Google Unveils Screenless Fitbit Air, Google Health App To Replace Fitbit
- Reference: 0183152688
- News link: https://tech.slashdot.org/story/26/05/07/1715225/google-unveils-screenless-fitbit-air-google-health-app-to-replace-fitbit
- Source link:
> Wearables have really come full circle. The early Fitbits didn't have screens, but the move to smartwatches put a screen on everyone's wrist. Now, devices like Whoop and Hume are designed as data trackers first and foremost without so much as a clock. [1]Google's newest wearable jumps on that trend: The Fitbit Air doesn't have a screen, but it does have a suite of health sensors that pipe data into the new Google Health app. And if you want, Google has a new AI-powered health coach in the app ready to tell you what that data means (maybe).
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> The Fitbit Air itself is a small plastic puck about 1.4 inches long and 0.7 inches wide. It slots into various bands that hold the bottom-mounted sensors against your wrist. There's no display pointing upward, so the entire device is covered by the fabric or plastic of the band. It's a streamlined and potentially stylish look -- in uncharacteristic fashion, Google has plenty of colors and style options available, including a special-edition Steph Curry version. You may have heard chatter about Curry being seen teasing a new screenless Fitbit, and this is it. [...]
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> The Fitbit app is getting a major makeover and a new name. An update in the coming weeks [2]will transform that app into Google Health , featuring a new interface with a more extensive Material Expressive aesthetic and redesigned menus and tabs. You also won't see Fitbit branding in as many places -- the Fitbit Premium subscription will become Google Health Premium. Without a subscription, the app still does all the basic things, like tracking your health stats, automatically logging workouts, and showing it all in a pretty dashboard. With the Premium subscription, you get all the features from Fitbit Premium plus the new AI Health Coach. It's a chatbot, so you can ask it about any health or wellness topics, and the answers are grounded in your health data.
The Fitbit Air launches May 26 for $99.99, includes a Performance Loop band, and comes with three months of the new Google Health Premium that replaces Fitbit Premium and adds Google's AI Health Coach.
Meanwhile, Google Health Premium will cost $10 per month or $100 per year, though it's included with AI Pro or AI Ultra. Non-subscribers can still use basic tracking features. Ars also notes that when Google Fit shuts down later this year, users will need to migrate their data to Google Health.
[1] https://blog.google/products-and-platforms/devices/fitbit/fitbit-air/
[2] https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2026/05/google-unveils-screenless-fitbit-air-and-google-health-app-to-replace-fitbit/
Garmin was the way to go (Score:2)
The Fitbit software ecosystem and posture are just WEIRD. On the one hand, they're trying to position themselves as a clinical-precision health tracking device. On the other hand, their app serves popups for Deepak fucking Chopra and his bullshit. Guys, pick a lane.
But it's the HW reliability that did it for me. Two broken Fitbits (all glitched screens) later, I finally made the jump. Fitbit offered a discount on a replacement, but only one per unit and refused to combine them. They finally caved when I
Re: (Score:2)
LOL yeah that's terrible. Ads + content are not the thing I'm after with a fitness tracker. I want accurate tracking that is useful. My Garmin watch does a good job of GPS tracking, so I haven't given up on it even thought its not accurate in HR monitoring. I don't think the LED-based pulse meters are accurate in general.
But it does tell me if I set a new speed record, and I don't care so much about how much my "Body Battery" is charged or not. The Garmin app is thankfully ad free still I think.
Re: (Score:2)
I made the swap from Fitbit to Garmin as well. They don't have as many "apps" available, but on a watch it's not a big issue. The battery life and activity tracking is just far superior.
A couple years ago I was chatting with a guy that used to work at Fitbit - he wore a Garmin
I switched to Garmin (Score:1)
So glad I switched from Fitbit to Garmin. Google has done everything possible to lose me as a customer.
Enshittification (Score:2)
The app got worse. It's lacking some features that Fitbit had.
The screenless band is interesting, but I really just wish they would improve sleep tracking. It's definitely worse in the preview app.