Fitbit has not really launched a compelling wearable in a few years now. But that could soon change, with Google’s Performance Advisor Stephen Curry teasing a screen-less Whoop-like Fitbit wearable at the beginning of April. Now, a new report sheds more light on the device.
Google will seemingly market the screen-less band as the “Google Fitbit Air.” What’s more interesting is that as part of the device launch, Google plans to rename the Fitbit Premium subscription to Google Health. To go along with the rebranding, Google will integrate Gemini into the Fitbit app to deliver personalized health insights.
These AI features are already accessible through the Fitbit Health Coach public preview, which recently expanded to more countries and gained some new features. It appears that once Google is ready to launch the features publicly, it will market them under the “Google Health” moniker, moving away from the Fitbit Premium branding.
There’s still a lot we don’t know about Google and Fitbit’s new Whoop-style wearable. Based on the images Curry shared, the device looks sleek, but that’s about it. The “Air” moniker also suggests a lightweight design.
Previous reports indicate Google will release the screen-less Fitbit later this year. A Google I/O launch is plausible, especially since Curry has already teased the device publicly. Plus, he has been wearing the band in public since the beginning of this year.
Apparently, some basic features of the wearable will be free to use, but for everything else, including the AI-powered Ask Coach feature, users must subscribe to Google Health.
Fitbit’s screen-less wearable needs to deliver more than just a sleek design
Without a screen, Fitbit’s Whoop competitor should deliver multi-day battery life. More importantly, it should offer more detailed and accurate health tracking with personalized insights if it actually wants to compete with Whoop. That’s the real strength of the Whoop band and why athletes prefer it, not just its screen-less design.
Since completing Fitbit’s acquisition, Google has primarily focused on its Pixel Watch lineup. In many ways, the Fitbit Air could be the first major non-Pixel wearable to debut under Google’s leadership. That puts a lot of pressure on the device, and hopefully, it lives up to expectations.