Google abandons the screen on its latest portable and bet heavily on its AI health coach. The new Fitbit Air is a thin, screenless wristband with a detachable sensor whose sole role is to collect health data in the background, removing distractions from notifications, apps and stats.
Learn more: Fitbit Air, redesigned application and AI coach: Google is overhauling its health ecosystem
This return to the sources echoes first Fitbit devicesbut with a very different endgame. Where those early bands only counted steps, the Fitbit Air feeds a much broader stream of biometric data into Google’s evolving health ecosystem, which appears increasingly AI-centric.
At $99, the band is just what you need to get you through the door. The main event is Google’s recently launched Health Coach, part of Google Health Premium (formerly Fitbit Premium) service. The premium service will cost $10 per month or $100 per year when you purchase an annual subscription.
Health coach is an AI-powered chatbot built on Gemini that translates raw data into personalized advice, adaptive training plans and recovery recommendations.
The strategy also extends beyond Android. Since the Fitbit Air and its companion app support both iOS and Android, Google is using the device as a sort of Trojan horse to get its AI health coach to iPhone.
News of the launch comes alongside a broader rebranding, as Google is phasing out the Fitbit name in its app for Google Health – part of an effort to unify its wearables, services and AI. The Fitbit branding remains on the hardware for now, but the finish line of the Fitbit name is in sight.
It’s also a strategic bet on where the market is headed. Screenless devices like the Whoop band And Oura ring have created a growing category of wearables focused on continuous wear, sleep tracking, and long-term health trends rather than the in-the-moment functionality of a smartwatch. The fact that the Fitbit Air can be paired with a device like the Pixel Watch further suggests that Google views the two as complementary, not competitive.
The Fitbit Air has a removable sensor under the bracelet.
GoogleWhat does it follow?
The Fitbit Air covers the key health metrics you’ve come to expect, including 24/7 heart rate monitoring, heart rate variability, SpO2 (blood oxygen level), temperature variation, sleep tracking and analysis, cardio load, workout readiness, steps, distance, and irregular heartbeat notifications for atrial fibrillation detection. It also includes automatic activity tracking that you can confirm later in the app. The device is waterproof up to 50 meters.
One caveat: The Fitbit Air uses an older sensor setup than the current Pixel Watch 4, which includes a multi-channel optical heart rate sensor and a far-field temperature sensor. The Air sticks to more traditional sensors, which could limit accuracy, especially in peak heart rate zones and for more advanced information, like menstrual cycle tracking.
Google’s Coaching Superpowers
Google Health Coach and long-term health information is the main reason why you would buy this group. The trainer gathers fitness, sleep, heart rate and menstrual cycle data to develop training plans that adapt to performance and schedule in real time. It sets weekly goals and can suggest workouts (which include video examples), adjust recommendations based on recovery, and can use your own data to signal when to push and when to rest. This includes Smart Wake haptic alarms that use your sleep data dynamically to wake you up at an optimal time in your sleep cycle.
Health Coach has been in beta since October 2025 and is rolling out in a staggered launch alongside the Fitbit Air.
Three phone screens showing nutrition and fitness recording from Google Health Coach.
GoogleBattery life
One of the most obvious benefits of going screenless is battery life. Google claims the Fitbit Air lasts up to a week on a single charge. (We’ll have to test to see how it holds up in our real-world testing.) And it can also charge from zero to 100 percent in 90 minutes.
That doesn’t quite match the Whoop Band’s two-week battery life, but it’s a serious step up from the roughly 36-hour battery life you’d get from its screen-based siblings, like the Pixel Watch 4’s 41mm model.
The Pixel Watch 4 (pictured) can be used with the Fitbit Air.
Celso Bulgatti/CNETiOS and Android
Unlike the Android-only Pixel Watch, the Fitbit Air works with both Android and iOS, which is more in line with other Fitbit devices. This means you can get the Google Health Coach even if you own an iPhone, although it’s unclear whether there are any benefits to using Air on Android versus iOS.
Design and fit
I haven’t seen the Fitbit Air in person yet, but based on the specs, it follows a familiar screenless design. Like the Whoop group, the sensor module can be removed and swapped between different groups. Unlike Whoop, which offers alternative supports such as a sports bra and even a Whoop thong, Fitbit sticks to wrist accessories. This might change later based on feedback.
The Air supports a range of interchangeable straps in different materials. Options include the Performance Loop for everyday wear, the Active Band for workouts, and the Modern Elevated Band for a more refined look. The bracelets start at $35 and come in four colors: obsidian, fog, berry and lavender. A special orange and gray Stephen Curry edition will also be available in limited quantities.
Fitbit Air Performance band in colors: lavender, obsidian, berry and fog.
FitbitThe privacy dilemma
The move to the Google Health brand is now drawing new scrutiny, especially as the company plans to allow users to import medical records into the app. As part of its Acquisition of Fitbit in 2020Google agreed to separate Fitbit’s health data from its advertising activities for 10 years.
Google says data collected by Fitbit Air and other Fitbit devices will not be used for advertising purposes, but experts have noted that even anonymized health data can often be traced back to individuals and that once the data is collected, how it will be used years later depends entirely on policies that may change. For anyone considering handing over their health data, it’s worth reading the fine print and keeping an eye on how these policies change over time.
The Fitbit Air automatically detects workouts and stores them in the Google Health app.
GoogleFitbit Air pricing and availability
The Fitbit Air launches on May 7 for $100 on Google.com and in the Google Store app, with in-store availability at physical retail locations starting May 26. Accessory bracelets start at $35.
Three months of Google Health Premium are included with purchase, after which the subscription automatically renews at $10 per month.
CNET will be testing the Google Fitbit Air over the coming weeks, so check back for our full review.
