Google Fitbit Air Brings Screenless Fitness Tracking at an Affordable Price

Google has officially launched the Fitbit Air, a lightweight screenless fitness tracker focused on health, sleep, and recovery tracking without smartwatch distractions. With AI-powered coaching, seven-day battery life, and a starting price of £84.99, the Fitbit Air takes on rivals like Whoop and Oura while offering most features without a mandatory subscription.

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Image Source: Google Blog

Google has finally jumped into the rapidly growing category of fitness trackers without a screen with its new Fitbit Air. This wearable is intended for those health and fitness enthusiasts that don’t want their device to distract them from the actual workout by showing notifications and other things, but rather focus solely on providing useful insights about your physical state. While we are getting used to smartwatches becoming bigger and having more and more features, Google’s offering goes against the grain.

With many health-focused users choosing wearable devices without screens today, there are a number of brands that dominate the niche, including Whoop and Oura Health, whereas Samsung, Polar, Amazfit, and even reportedly Garmin have their products in this particular category or are preparing to add to the lineup soon. Google's response to the above developments is its new Fitbit Air - an extremely light device that lacks a screen altogether and works in conjunction with a recently upgraded Google Health app.

Google Fitbit Air Key Specifications

• Screenless wearable design

• 24/7 heart rate tracking

• HRV monitoring

• SpO2 monitoring

• Skin temperature sensing

• Sleep tracking

• Seven-day battery life

• Five-minute quick charging

• Android and iOS compatibility

• Google Health app integration

• Gemini AI-powered coaching

• Automatic workout detection

• Over 140 supported activities

• Interchangeable bands

• No mandatory subscription required

Google Fitbit Air Price and Availability

The launch date of the Google Fitbit Air is officially May 26, and the device is currently available for pre-orders in the UK. It should be noted that one of the biggest highlights is the very aggressive pricing policy. The fitness tracker itself is priced at only £84.99 when purchased as a launch bundle containing another Active Band for free. Regularly, this bundle will cost £119.98, which results in savings of up to 29% for early purchasers.

It must be said that the price for this promotional bundle is the same as that of a standalone product purchased from the official Google store, which implies that the second band comes for free. This promotion can be found at well-known retailers such as Amazon, John Lewis & Partners, Currys, and Very, but some may require promotional codes.

Google is offering several different colors for the Fitbit Air, namely Berry, Fog, Lavender, and Obsidian, along with two size options.

A Fitness Tracker Without a Display

The Fitbit Air, in contrast with regular smartwatches or fitness trackers, comes with no display whatsoever. This sounds like an odd proposition, but it is actually the whole reason why the product exists. Google encourages its users to concentrate more on health and less on notifications.

Rather than using the wearable, people are supposed to check their statistics in a newly developed Google Health application. Formerly named Fitbit app, the program serves as a dashboard for monitoring physical activity, recovery progress, sleep quality, readiness score, cardio load, and heart health statistics.

The basic premise of the Fitbit Air is that people should wear it without interruptions and forget about it completely.

Smallest Fitbit Tracker Yet

Fitbit Air is the thinnest and lightest Fitbit has ever made, as per Google’s description. The sensor unit is very small and only weighs 12 grams when used with the Loop strap. From initial user reviews, wearing the device becomes almost unnoticed after some time.

A lightweight tracker is crucial in the context of sleep monitoring. Most people prefer to take off their large smartwatch because it feels heavy and needs recharging. Fitbit Air tries to address both concerns with its sleek appearance and seven days of battery life.

The wearable is available with three different wristband styles in the UK:

• Active Band (silicone material)

• Elevated Modern Band (polyurethane finish)

• Loop Band (woven recycled yarn blend)

The Active and Loop bands come in Obsidian, Fog, Lavender, and Berry color options, while the Elevated Modern Band is available in Obsidian, Porcelain, and Moonstone finishes.

The interchangeable band system also allows users to switch styles depending on workouts, office wear, or casual usage.

Health Tracking Features

Even though the Fitbit Air lacks a display, Google has packed it with a wide range of health sensors and biometric tracking features. The small clip-on sensor continuously measures:

• Heart rate

• Heart rate variability (HRV)

• Blood oxygen saturation (SpO2)

• Skin temperature

• Sleep movement

• General activity levels

The wearable also tracks workouts and daily movement around the clock. Google says the tracker can automatically detect common activities such as:

• Walking

• Running

• Cycling

• Rowing

• Elliptical workouts

Additionally, users can manually log over 140 workout types within the app.

The Fitbit Air does not include built-in GPS, but it can use GPS data from a connected smartphone during outdoor activities.

Google Health Coach and Gemini AI Integration

One of the most heavily promoted features of the Fitbit Air is the new Google Health Coach system powered by Google’s Gemini AI technology.

Buyers receive three months of Google Health Premium access, which unlocks advanced features including:

• AI-powered coaching

• Personalized workout recommendations

• Adaptive fitness plans

• Advanced sleep insights

• Interactive chatbot support

The Gemini-based personal trainer uses information about a user's behavior to make suggestions, depending on how well you slept, your recovery status, training load, and general health condition.

For instance, after your workout session, the system can suggest you engage in some relaxing activities, such as taking a walk or drinking more water, and decrease the amount of cardio for tomorrow.

Nevertheless, initial tests have revealed that the AI-based system requires further development. Some users noticed occasional "hallucinations," wherein Gemini was making up assumptions regarding either planned workout sessions or weather.

Battery Life and Charging

According to Google, the device can function continuously for up to seven days after being charged once, placing the Fitbit Air among most current health monitors.

The charging technology involved uses a magnetic cable that is connected to the sensor part of the monitor. Five minutes of charging is supposed to provide sufficient energy to use the tracker for a whole day, making it particularly convenient for people who wear it around the clock during their sleep.

It should be noted, however, that some customers might be upset about the lack of the USB-C charging option or the ability to charge the tracker using Pixel Watch devices.

Fitbit Air vs Whoop and Oura

By far, one of the main advantages that makes Fitbit Air superior to its rivals such as Whoop 5.0 and Oura Ring 4 is pricing.

Being priced at £84.99, the Fitbit Air comes way cheaper than most premium wearable devices without screens on the market. Whoop 5.0 comes with an expensive yearly subscription package, whereas the Oura Ring 4 is also very pricey and requires a monthly subscription fee.

In this regard, it seems that Google intends to take the path of making its products cheaper and more accessible for people. The vast majority of Fitbit Air functions can be enjoyed even when not being subscribed to Google Health Premium. In turn, for the latter one will provide additional AI-powered analytics.

It may well be enough for casual users interested only in exercise, sleep and recovery monitoring.

Early Impressions and Concerns

Preliminary reviews about the Fitbit Air have been quite favorable concerning its comfort, wearability, and cost-effectiveness. In essence, due to its lightness and discrete appearance, the watch does not seem to resemble a fitness band; rather, it feels like a bracelet. But there are also concerns that remain unaddressed.

Early results indicate that when it comes to outdoor running tracking, the Fitbit Air cannot match the accuracy of such devices as the Garmin Forerunner 170 and even the Apple Watch Ultra 3. Apparently, distances covered during some runs have been slightly exaggerated.

The problem is similar for automatic workout recognition in terms of strength training performed in gyms; in some cases, wrist activity has appeared to be insufficiently repetitive. That being said, given that the Fitbit Air is not aimed at replacing sporty devices, many users may tolerate the trade-offs mentioned above.

Is the Google Fitbit Air Worth Buying?

The Google Fitbit Air appears to be geared towards a particular demographic, specifically those individuals who prefer constant tracking but do not need the notifications and applications on a display screen. This device will prove useful to individuals who consider health tracking through comfort, tracking their sleep and recovery processes, and general well-being more important than the functions offered by a smartwatch.

Given its launch price, the Google Fitbit Air is one of the best bargains out there as a screenless health tracker that offers several options for wearing, longevity of battery power, artificial intelligence coaching, and core functions without needing to purchase a monthly plan.

However, concerns regarding workout measurement accuracy and the efficiency of the Gemini AI have yet to be addressed satisfactorily.