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What should a modern fitness tracker be in 2026? With smartwatches readily available \u2014 and for not much more than your run-of-the-mill Fitbit \u2014 it\u2019s a tricky proposition, especially for brands like Google that live in both spaces<\/a>. The Fitbit Air<\/a> feels like an admission from Google that Whoop, the obvious competitor for something like this, is on the right path, offering a minimalist band that exists to gather data, not to serve as a miniature wrist-based computer. So far, I\u2019m liking what I\u2019m seeing from my time with the device, but not without some unsurprising concerns surrounding its AI coach.<\/p>\n While it shouldn\u2019t be much of a surprise that the Fitbit Air is designed to be, you know, small, I still found myself pretty taken aback upon unboxing just how lightweight this thing feels right out of the box. Just how miniature Google\u2019s latest tracker is becomes even more obvious when you pop it out of the default band. This thing is a puck so tiny, it\u2019s actually difficult to find something in my gadget collection that actually functions as an easy comparison. The average true wireless earbud \u2014 singular, not plural \u2014 probably weighs more.<\/p>\n Swapping bands is super simple, and frankly, relies on a more fluid system than Whoop\u2019s \u201cFast Link\u201d slider system. Rather than relying on metal prongs to hold the tracker in place, the Fitbit Air drops out of your current band with a simple push. The default Performance Loop band and the \u201cstylish\u201d Elevated Loop\u201d both show the uncovered band through a basic cutout, making removing the Air even easier. On the sporty Active Band, the tracker is completely covered, though it\u2019s still easy to push through the silicon barrier.<\/p>\n Technically, you can force the Air into a band in either position, but there is a proper orientation, and you\u2019ll feel it when you\u2019re actually swapping bands. The correct setup feels right in a way its upside-down layout doesn\u2019t, though thankfully, you don\u2019t have to trust your gut on this. Google\u2019s battery indicator light turns on with a double-tap of the tracker<\/a>, shining through just one side of the band. If you don\u2019t see that light, you probably have the Air turned around in your band \u2014 or, you know, the tracker\u2019s just dead. Either way.<\/p>\n \tAdvertisement – scroll for more content<\/p>\n Once the tracker\u2019s on your wrist, it\u2019s surprisingly comfortable. I\u2019ll need to use all three bands more to determine exactly which one is the best of the bunch \u2014 and if any of the three are decidedly worth not buying \u2014 but so far, the ultra-lightweight feel of this thing made for one of the most comfortable night\u2019s sleep I\u2019ve ever had wearing a tracker. I didn\u2019t even immediately notice it on my wrist when I first woke up, though if you\u2019re using the built-in ( and decently strong) vibration alarms, that obviously won\u2019t apply to you.<\/p>\n Health Coach remains the Fitbit Air\u2019s big question mark for me<\/p>\n If there\u2019s one thing about the Fitbit Air that has me on edge, it\u2019s Google\u2019s Health Coach. Effectively a relaunch of Fitbit Premium<\/a>, Health Coach feels like how Google wants most of its users to interact with its tracker within the app. There\u2019s an always-available chatbot button floating within the app, prompting you to ask your virtual coach any questions you might have on your fitness journey.<\/p>\n Unfortunately, I\u2019m already wary of trusting it. Generally speaking, I find AI fitness coaches pretty unreliable, either including mistakes in its general output or, even more frequently, delivering basic information in long text blocks to cover up that the analysis being offered is usually pretty shallow. This morning, Health Coach offered me both, suggesting I take it easy after a poor night\u2019s sleep (true!), a brief weightlifting session the day before (also true!), and, of course, the 5.2-mile run that followed my weightlifting (didn\u2019t happen!).<\/p>\n Put simply, Google\u2019s paid replacement for Fitbit Premium immediately began hallucinating, even admitting to having made up the data before asking if, you know, maybe I\u2019m the one who actually forgot to input a run. Remember, this is my very first report from this thing, making for an awful first impression. Even after this correction, the run data continues to exist within the AI-powered home screen layout, despite no record actually appearing within my account. It\u2019s not exactly a great advertisement for a platform that costs $10 per month or $100 annually.<\/p>\n While I might not have high hopes for the AI elements built into this thing \u2014 and honestly, what else is new? \u2014 the rest of the package here seems solid so far. I\u2019ll have plenty to say in a final review coming soon, but for now, it seems like Google nailed the basics in its ultra-minimal Whoop competitor. It\u2019s comfortable, there\u2019s several band options to pick from, and it even serves as a simple Pixel Watch substitute in times where the full smartwatch experience isn\u2019t necessary. But I wouldn\u2019t recommend shelling out for Health Coach beyond Google\u2019s trial period until we have a better idea on just how frequently it\u2019s going to hallucinate.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/google-fitbit-air-hands-on-9.jpg\")
The Fitbit Air (sans band) next to a 45mm Pixel Watch 3.<\/p>\n
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