So those are the sort of leaked features.
What about speculated ones? Things we might see?
Right speculation includes possibly increased data rate
(16:54):
capture that would mean a more accurate power curve that really
short one to three second range.Super crucial for sprinters or
anyone doing short punchy efforts.
Like attacking on a climb. Precisely.
We could also see increased accuracy overall, maybe aiming
for below that one error margin,which is kind of the gold
standard. Yeah, and there's a very likely
(17:15):
shift to rechargeable batteries.Finally, like the Favreau
pedals? Yeah, probably similar to
Favreau. This might mean a slightly
reduced battery life compared tothe current replaceable battery
models be dropping from a hundred 120 hours down to
something like 50-60 hours per charge.
That's still pretty decent though.
What about the common problems people have had with the current
(17:37):
rally pedals? Any indication those will be
addressed? Because that's often where the
rubber meets the road for everyday users.
Absolutely. Garmin will almost certainly be
working hard to address the known issues.
You know, things like premature bearing where some users
reporting left, right, power imbalance errors, occasional
calibration failures, signal dropouts, the usual suspects
that have popped up in forums and reviews.
(17:58):
Addressing those reliability concerns will be key.
And the big question, price? Yeah, that's $1,000,000 or maybe
$1200. Question.
Will Garmin maintain its premiumprice point?
Speculation puts it around $1200.
Or will they try to be more competitive against the sub $800
Asioma pedals, maybe landing closer to 950 dollars?
That price point will definitelyinfluence how much market share
(18:20):
they can grab back. For sure, it's a big strategic
decision for them. OK.
And staying with Garmin, what can you tell us about the Venue
4 smartwatch? Any leaks there?
Yep, the first leak confirms theVenue 4 is coming very soon.
Expected price point is around $400.
OK. So position similarly to the
Venue 3, What upgrades can we expect?
Mostly smart feature upgrades itseems.
(18:41):
Things like an improved AMOLED screen, maybe brighter, higher
resolution, definitely a speakerand microphone for calls and
voices and stuff, a focus mode to help minimise distractions
which we've seen on other new garments, and likely a refreshed
user interface bringing it in line with their latest software
design. Sounds like solid iterative
improvements, but has Garmin finally caught up with LTE
(19:03):
connectivity that's becoming increasingly standard on
smartwatches from Apple, Samsung.
Unfortunately, it looks like Garmin is still lagging behind
the curve on LTE. The Venue 4 itself is most
likely not getting LTE functionality initially.
Really. Still no LTE option on their
mainstream lifestyle watch. It seems not for this base
model. The current road map suggests
(19:25):
LTE is slated for the high end Phoenix 8 Pro first, probably in
early 2026, and then maybe we'llsee a Venu 4 Pro variant with
LTE also sometime in 2026. OK, so if untethered
connectivity is a must have for you, this Venu 4 probably won't
be it just yet. You'd have to wait.
Yeah, looks that way. Still reliant on your phone for
that full connectivity. All right, finally, let's roll
(19:47):
into the virtual world Swift. The latest game update version
1.93 brings some interesting newmetrics to the heads up.
Display the HUD. That's right, this update brings
several new HUD metrics. Some require external sensors
like core temperature and heat strain index.
You'd need specific sensors for those.
But also added our weighted power, average speed and
(20:08):
importantly left right power balance shown as a percentage
right on screen. More immediate feedback during
your ride. Nice.
Exactly provides more data at a glance.
And there's a new ride stats panel to what does that offer
for performance tracking? Yeah, there's a new critical
power panel. It tracks your rolling maximum
average power for specific durations, 5 seconds, one
(20:29):
minute, 5 minutes, 20 minutes and 60 minutes.
So you can see your best effortsfor those key intervals in real
time. Precisely.
And if you're currently hitting a new maximum for one of those
durations during your ride, the numbers actually show up
highlighted in orange on the screen, so it gives you a nice
visual cue that you're putting down a peak effort.
Cool. OK, let's do a quick deep dive
(20:51):
into that left right power balance metric on the HUD.
Why is this important? And maybe more critically, how
do you get accurate readings forit in Swift?
Because I know that can be a point of confusion.
Yeah, it's all debated how useful LR balance is, but it
does matter for some riders, particularly if you're trying to
identify significant imbalances that could lead to injury or
inefficiency down the road, or maybe if you're recovering from
(21:15):
A1 sided injury and trying to track progress.
OK, so potential use is there, but accuracy?
Right, this is crucial. True and accurate pedal balance
requires a true dual sided powermetre, one that measures the
power from each leg independently.
So that rules out single sided power metres, obviously.
What about smart trainers? It rules out most smart trainers
too. Yeah, they typically only
(21:35):
estimate LR balance based on pedal stroke dynamics.
Or some just double the power from one point in the crank
rotation. It's not a direct measurement
from each leg. Gotcha, so for accurate LR data
in Swift you need something likethose Asima Pro RS2 pedals we
mentioned or similar dual sided pedal or crank systems.
Exactly. You need hardware that measures
(21:56):
both sides properly and the goodnews is Swift will also record
this LR balance data to your rides FIT file so you can upload
it and analyse it later on platforms like Garmin connect
training peaks etcetera to tracktrends over time.
OK. That's helpful context and any
quick quality life updates in 1.93 worth mentioning things
that just make the Swift experience a bit smoother.
(22:17):
Yeah, a couple of small but useful things.
There's now a root badge completion indicator.
When you're selecting a route. It just shows you if you already
earned the achievement badge forcompleting that route.
Oh nice, no more guessing if you've already done enough laps
on Wotopia Hilly root. Exactly, saves you checking your
profile. Plus they apparently fix an
issue where outdoor rides weren't linking correctly to
(22:40):
Zwift for those XP bonuses you can sometimes get.
Connecting the real world and virtual world better?
Yep. Just making that ecosystem work
a bit more seamlessly. OK, wow.
We've really uncovered an incredible breadth of innovation
in this deep dive from, you know, new ways to track our
bodies with much greater precision to smarter training
(23:01):
tools, both physical and virtual, and these evolving
digital platforms. What really stands out to me
across all these innovations, thinking about the Helio straps,
bicep accuracy, the Hilo bands, medical grade precision, even
the detailed metrics in form andSwift is this clear shift.
Yeah. What is it for you?
It feels like it's no longer just about collecting data
(23:22):
anymore, but really refining it,getting super specific and super
accurate. Absolutely.
I think we're moving towards a future where these hyper
accurate, often quite specialised sensors give us
insights that were really only available in a lab setting until
very recently. It's kind of democratising high
level physiological understanding.
(23:42):
Right. So it's not just about training
harder, it's about training smarter, using data that was
previously out of reach for mostpeople, helping you truly
understand your body's unique capabilities and knees in much
finer detail. Exactly.
More personalised, more precise.And you know, this raises a
really interesting question I think as these gadgets become
increasingly specialised, with one excelling at heart rate,
(24:02):
another maybe best in class for sleep, yet others focusing on
very specific sports metrics like swimming or cycling power.
What does this mean for you, thelistener?
The learner? The athlete?
Where does it lead? Yeah.
Will we see a future where we end up wearing like multiple
devices, picking the best in class tool for each specific
(24:23):
job, one for workouts, one for slope, maybe something else for
general health? Or is the ultimate goal still
that single perfect Holy Grail device that somehow seamlessly
does everything exceptionally well?
It's a great question, the integrated dream versus the
specialised reality. What stands out to you as you
navigate all this tech? We'd love to know.
Welcome, curious minds, to another exciting deep dive.
Today, we're not just looking ata handful of new gadgets, we're
exploring A fascinating tension in sports technology.
Oh yeah? What's that?
Well, it's this relentless drivefor ultimate precision, you
know, but bumping up against thedesire for accessibility and,
(00:21):
well, affordability. Right, seeing how far the tech
can go versus who can actually use it.
Exactly. We'll see how companies are
pushing the boundaries of what our bodies can tell us, and
whether that cutting edge tech will land in your hands easily.
That's right, Our mission today is all about extracting the most
important Nuggets of knowledge from the week's most interesting
sports tech stories, helping youstay well informed without
(00:43):
getting, you know, bogged down by all the noise.
And for this deep dive, we're drawing heavily from top
industry sources. We've got detailed insights from
the 5K runner, who, if you don'tknow, is a triathlete, runner,
gym goer with a really keen eye for what's new and noteworthy in
sports tech. Yeah, great source.
So we're going to cover each of their highlighted stories in
detail, really dig into what's truly new and what we can
(01:06):
actually learn from these developments.
OK. So get ready.
We'll be exploring quite a diverse range of innovations.
Definitely. We're looking at everything from
a surprisingly strong whoop alternative to cutting edge
continuous blood pressure monitoring.
Some intelligent swim goggles. And even some fresh leaks from a
major player in cycling tech andsmartwatches.
(01:28):
Yep. Lots to cover.
OK, let's unpack this. We're starting with a device
that's stirring up a lot of buzz, the Amaze Fit Helio Strap.
It's often positioned as like a subscription free alternative to
Whoop. Right, we're kind of calling the
Helio strap a whoop tickler. A whoop tickler.
OK, I like that. Why?
Because it's directly targeting whoops market share, it's
(01:48):
aggressively priced, you know, 99 dollars, $69 and crucially no
ongoing subscription. That's the big hook, isn't it?
No subscription. Totally.
It's definitely designed to annoy Whoop, offering this
compelling subscription free alternative that might tempt new
users purely out of curiosity, but it still needs a fair bit of
(02:10):
Polish to really compete head tohead.
That's a bold move, though, so let's dive into the scientific
reviews. We've got insights from the
Quantified Scientist and Fit Gear Hunter, and they highlight
it's surprising heart rate accuracy.
Yeah, they do. So what did the Quantified
Scientist find? They tested on the wrist and the
bicep, right? Yeah.
During different exercises. Yeah, and the findings are quite
(02:30):
impressive, especially for bicepwear.
So for indoor motorcycling, the wrist sensor performed really
well, showed a .99 correlation, which is, you know, excellent.
It's already top tier. It is, but on the bicep it hit
an almost unheard of 1.00 correlation.
Whoa, person. Almost perfect.
What that means for you is like if your heart rate changes by a
(02:51):
single beat per minute, the device is almost instantly and
perfectly reflecting that change.
It's like having a lab grade ECGstrapped to your.
Arm that's that's genuinely groundbreaking for a consumer
device at this price. It really is.
And that accuracy likely comes from the bicep being a less Bony
surface. You know better signal then
running outside. The BICEP achieved another
(03:14):
perfect 1.00 correlation. Seriously.
Making it the best performer thequantified scientist had ever
tested for running comparable even to the Apple Watch in
Huawei. That is genuinely surprising.
I mean, we've kind of been conditioned to think risk based
is the standard even with its known limitations.
Does this suggest maybe a shift in how future wearables might be
(03:35):
designed? Or is the bicep just a niche
solution for peak accuracy? That's a good question.
It definitely highlights the potential for bicep worn devices
to fill a crucial gap for accuracy, especially in high
motion activities where wrist sensors can struggle.
Right, like outdoor cycling or weightlifting.
Exactly. For those, there was a clear
advantage for bicep wear, significantly better accuracy.
(03:57):
The Helio strap on the bicep actually rivals Apple Watch
performance and outdoor cycling,and it's among the top
performers for weightlifting, soApple Watch still holds a slight
edge there. OK and thick, your hunter saw
similar things. Yeah, Thick, your hunter
corroborates this. Describe the bicep performance
as a mirror image of greatness for cardio and fantastic for
lifting and CrossFit. They even noted it caught a
(04:20):
palpitation spike over 200 BPM. Wow, over 200 BPM with an
optical sensor? That's genuinely incredible.
It almost sounds too good to be true for something at this price
point. It is remarkable, yeah.
So if accuracy during workouts is your main goal, especially on
the bicep, this sounds like a truly strong contender.
But I have to wonder, is wearinga strap on your bicep something
(04:43):
most everyday users would actually commit to, especially
if they're also wearing a watch?That's a fairpoint.
It's certainly won't be for everyone.
And you know, you hit on anothercritical point, sleep tracking.
Right, because heart rate duringactivity is one thing, but
recovery often comes down to good sleep data.
How does it do there? Yeah.
Well, unfortunately the Heliostreps performance here is
less impressive. It's it's not quite there yet.
(05:06):
Pretty similar to other Amazefitdevices actually.
Oh OK, so struggles where it. Particularly, struggles with REM
sleep showed only about 36% agreement with reference
devices. Ouch.
Why is that, do you think? Well.
The core reason here is usually the software algorithms.
Amazefit likely hasn't invested as much in refining those sleep
algorithms as a company like Roop has.
(05:27):
Gotcha. And the overall app experience,
does it live up to that promise of being a whoop alternative?
Well, the app clearly attempts to mimic whoops layout and
features. You know, it includes concepts
like health span and biological age.
Which are kind of indicators of your physiological age versus
your actual age. Exactly how your markers
compare, but it's just not as polished are some definite beta
(05:50):
issues. Like what?
Like inaccurate heart rate zone configuration, it defaults to
that simple 220 minus age formula for Max heart rate.
Oh, that'll chestnut. Yeah, that's often way off for
individuals. Totally, and it's a big problem
because those zones are used to calculate things like strain how
hard you worked and biocharge how recovered you are if the
(06:10):
input data your zones. Are off, then the key metrics
become unreliable. Exactly.
It could tell you you're recovered when you're actually
exhausted, or the other way around.
Plus the daily insights can be abit sticky, like they don't
always update properly when you scroll back through days.
OK. So in summary, who is the Helio
strap really forgiven these trade-offs?
(06:32):
I'd say the Helio strap is best suited for people purely focused
on accurate heart rate tracking during exercise, especially if
an official bicep band becomes available, because that accuracy
is its strong suit. And of course, for those looking
to save money in the long run since there's no subscription.
Right, contrasting with Woop, which is still maybe better for
the whole package. Health tracking, sleep stages,
(06:55):
Ageing insights that more refined app.
Precisely, and it's important toremember neither of these straps
is a substitute for a watch withbuilt in GPS if you you know,
don't want to carry your phone during workouts.
Good point. OK, so it's clear, detailed body
data is transforming how we train on land.
But what about the quiet, often overlooked metrics?
(07:16):
Let's pivot now to something truly groundbreaking, I think in
the medical device side of Wearables, the Hilo band
formerly known as Actia. Yeah, this is a big one.
It's significance really can't be overstated.
This is the first cuffless and FDA approved continuous blood
pressure monitor. It's set to hit the US market in
2026. Cuffless and FDA approved.
(07:36):
That's huge. It is this technology could
genuinely transform hypertensionmanagement.
It gets around the limit of traditional cuff based
monitoring, especially for understanding those critical
fluctuations during sleep and just throughout the day.
For patients and doctors, this is a massive step forward.
How exactly does it work though?Continuous monitoring without a
cuff still sounds a bit like magic, yeah?
(07:57):
Yeah, it's certainly innovative.It's basically a lightweight,
waterproof wristband that uses something called
Photoplethysmography PPG. OK, break that down.
Think of it like this. It shines a tiny light into your
skin. As your heart beats, blood flows
and recedes, right? That changes how much light gets
absorbed or reflected back. OK, by precisely measuring these
(08:19):
tiny light changes, the band candetect your pulse, and then
using some pretty sophisticated algorithms, it estimates your
blood pressure continuously, allwithout needing a cumbersome
cuff. Wow, and it takes readings
constantly. It takes up to 50 average
readings daily even during sleepwithout disturbing you.
Yeah, and the accuracy it's beenproven in diverse clinical
(08:40):
settings. We're talking mean differences
of less than .5 millimetre each year for both systolic and
diastolic readings in month longtrials.
That's incredibly precise. Less than half a millimetre of
mercury difference. Yeah, it's really good.
So what does this all mean for our listener?
Why should they care about this beyond just, you know, cool
tech? What's the real impact?
Well. The impact is significant.
First, it enables early detection of blood pressure
(09:02):
changes. This empowers you to make timely
lifestyle adjustments or seek medical advice much sooner than
you would with just sporadic measurements.
Right catching trends before they become big problems.
Exactly, and it's ease of use should greatly boost adherence
to monitoring. Let's be honest, people often
forget or just dislike the hassle of a traditional cuff.
(09:23):
Guilty as charge. Right, so this overcomes that
barrier. Plus the detailed continuous
data it provides empowers clinicians for truly
personalised care. Instead of just a few readings,
they get a full 204 seven picture of your blood pressure
trends. That makes sense.
How does it compare to somethinglike WHOOP MG's blood pressure
estimation? Good question.
(09:45):
WHOOP MG offers trend estimationwhich is useful, but the Hilo
band provides more frequent and critically more precise intra
daily monitoring. It's aiming for medical grade
accuracy. This sounds like it could
reshape a huge part of health monitoring.
What are the market implications?
Are we going to see this kind oftech integrated everywhere soon?
That's definitely the hope and the expectation.
(10:06):
The major wearable companies, Samsung, Apple, Huawei, Garmin,
they're all keenly aware of thistechnology.
So they might licence it or develop their own.
Exactly. The expectation is they'll
either licence this Hilo solution or integrate similar
validated cuffless blood pressure monitoring into their
own devices. We've already seen user comments
(10:27):
expressing a strong desire for this kind of thing in their
existing Garmin watches, for example.
Yeah, I can see the appeal. It's a clear sign that consumer
wearables are moving closer and closer to offering medical grade
functionality. OK, moving from land to water,
the quest for real time insightsfor swimmers has, well,
traditionally been a challenge. And that's where the new form
(10:48):
Smart Swim 2 Pro Goggles really make a splash, pun intended.
And for this, a big shout out toDC Rainmaker and his incredibly
in depth review. For anyone who might not know,
DC Rainmaker is one of the most respected independent reviewers
in sports tech, known for his meticulous real world testing
that often goes way beyond what manufacturers.
(11:09):
Provide Yeah, his reviews are legendary, so when he praises
something, it definitely carriesweight.
Totally. So what did his review highlight
about these new goggles? Any big hardware changes?
Yes, the DC Rainmaker review pointed out one notable hardware
change the switch to Corning Gorilla Glass 3 for the lens.
Like on smartphones, so tougher.Exactly.
(11:30):
Significantly improves scratch and crack resistance.
Now the trade off is that it loses the original anti fog
coating, but form provides A practical solution right in the
box. Oh.
What's art? It's just a simple mixture like
4 parts water to one part baby shampoo that you can spray on.
Seems low tech but apparently effective.
(11:50):
Huh, OK. And DC Ringmaker really put that
durability to the test, right? I heard he was dragging it on
pool decks and stuff. He did, dragging it on abrasive
pool surfaces, even dropping it,and the glass reportedly
remained perfectly clear. Honestly my first thought seeing
that would be there goes anotherpair.
As someone who's definitely scratched Google lenses way too
easily, that kind of durability is a potential game changer.
(12:13):
Absolutely. Then on the software side, the
new features are primarily for subscribers.
The subscription model again, what do subscribers get?
There's smart set for automatic interval counting during free
swims, which is a huge convenience if you're not
strictly following a preset workout.
And then there's head coach plans and head coach insights,
(12:33):
which are actually coming in September.
What do those do? They offer continuously adapting
personalised swim plans and provide technique feedback
directly in your heads up display while you swim.
OK, now subscription fatigue is a real thing for a lot of
consumers. How does form address that,
especially when the goggles themselves aren't cheap to begin
with? Yeah, it's true many people
(12:54):
dislike subscriptions and form acknowledges this, but
apparently they've genuinely tried every possible business
model over their history. Non subscription blended models
and they found that this currentsubscription model is what works
best for them as a sustainable business.
So it's a business necessity forthem.
It seems so, and they also note that their data shows the
(13:16):
training plans are making their core audience faster compared to
free swim users. So they're arguing there's a
clear value proposition there for this subscription beyond
just unlocking basic features. It's about delivering a more
effective training experience. OK, that makes sense from their
perspective. So how do they actually perform
in daily usage that heads up display?
(13:36):
Is it easy to see? What about limitations?
The heads up display is remarkably clear and bright.
Apparently it's easily visible even in bright sunlight, which
is crucial. Where form truly excels, and has
always been a leader, is it's incredibly reliable.
Length counting accuracy. It's virtually flawless.
That's their main gem, right? Absolutely.
(13:56):
The optical HR sensor however, it tends to be a bit all or
nothing, meaning either it gets a perfect signal lock and it's
pretty accurate, or just loses the signal entirely.
There's very little in between. It's basically saying I'm either
perfectly happy reading your heart rate or I'm completely
ignoring you. Sounds like some people I know.
What about open water swimming? That's a whole different beast.
(14:19):
Yeah, for open water, you can pair them with a Garmin or Apple
Watch to pull in GPS data, and they have this feature called
Swim Straight, which is basically a compass to help with
sighting, a nice touch if you tend to swim off course.
OK, that's useful. However, a persistent complaint
remains, and it's kind of a big one for triathletes or open
water enthusiasts specifically. Let me guess, peripheral vision?
(14:42):
You got it. There's limited side visibility
compared to traditional simpler goggles.
This makes them less ideal for open water swimmers who really
rely on that peripheral vision for safety spotting other
swimmers buoys, you know. Right.
So it's a trade off you make forhaving that integrated display
right in front of you. Exactly.
Despite all the other advanced features, that limited side view
(15:04):
is still a factor for that specific group.
OK, shifting gears again. Let's talk Garmin, a Titan in
sports tech. We've got some exciting leaks,
starting with new power pedals. Power metres are pretty crucial
data for serious cyclists. Yeah, absolutely.
And the existing Garmin Rally RS200 pedals are, well, they're
over 4 years old now, so a refresh is definitely needed.
(15:26):
Plus, competitors like Favreau, Osceoma, PRORS 2 are offering
really strong competition at lower price points.
So Garmin needs to step up theirgame.
Pretty much they need to innovate not just on features,
but maybe also on value. So what are the key leaked
features for these new Rally X10pedals and what do they actually
mean for a cyclist using them? Okay, there are two sort of
(15:48):
leaked features floating around.1 is secure sensor connection,
which is just an expected trend.You know, more reliable
Bluetooth antique plus connections in sports
electronics. Pretty standard improvement.
OK, what's the? Other one, the 2nd and
potentially more interesting one, is direct force
measurement. Direct force measurement.
What's the significance of that?So this could be a game changer
for very specific types of training.
(16:10):
If you're a cyclist working on pure strength, doing drills
where you push really big gears at very low RPMS like strength
intervals, this pedal can now apparently tell you exactly how
much force you're putting down independent of your cadence.
So it separates force from speed.
Exactly. It isolates the force component.
For elite athletes and coaches doing highly targeted training,
(16:33):
it provides a much cleaner data set.
And for reviewers like us, it offers a better way to compare
accuracy by isolating force errors from potential cadence
errors makes it easier to pinpoint where any discrepancies
might be coming from. Gotcha.
So those are the sort of leaked features.
What about speculated ones? Things we might see?
Right speculation includes possibly increased data rate
(16:54):
capture that would mean a more accurate power curve that really
short one to three second range.Super crucial for sprinters or
anyone doing short punchy efforts.
Like attacking on a climb. Precisely.
We could also see increased accuracy overall, maybe aiming
for below that one error margin,which is kind of the gold
standard. Yeah, and there's a very likely
(17:15):
shift to rechargeable batteries.Finally, like the Favreau
pedals? Yeah, probably similar to
Favreau. This might mean a slightly
reduced battery life compared tothe current replaceable battery
models be dropping from a hundred 120 hours down to
something like 50-60 hours per charge.
That's still pretty decent though.
What about the common problems people have had with the current
(17:37):
rally pedals? Any indication those will be
addressed? Because that's often where the
rubber meets the road for everyday users.
Absolutely. Garmin will almost certainly be
working hard to address the known issues.
You know, things like premature bearing where some users
reporting left, right, power imbalance errors, occasional
calibration failures, signal dropouts, the usual suspects
that have popped up in forums and reviews.
(17:58):
Addressing those reliability concerns will be key.
And the big question, price? Yeah, that's $1,000,000 or maybe
$1200. Question.
Will Garmin maintain its premiumprice point?
Speculation puts it around $1200.
Or will they try to be more competitive against the sub $800
Asioma pedals, maybe landing closer to 950 dollars?
That price point will definitelyinfluence how much market share
(18:20):
they can grab back. For sure, it's a big strategic
decision for them. OK.
And staying with Garmin, what can you tell us about the Venue
4 smartwatch? Any leaks there?
Yep, the first leak confirms theVenue 4 is coming very soon.
Expected price point is around $400.
OK. So position similarly to the
Venue 3, What upgrades can we expect?
Mostly smart feature upgrades itseems.
(18:41):
Things like an improved AMOLED screen, maybe brighter, higher
resolution, definitely a speakerand microphone for calls and
voices and stuff, a focus mode to help minimise distractions
which we've seen on other new garments, and likely a refreshed
user interface bringing it in line with their latest software
design. Sounds like solid iterative
improvements, but has Garmin finally caught up with LTE
(19:03):
connectivity that's becoming increasingly standard on
smartwatches from Apple, Samsung.
Unfortunately, it looks like Garmin is still lagging behind
the curve on LTE. The Venue 4 itself is most
likely not getting LTE functionality initially.
Really. Still no LTE option on their
mainstream lifestyle watch. It seems not for this base
model. The current road map suggests
(19:25):
LTE is slated for the high end Phoenix 8 Pro first, probably in
early 2026, and then maybe we'llsee a Venu 4 Pro variant with
LTE also sometime in 2026. OK, so if untethered
connectivity is a must have for you, this Venu 4 probably won't
be it just yet. You'd have to wait.
Yeah, looks that way. Still reliant on your phone for
that full connectivity. All right, finally, let's roll
(19:47):
into the virtual world Swift. The latest game update version
1.93 brings some interesting newmetrics to the heads up.
Display the HUD. That's right, this update brings
several new HUD metrics. Some require external sensors
like core temperature and heat strain index.
You'd need specific sensors for those.
But also added our weighted power, average speed and
(20:08):
importantly left right power balance shown as a percentage
right on screen. More immediate feedback during
your ride. Nice.
Exactly provides more data at a glance.
And there's a new ride stats panel to what does that offer
for performance tracking? Yeah, there's a new critical
power panel. It tracks your rolling maximum
average power for specific durations, 5 seconds, one
(20:29):
minute, 5 minutes, 20 minutes and 60 minutes.
So you can see your best effortsfor those key intervals in real
time. Precisely.
And if you're currently hitting a new maximum for one of those
durations during your ride, the numbers actually show up
highlighted in orange on the screen, so it gives you a nice
visual cue that you're putting down a peak effort.
Cool. OK, let's do a quick deep dive
(20:51):
into that left right power balance metric on the HUD.
Why is this important? And maybe more critically, how
do you get accurate readings forit in Swift?
Because I know that can be a point of confusion.
Yeah, it's all debated how useful LR balance is, but it
does matter for some riders, particularly if you're trying to
identify significant imbalances that could lead to injury or
inefficiency down the road, or maybe if you're recovering from
(21:15):
A1 sided injury and trying to track progress.
OK, so potential use is there, but accuracy?
Right, this is crucial. True and accurate pedal balance
requires a true dual sided powermetre, one that measures the
power from each leg independently.
So that rules out single sided power metres, obviously.
What about smart trainers? It rules out most smart trainers
too. Yeah, they typically only
(21:35):
estimate LR balance based on pedal stroke dynamics.
Or some just double the power from one point in the crank
rotation. It's not a direct measurement
from each leg. Gotcha, so for accurate LR data
in Swift you need something likethose Asima Pro RS2 pedals we
mentioned or similar dual sided pedal or crank systems.
Exactly. You need hardware that measures
(21:56):
both sides properly and the goodnews is Swift will also record
this LR balance data to your rides FIT file so you can upload
it and analyse it later on platforms like Garmin connect
training peaks etcetera to tracktrends over time.
OK. That's helpful context and any
quick quality life updates in 1.93 worth mentioning things
that just make the Swift experience a bit smoother.
(22:17):
Yeah, a couple of small but useful things.
There's now a root badge completion indicator.
When you're selecting a route. It just shows you if you already
earned the achievement badge forcompleting that route.
Oh nice, no more guessing if you've already done enough laps
on Wotopia Hilly root. Exactly, saves you checking your
profile. Plus they apparently fix an
issue where outdoor rides weren't linking correctly to
(22:40):
Zwift for those XP bonuses you can sometimes get.
Connecting the real world and virtual world better?
Yep. Just making that ecosystem work
a bit more seamlessly. OK, wow.
We've really uncovered an incredible breadth of innovation
in this deep dive from, you know, new ways to track our
bodies with much greater precision to smarter training
(23:01):
tools, both physical and virtual, and these evolving
digital platforms. What really stands out to me
across all these innovations, thinking about the Helio straps,
bicep accuracy, the Hilo bands, medical grade precision, even
the detailed metrics in form andSwift is this clear shift.
Yeah. What is it for you?
It feels like it's no longer just about collecting data
(23:22):
anymore, but really refining it,getting super specific and super
accurate. Absolutely.
I think we're moving towards a future where these hyper
accurate, often quite specialised sensors give us
insights that were really only available in a lab setting until
very recently. It's kind of democratising high
level physiological understanding.
(23:42):
Right. So it's not just about training
harder, it's about training smarter, using data that was
previously out of reach for mostpeople, helping you truly
understand your body's unique capabilities and knees in much
finer detail. Exactly.
More personalised, more precise.And you know, this raises a
really interesting question I think as these gadgets become
increasingly specialised, with one excelling at heart rate,
(24:02):
another maybe best in class for sleep, yet others focusing on
very specific sports metrics like swimming or cycling power.
What does this mean for you, thelistener?
The learner? The athlete?
Where does it lead? Yeah.
Will we see a future where we end up wearing like multiple
devices, picking the best in class tool for each specific
(24:23):
job, one for workouts, one for slope, maybe something else for
general health? Or is the ultimate goal still
that single perfect Holy Grail device that somehow seamlessly
does everything exceptionally well?
It's a great question, the integrated dream versus the
specialised reality. What stands out to you as you
navigate all this tech? We'd love to know.
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