You’ll find Apple Watches and Whoop fitness trackers on the wrists of a number of Mashable writers and editors. Fitbit may have popular fitness trackers and the whole idea of ”counting steps,” but the brand has been overlooked in recent years by more affluent competitors.
When one of our reporters ran the New York City marathon wearing seven fitness trackers, Fitbit was not impressed.
But the new Fitbit could change that. The screen-less Google Fitbit Air hits store shelves on May 19, and the $99.99 price tag is very tempting compared to the Apple Watch, which can cost $249 to $799. The Fitbit Air has some unique features that may tempt dedicated Whoop fans.
We haven’t had a chance to test the Google Fitbit Air yet (Steph Curry isn’t on our staff, unfortunately), but here are the top Fitbit Air features we’re looking at ahead of May 19.
Google Health Coach
The new Google Health Coach is launched alongside the Fitbit Air
Credit: Google
When the Fitbit Air launches on May 19, Google will also release the new Google Health Coach, which will be part of a Google Health Premium subscription ($9.99 per month or $99 per year).
Google Health Coach is an AI personal trainer that can make personalized fitness and health recommendations for you. Using the health, sleep, and fitness data collected by Fitbit Air, you’ll be able to get insights that go beyond counting steps. The level of personalization is impressive, as the AI trainer can take into account your sleep cycle, local weather, and medical history when designing workouts.
We don’t like it when products require a paid subscription to unlock key features, but the amount of data available to your AI trainer may set this tool apart from similar offerings. If you have a Pixel 4 smartwatch, you will also be able to use this new feature.
Very lightweight design
The Fitbit Air is lighter and thinner than the Whoop.
Credit: Google
For the Fitbit Air, Google seems to prioritize light weight over battery life. While the Whoop 5.0 and MG have longer battery life, the Fitbit Air will be much lighter and smaller.
The new Fitbit weighs just 12 grams, less than half the weight of the Whoop 5.0, which weighs 26.5 grams (the Whoop MG is 27.3 grams). The sensory area, which Google describes as a “pebble,” is also smaller in height and narrower in width than Whoop.
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Compared to smartwatches, it has a significant size and weight advantage. That’s important for people who want to use their fitness tracker as a sleep tracker.
Despite its small size, the Air can still measure heart rate, heart rate, SpO2 (blood oxygen levels), sleep stages, and more. It also contains an accelerometer and a gyroscope.
Gemini voice and text chat
You can talk to a Google Health Coach by voice or text.
Credit: Google
Within the Google Health app, you’ll be able to talk to your AI coach by voice or text, with conversations powered by Google’s AI chatbot Gemini. You’ll need your phone to do this, but for athletes who like to talk to their AI chatbot, you’ll be able to talk in real time. You will be able to ask questions and make requests as you practice.
Benefits of Gemini energy users
Credit: Google
Google offers several paid AI subscriptions for users who want access to the latest Gemini models and features – Google AI Pro and Google AI Ultra. With the launch of Google Health Coach, users on any of these plans will now get free access to Google Health Premium.
So, if you’re already a Gemini power user, you can unlock more features on Fitbit Air at no extra cost.
Fitbit Air can use Gemini to “see” your exercise and diet plans
As the maker of Gemini, one of the most advanced AI conversations, Google has big advantages over Apple, Whoop, Garmin, Nothing, and other brands of smartwatches and fitness trackers.
Example: You can take pictures and upload them to Google Health Coach for analysis. Google’s blog post says users can “upload photos of gym whiteboards or snap photos of food for nutritional analysis.” You can also upload PDFs with health information.
Also, you will need to use your phone to use this feature.
3 month free trial
Credit: Google
Finally, Google has one advantage over Whoop: a long free trial. When you buy a Fitbit Air, you get three months of access to Google Health Premium, while Whoop only offers a 1-month free trial.
For all these reasons, we expect the new Google Fitbit Air to be a contender in the world of fitness trackers and may tempt some people to ditch their smartwatch. We’re seeing a growing interest in screenless technology lately, which is one reason Whoop is so popular.
But then again, Google is getting into all aspects of artificial intelligence. For the athletes present not whether you’re interested in having an AI personal trainer or using Gemini as a workout buddy, the Fitbit Air might be the best seller.
Google touts its privacy features, but not everyone wants to hand over such detailed health information to Big Tech.
The Google Fitbit Air is available for pre-order now for $99.99 at Amazon and the Google Store.
