Once upon a time, fitness trackers were just that. And somewhere along the way, they almost forget what they were supposed to be. The original Fitbit was a tiny clip-on pedometer with an LED display and one job. Sixteen years later, your average wearable wants to take your blood pressure, mirror your texts, run third-party apps, and ping your wrist every six minutes. It’s too much.
Google is calling time on all of that with the Fitbit Air, a screenless $100 tracker that’s the first new Fitbit hardware in roughly four years. It’s also the most interesting thing the brand has done since Google bought it in 2021.
Back to What Fitbit Was Always Good At
For a while there, it looked like Fitbit might quietly get absorbed into the Pixel ecosystem and disappear. Google spent its first few years post-acquisition pushing the Pixel Watch deeper into smartwatch territory while letting legacy Fitbit hardware lapse.
The Air does feel like a real course correction. It’s a slim, pebble-shaped sensor pod that slots into interchangeable bands, weighs just 12 grams strapped to your wrist, and will run for about a week on a charge. There’s no display, no haptic button, and no annoying no notifications to ignore. The whole interaction model lives in the rebranded Google Health app, which means the device on your wrist gets to be just a sensor.
The Obvious Comparison, and Why It’s a Little Lazy
Yes, the Air absolutely looks like a Whoop. Similar form factor, similar philosophy, similar pitch around 24/7 passive tracking. The key difference is the price of entry. Whoop is subscription-only hardware that runs $199 a year minimum, with the band included in the membership. The Air costs $100 outright, you own the device, and basic tracking through the Google Health app is free.
The Gemini-powered Health Coach layer is where Google’s own subscription kicks in at $10 a month. So it’s not exactly a clean break from the recurring-fee model, but the entry point is roughly half of Whoop’s, and you can skip the coaching tier entirely and still get your metrics.
What’s Actually Inside the Pebble
The Fitbit Air includes an optical heart rate monitor, a 3-axis accelerometer and gyroscope, red and infrared sensors for SpO2, and a skin temperature sensor. AFib detection, HRV, breathing rate, Cardio Load, and Daily Readiness are all here.
Sleep tracking is a major focus point for the device, and Google claims that new Gemini-powered models read interruptions, naps, and stage transitions with 15% more accuracy than the previous generation. Water resistance is rated to 50 meters, and a five-minute top-up gets you a full day if you forget to dock it overnight. There’s also a Stephen Curry special edition that runs $130, in case your tracker needs an endorsement deal.
Spec Sheet
Brand: Google
Model: Fitbit Air
Dimensions (without band): 1.4″ x 0.7″ x 0.3″
Weight: 12g (with band) / 5.2g (without band)
Display: None (screenless)
Battery Life: Up to 7 days
Fast Charging: 5 minutes for a full day; 90 minutes to 100%
Water Resistance: 5 ATM (up to 50 meters)
Sensors: Optical heart rate, 3-axis accelerometer, gyroscope, red and infrared SpO2, skin temperature
Health Tracking: Heart rate, HRV, AFib detection, SpO2, breathing rate, sleep stages, Cardio Load, Daily Readiness
Compatibility: Android 11.0+ and iOS 16.4+
Band Colorways: Obsidian, Fog, Lavender, Berry
Pricing & Availability
The Fitbit Air is up for pre-order now at $99.99 with a three-month Google Health Premium trial included, and it ships May 26. Additional bands start at $35. Head over to the Google Store to take a look.
Recap
Google Fitbit Air
A screenless, $100 pebble-shaped tracker with seven-day battery life, Gemini-powered coaching, and the full Fitbit sensor stack — Google’s first new Fitbit hardware in four years, and a direct shot at Whoop’s pricing model.
