Google unveiled an inconspicuous health tracking bracelet. Fitbit Air has no display and is powered by Gemini

In recent years, a new approach to wearables has gained popularity, based on a philosophy opposite to most smartwatches. Instead of constantly glowing with notifications and a large display on the wrist, inconspicuous bracelets are emerging, designed to track and advise you, but otherwise not disturb. This trend is firmly led by the Whoop brand, which Google has been somewhat enviously eyeing for a long time. After months of speculation, a similar device is now officially arriving under the name Fitbit Air.

The smallest Fitbit ever created

Google describes the thinking behind Fitbit Air with the words “no display, no distractions”. The sensory module itself, which the creators call a “pebble”, measures just 34.9 × 17 × 8.3 mm and weighs only 5.2 grams without the strap. Even with the textile loop, the weight stops at 12 grams, so you should barely notice the device on your wrist. Water resistance at 5 ATM allows the bracelet to be used even when swimming up to a depth of 50 meters.

The module can be easily popped out of the strap and moved to another. At launch, Google will offer four color variants of the default Performance Loop strap made from recycled materials (Obsidian, Berry, Lavender, and Fog), along with silicone Active Bands for athletes and a more elegant Elevated Modern Band in the form of a classic bracelet. The price of replacement straps starts at $34.99 (approximately 730 CZK converted).

Sensors continuously monitor health

Although Fitbit Air has no screen, it certainly doesn’t skimp on sensors. The equipment includes an optical heart rate monitor, a three-axis accelerometer with a gyroscope, red and infrared sensors for blood oxygen saturation (SpO2) measurement, and a skin temperature sensor. The bracelet provides continuous monitoring of heart rate, heart rate variability (HRV), respiratory rate, and resting heart rate.

More advanced features include heart rhythm monitoring with atrial fibrillation (AFib) detection. Furthermore, Fitbit Air tracks sleep stages along with a sleep score, to which the Cardio Load metric and a readiness score are added, describing what the body is prepared for on a given day – precisely what Whoop became famous for.

In the press release, Google also addresses users who already own wearable technology: if you own a Pixel Watch, you can wear it normally during the day and swap it for the inconspicuous Fitbit Air at night, which is more comfortable for sleep. I personally have been toying with the idea of investing in a similar device for a long time – I love wearing analog watches, and having an inconspicuous display-less bracelet on the other hand for health and activity tracking wouldn’t bother me at all.

Gemini-powered coach hidden behind a subscription

Google doesn’t hide that Fitbit Air was primarily created as a bridge to the new health coach, Google Health Coach, which is based on Gemini artificial intelligence. The coach is designed to function as a personalized guide: it understands natural language, suggests a weekly training plan, evaluates your sleep, and can react to changes in routine, such as traveling across time zones or injuries. Google itself claims that the coach adapts over time and learns from your behavior.

The catch is that almost all smart features are part of the paid Google Health Premium subscription, which costs $9.99 per month (approximately 210 CZK). When you purchase Fitbit Air, you get a three-month free trial, and subscribers to Google AI Pro and Ultra plans have it included. Without a subscription, the device will measure basic data, but you will lose advanced coaching logic and personalized training plans.

Week-long battery life and the end of the Fitbit app

On a single charge, Fitbit Air should last up to seven days, which is average for this category. The battery charges from zero in 90 minutes, with a five-minute charge reportedly providing enough power for a whole day. Connectivity is based on Bluetooth 5.0, and Google states a synchronization range of up to 9 meters.

Compatibility requirements of Android 11 and higher or iOS 16.4 and higher are not surprising. The application where data is stored is now officially being renamed from Fitbit to Google Health, thus completing Google’s integration of the acquired brand under its own wing. For fans of the traditional Fitbit ecosystem, this may be a bitter moment, but for Google, it’s a logical unification.

Special Edition by Stephen Curry

Google didn’t stop at the standard design. Together with NBA star Stephen Curry, a special edition was created with a strap in a Rye brown shade complemented by orange elements inspired by athletic stripes. The strap also features a water-repellent coating and a raised texture designed to improve airflow during intense movement. This variant will arrive in US stores on May 26 for $129.99 (approximately 2,700 CZK converted).

Price, availability, and no Czech Republic yet

The basic Fitbit Air starts at $99.99 (approximately 2,100 CZK converted) in the US and is currently available for pre-order. As for our market, Google has not yet officially confirmed the new product, so interested parties can only wait to see if Fitbit Air appears in the European offer, similar to how some Pixel Watch models did.

Who is Fitbit Air for?

Fitbit Air makes sense for people who want to keep track of their health and fitness but don’t want to wear a “second phone” on their wrist. The price of $99.99 for the hardware itself is friendly by today’s standards, especially compared to the Whoop ecosystem, where you don’t pay for the device but it doesn’t work at all without a monthly subscription. Google takes the opposite approach: you buy the hardware once, and the smart features are subscription-based.

A weakness of this model remains the fact that the product’s value significantly decreases after the three-month trial expires. Without Google Health Coach, Fitbit Air becomes a relatively ordinary pedometer with heart rate and AFib monitoring, although it will still serve well for people who only need basic data in the app. If you prefer visible data directly on your wrist, watches like the Pixel Watch or cheaper Galaxy Watch will offer more. And if you like to exercise with offline maps and navigation directly from your watch, Fitbit Air simply won’t be for you.

Would you get a display-less wearable device like Fitbit Air?

Sources: Google Blog, Google Store