Fitbit Air offers a screenless tracker, but Google Health Coach feels optional

In short: Google’s $100 Fitbit Air keeps fitness tracking simple with no screen, but the AI Health Coach inside the new Google Health app may be more distracting than helpful.

What happened

Google’s new Fitbit Air is a small, screenless fitness tracker. Instead of a watch display, it is a tiny puck with health sensors and one small light that shows battery level. It does not show phone notifications and its vibration is mainly for alarms, which helps it stay focused on basic tracking.

According to an Ars Technica review, the Air includes many of the sensors found in pricier smartwatches. It tracks steps, heart rate, blood oxygen, and skin temperature, but it does not include an ECG (a heart rhythm test). The reviewer says it is comfortable enough to wear all day and night, and it lasts about a week on one charge.

The bigger change is software. The Air feeds data into Google Health, an app that replaces Fitbit’s old app. Premium subscribers also get Health Coach, an AI assistant built on Google’s Gemini model (a text generator, like a chatbot that writes responses). The reviewer says the Coach provides long summaries, frequent encouragement, and suggestions, even when they are obvious.

The review also notes occasional AI mistakes, like describing workouts that did not happen, or claiming data is missing when it is visible elsewhere. Free users see a more straightforward interface, and Premium users can turn the Coach off, but the setting is buried.

Why it matters

Some people want a tracker that feels more like a simple pedometer than a mini phone on the wrist. Fitbit Air seems to fit that role. The review suggests the AI coach is not essential for most users, so buyers may want to consider whether they actually want extra commentary, or just the charts and numbers.

Source: Arstechnica