The Fitbit Air is a good wearable weighed down by a chatty AI "coach" - Ars Technica
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Smartwatches can track your health stats, but they also do a lot of other things you might not always want or need. The $100 Fitbit Air tracker ditches the screens that have become common on people’s wrists, leaving behind a tiny puck of health sensors you can often forget you’re wearing. You will not, however, forget that Google’s new health platform is built around AI.
The Air has no speaker, and there’s only one LED on the side to indicate battery level. You can double-tap the tracker to check the level, and that’s about the end of on-device features. The vibration motor is only for alarms—it can’t sync with notifications on your phone. That makes sense, given there is no screen to tell you what that buzz was all about.
The Fitbit Air doesn’t have a display or buttons—just a small LED on the side for battery status.
Credit:<br>Ryan Whitwam
The Fitbit Air doesn’t have a display or buttons—just a small LED on the side for battery status.
Credit:
Ryan Whitwam
The stock Performance Band is simple, consisting of a smooth polyester yarn with small velcro pads and a metal loop. It’s durable but does seem to absorb a bit of moisture. For swimming or heavy workouts, you’ll probably want the silicone active band. This one hides the Air puck a bit more effectively, and it looks good in a sporty way.
While $35 for a bit of silicone is rather spendy, that’s nothing compared to the $50 Elevated band, which is a more understated polyurethane option. However, it doesn’t make sense to pay half the cost of the tracker just for a band that looks marginally better.
The Active Band hides the Air puck a bit better.
The Active Band hides the Air puck a bit better.
The stock Performance Band is made from polyester and a dash of elastic.
Ryan Whitwam
The stock Performance Band is made from polyester and a dash of elastic.
Ryan Whitwam
The Fitbit Air mounts inside the stock bands.
Ryan Whitwam
The Fitbit Air mounts inside the stock bands.
Ryan Whitwam
The stock Performance Band is made from polyester and a dash of elastic.
Ryan Whitwam
The Fitbit Air mounts inside the stock bands.
Ryan Whitwam
Third-party bands for the Pixel Watches have been mediocre and rare despite Google’s Apple-like commitment to its proprietary connector over the past four generations. The Fitbit Air is much simpler. The device just has to snap into a loop or frame to stay put. I’m hopeful that more band options will become available in the future because Google’s options are far too expensive.
Unlike the simplistic fitness trackers of the past, the Fitbit Air has most of the sensors you’d find in a high-end smartwatch. It tracks your steps (obviously), heart rate, blood oxygen, and skin temperature—no ECG, though. These stats and their history are available in the app, but they also feed into various secondary metrics and evaluations like your “readiness score” and sleep phases.
The Fitbit Air itself is a small puck barely larger than the sensor cluster.
Credit:<br>Ryan Whitwam
The Fitbit Air itself is a small puck barely larger than the sensor cluster.
Credit:
Ryan Whitwam
There’s not really anything else to say about the device itself—the minimalism is one of its main selling points. You’ll barely notice the Air on your wrist, so it’s easy to wear all the time, and I can confirm it lasts a full week on a charge. Even fussy sleepers should have no problem wearing the Fitbit Air all night.
The Air also uses its array of sensors to detect workouts, and it logs everything in the new Google Health app. Unfortunately, fitness buffs may find themselves too dependent on the app. You’ll have to go to the app for live stats during a workout because there’s no screen on the Air.
The Active Band is ideal for heavy workouts, but it costs another $35.
Credit:<br>Ryan Whitwam
The Active Band is ideal for heavy workouts, but it costs another $35.
Credit:
Ryan Whitwam
The revamped app is decent and has most of the features you’d expect. If you’re a new user or someone who doesn’t spend much time nerding out over Fitbit data, you’ll probably be happy with the data logging and features. For long-time Fitbit users, the loss of features like blood pressure tracking or custom meal creation will be irksome. It’s also missing some basic layout customization options. Google says updates are on the way to address some of these concerns, though.
The Fitbit Air snaps easily into the bands.
Credit:<br>Ryan Whitwam
The Fitbit Air...