Google unveils screenless Fitbit Air and Google Health app to replace Fitbit

Source: Ars Technica

The Air “pebble” slots into bands from the bottom.

The Fitbit Air will have all the standard wearable health sensors: heart rate, accelerometer/gyroscope, infrared SpO₂, and skin temperature. Google notes that the heart‑rate monitor isn’t as advanced as the one in the latest Pixel Watches, so the Air might not be as accurate during vigorous activity. The Air also has a vibration motor that can be used for alarms, but it won’t buzz for phone notifications like a smartwatch.

The Fitbit Air launches on May 26 for $99.99 with the included Performance Loop band. Additional silicone Performance Loop and Elevated Modern Band options start at $34.99 and come in a variety of colors. A Fitbit Air purchase also includes three months of Google Health Premium (replacing Fitbit Premium), which now features Google’s new AI Health Coach.

Goodbye, Fitbit… Hello, Google Health

The Fitbit app is getting a major makeover and a new name. An update in the coming weeks will transform the app into Google Health, featuring a new interface with a more extensive Material Expressive aesthetic and redesigned menus and tabs. Fitbit branding will be removed from most places, and the Fitbit Premium subscription will become Google Health Premium.

Without a subscription, the app still does all the basic things—tracking health stats, automatically logging workouts, and displaying everything in a clean dashboard. With the Premium subscription, you get all the features from Fitbit Premium plus the new AI Health Coach. The coach is a chatbot that can answer health and wellness questions, drawing on your personal health data.

Google suggests asking the Health Coach for customized workout routines or exploring health concerns. The bot can use accumulated metrics—workouts, nutrition, sleep—to provide better suggestions. You can even upload a picture of food to Health Coach and have it automatically logged in the app.