Many Mashable writers and editors can be found with an Apple Watch or Whoop fitness tracker on their wrist. Fitbit may have popularized fitness trackers and the whole concept of “step counting,” but the brand has lost ground to feature-rich rivals in recent years.
When one of our reporters ran the New York City Marathon wearing seven fitness trackers, Fitbit wasn’t impressed.
But the new Fitbit could change that. The screen-less Google Fitbit Air will be in stores on May 19th, and its $99.99 price tag is very attractive compared to the Apple Watch, which costs between $249 and $799. The Fitbit Air also has some unique features that may appeal to die-hard Whoop fans.
We haven’t had a chance to test the Google Fitbit Air yet (unfortunately, Stephen Curry isn’t on staff), but here are the key features of the Fitbit Air that we’re looking forward to heading into May 19th.
Google Health Coach
New Google Health Coach launches with Fitbit Air
Credit: Google
When Fitbit Air launches on May 19th, Google will also debut its new Google Health Coach. This is part of your Google Health Premium subscription ($9.99 per month or $99 per year).
Google Health Coach is an AI personal trainer that can create personalized workout and health recommendations for you. The health, sleep, and fitness data collected by Fitbit Air gives you insights that go far beyond counting steps. The level of personalization is impressive, as the AI coach can take your sleep cycle, local weather, and medical history into account when designing your workouts.
While we don’t like that the product requires a paid subscription to access important features, the amount of data available to AI Coach may set this tool apart from similar products. If you have a Pixel 4 smartwatch, you can also use this new feature.
Ultra lightweight design
Fitbit Air is lighter and thinner than Whoop.
Credit: Google
When it comes to Fitbit Air, Google seems to be prioritizing weight savings over battery life. The Whoop 5.0 and MG offer longer battery life, but the Fitbit Air is significantly lighter and smaller.
The new Fitbit weighs just 12 grams, less than half the Whoop 5.0’s 26.5 grams (Whoop MG weighs 27.3 grams). The sensor area, which Google describes as a “pebble,” is also slimmer in height and narrower than the Whoop.
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There are significant size and weight advantages when compared to smartwatches. This is very important for people who want to use their fitness tracker as a sleep tracker.
Despite its small size, Air can measure heart rate, heart rhythm, SpO2 (blood oxygen level), sleep stages, and more. Also includes an accelerometer and gyroscope.
Gemini voice and text chat
You can talk to Google Health Coach by voice or text.
Credit: Google
Within the Google Health app, you can speak to an AI coach via voice or text with conversations powered by Google’s AI chatbot Gemini. You will need a mobile phone to do this, but if you are an athlete who wants to talk to an AI chatbot, you will be able to do so in real time. You can ask questions and make requests during the training.
Benefits for Gemini power users
Credit: Google
Google offers several paid AI subscriptions, Google AI Pro and Google AI Ultra, for users who want access to the latest Gemini models and features. With the debut of Google Health Coach, users of any of these plans will be able to access Google Health Premium for free.
So if you’re already a Gemini power user, you can unlock additional features on Fitbit Air at no additional cost.
Fitbit Air can use Gemini to “see” your workout and meal plans
Google, the maker of Gemini, one of the most advanced AI chatbots, has some big advantages over Apple, Whoop, Garmin, Nothing, and other smartwatch and fitness tracker brands.
Case in point: You can take a photo and upload it to Google Health Coach for analysis. Google’s blog post says users can “upload gym whiteboard photos and meal snapshots for nutritional analysis.” You can also upload a PDF containing your health information.
Again, you must use your mobile phone to use this feature.
3 month free trial
Credit: Google
Finally, Google has one more advantage over Whoop. That’s because the free trial is long. When you buy a Fitbit Air, you get 3 months of access to Google Health Premium, but Whoop only offers a 1-month free trial
For all these reasons, the new Google Fitbit Air is expected to be a strong contender in the world of fitness trackers, and may even tempt some people to ditch their smartwatches. There’s been a lot of interest in screen-less technology lately, which is one of the reasons Whoop is so popular.
But Google is going all in on its artificial intelligence capabilities once again. For athletes who aren’t interested in hiring an AI personal trainer or using Gemini as a training buddy, the Fitbit Air may be a tough sell.
Google touts its privacy features, but not everyone wants to give up such detailed health information to a big tech company.
Google Fitbit Air is currently available for pre-order on Amazon and Google Store for $99.99.
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