Google is about to unveil Fitbit Air, a screenless health tracker with a $99.99 price ticket, seven day battery life and a powerful concentrate on AI powered well being insights. The light-weight wearable strips away the show utterly and as a substitute leans into passive monitoring, positioning itself someplace between a traditional Fitbit band and a WHOOP model restoration tracker.
The gadget had already leaked by teasers and celeb appearances, however now we’ve got just about all the data on what Fitbit Air is meant to be (by way of Techradar). The corporate clearly needs an easier sort of wearable, one which quietly collects well being knowledge with out always buzzing, flashing or demanding consideration.
It appears the official unveil is tomorrow. At the very least in response to the corporate’s Instagram account.
A special route for Fitbit
Fitbit Air tracks coronary heart charge, steps, estimated calorie burn, blood oxygen and pores and skin temperature. There isn’t any show and no inbuilt GPS. As an alternative, Google seems to be betting that many individuals not need one other display on their wrist.
That makes Fitbit Air very completely different from merchandise just like the Fitbit Cost 6 or Pixel Watch lineup. It additionally places Google a lot nearer to rivals akin to WHOOP and the rising class of screenless health wearables.
The {hardware} itself sounds deliberately minimal. The tracker weighs 12 grams with the strap connected and solely 5 grams with out it. Battery life stretches to seven days and quick charging provides sufficient energy for a full day of use in simply 5 minutes.
The tracker shops seven days of minute by minute motion knowledge together with someday of exercise knowledge earlier than syncing every little thing to the companion app over Bluetooth.
Picture from: Google by way of Techradar
Fitbit turns into Google Well being
The extra essential a part of this launch may very well be the software program aspect. Google is rebranding the Fitbit app and Fitbit Premium into one thing referred to as Google Well being, persevering with the gradual shift away from the Fitbit id.
That features a redesigned app expertise constructed round Google Well being Coach, an AI assistant powered by Gemini. Based on Google, the assistant can use sleep knowledge, coronary heart charge tendencies, exercise monitoring and even meal pictures to generate personalised suggestions.
The pitch is broader than health alone. Google says Well being Coach can recommend coaching plans, sleep recommendation, restoration steering, vitamin suggestions and harm suggestions based mostly on the consumer’s objectives and total well being profile.
In some areas, customers could even be capable to join medical data into the system. That provides Google a a lot bigger pool of knowledge to work with than conventional health platforms usually use.
Picture from: Google by way of Techradar
Subscription optionally available, in contrast to WHOOP
One essential element is that Fitbit Air nonetheless works and not using a subscription. Patrons get three months of Google Well being Premium included, however the tracker doesn’t change into ineffective as soon as that expires.
That could be a notable distinction from WHOOP, the place the {hardware} is tied tightly to the membership mannequin. With Fitbit Air, customers can nonetheless entry the core monitoring options with out paying month-to-month charges. The subscription layer primarily unlocks the AI teaching aspect of the platform.
That might make Fitbit Air interesting to customers who need passive monitoring with out absolutely committing to a different recurring subscription. Granted, the software program expertise may be very completely different from what you get on Whoop. Which is the primary benefit of the opposite platform.
Google is revisiting an previous Fitbit thought
There’s additionally one thing barely acquainted about this complete strategy. Early Fitbit gadgets had been small, easy trackers that light into the background. They counted steps, logged sleep and stayed out of the way in which.
Over time, Fitbit step by step moved towards full smartwatch territory. Fitbit Air seems like Google reversing course just a little and returning to the concept wearable tech doesn’t at all times want a vibrant display connected to it.
Whether or not folks really wish to transfer again towards invisible health monitoring is one other query. However after years of more and more difficult smartwatches, Google clearly thinks there’s room once more for one thing less complicated.
Specification
Google Fitbit Air
Value
$99.99
Weight
12 grams with strap
Weight with out strap
5 grams
Show
None
GPS
None
Battery life
As much as 7 days
Charging time
90 minutes
Quick charging
5 minutes for 1 day use
Sensors
Coronary heart charge, accelerometer, pores and skin temperature, SpO2
Connectivity
Bluetooth
Water resistance
50 metres
Supplies
Recycled plastic
Information storage
7 days minute by minute motion knowledge, 1 day exercise knowledge
Subscription included
3 months Google Well being Premium
App
Google Well being app
AI assistant
Google Well being Coach powered by Gemini
Strap choices
Efficiency Loop, Energetic strap, Elevated Trendy strap
Particular version
Stephen Curry branded strap
