Google unveils Whoop-like screenless Fitbit Air
Google has introduced the $100 Fitbit Air, a screenless, lightweight fitness wearable similar to Whoop, alongside a new Gemini-powered Google Health Coach for Premium subscribers.
Decoder
- Whoop: A popular screenless fitness tracker known for its focus on continuous health monitoring, recovery, and performance insights, typically sold with a subscription model.* A-fib (atrial fibrillation): An irregular and often rapid heart rate that can lead to poor blood flow to the body. Wearables with A-fib alerts can detect potential instances of this condition.* Gemini: Google's multimodal large language model, used here to power the Google Health Coach for personalized advice.
Original article
Google on Thursday unveiled its new Fitbit Air, a Whoop-like screenless wearable that retails for $100. The device includes health and fitness tracking features like 24/7 heart rate monitoring, heart rhythm monitoring with A-fib (atrial fibrillation) alerts, blood oxygen level, resting heart rate, heart rate variability, sleep stages and duration, and more.
The tech giant said in a blog post that the device is aimed at people who find wearable devices to be too bulky, complicated, or expensive, noting that the Fitbit Air is “simple, affordable and comfortable enough to wear 24/7.”
Google says the screenless design is built to allow users to “live in the moment.” You can track your health and fitness through the Google Health app — the rebranded version of the Fitbit App, which Google also unveiled on Thursday.
The new wearable is noticeably smaller than its predecessors, staying true to the “Air” branding, as it’s 25% smaller than the Fitbit Luxe and 50% smaller than the Inspire 3.
The device will automatically track common activities and workouts; Google says the experience is personalized to you and improves over time as it learns your habits.
The device weighs 12 grams with the band and 5.2 grams without the band. It also pairs with the Pixel Watch, which means you could use the larger wearable throughout the day and then switch to the Fitbit Air at night or during workouts for a more comfortable experience, Google says.
The Fitbit Air has up to a week of battery life, and fast charging can deliver a full day of power in just five minutes. It’s also water-resistant up to 50 meters.
The tech giant also announced that Google Health Coach, its Gemini-powered all-in-one fitness trainer, sleep coach, and health and wellness advisor, is now available for Google Health Premium subscribers. The Google Health Coach can help with tasks like creating custom workout routines based on your goals and available equipment, analyzing your sleep habits, and more.
The new wearable is launching with three band types: a “Performance Loop Band” made from recycled materials with a breathable fit, a waterproof “Active Band,” and a discreet “Elevated Modern Band.”
The Fitbit Air is available for preorder now and will go on sale May 26.
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