Alphabet Inc.’s Google on Thursday launched the Fitbit Air, a $100 screenless fitness band aimed squarely at taking on Whoop Inc. and other makers of health and fitness wearables that forgo displays. 

The new device bears a striking resemblance to Whoop’s health tracker, featuring a soft fabric band with a battery and sensor pack underneath. One big difference is the business model: an upfront cost to buy the hardware and an optional $10 per month Google Health subscription. Whoop doesn’t charge for its hardware but instead has an annual subscription fee that begins at $200. 

The Fitbit Air may appeal to users seeking a simpler alternative to the Apple Watch — one with fewer distractions and notifications — or a cheaper option than rival health trackers. The popular Oura Ring health tracker, sold by Oura Health Oy, starts at $349, while the cheapest smartwatch from Apple Inc., the SE 3, is $249. Many of Google’s existing Fitbits cost over $100, while its Pixel Watch 4 is $349. 

The device works with a new health coach within the new Google Health app for iOS and Android and tracks steps, distance, sleep, heart rate, blood oxygen saturation, resting heart rate and heart rate variability. It also can detect signs of atrial fibrillation, like many recent wearables, and has sensors for motion tracking. 

Without a screen and physical buttons, the Fitbit uses haptic feedback for an alarm clock feature and a small light to indicate updates about remaining battery life. The device includes a charging cable and can go about a week in between charges, according to Google. At launch, the Fitbit supports voice input for logging activity and meals. But unlike a smartwatch or phone assistant, it can’t audibly respond to users. It comes in four colors — obsidian, fog, lavender and berry — and users can buy additional bands to hold the sensor and battery pack for $35.

In an interview, Rishi Chandra, who runs Google’s wearables and health work, said the Fitbit Air, after a several-year lull in launches from the division, marks the beginning of a resurgence for Fitbit. He sees the brand, which works across iOS and Android, as Google’s primary wearable for a broader audience. The Pixel Watch, meanwhile, is more for devoted fans to the Pixel and Android ecosystems. 

Chandra said the new software is just as key as the band. “We want every hardware product we’re building, from the Pixel Watch to the full Fitbit portfolio, to really optimize around this Health Coach,” he said. “Our belief is this is the next wave of innovation in wearable technology is not just giving you data but helping you interpret and act on that data.” Along with Google, other major technology companies like Apple and Samsung Electronics Co. have been pushing deeper into health. 

Fitbit made up about 6 per cent of the global wristband market in 2025, followed by Whoop at 2 per cent, according to data from IDC. Chinese vendors dominated the category, however, with Xiaomi controlling roughly half the market, followed by Huawei at about a quarter and Samsung at 10 per cent.

The new Google Health app shows data for standard activity like steps and calories, as well as sleep and vital signs. It is structured into four primary tabs: Today, which features daily metrics, Fitness, Sleep, and Health. Users can manually log meals and cycles and share data with contacts or other health platforms. The monthly subscription adds the health coach, which gives insights based on fitness goals. Users can also upload photos of meals for calorie and macronutrient assessments.

“When you look at pro athletes, they have an army helping them,” Chandra said. “They have a nutritionist, a sleep coach and a fitness trainer, all looking out for that individual. That’s what the Health Coach is trying to provide, to work with your life circumstances because no one’s the same.” The coach will officially launch on May 19, while the device goes on sale May 26. Preorders begin Thursday. 

The rebranding of Fitbit’s software to Google Health may lead some privacy-wary consumers to rethink how much data they’re comfortable sharing with the company. Fitbit users who haven’t migrated their data to a Google account by May 19 will no longer be able to access the platform, a deadline that was extended from February. Bloomberg News first reported on the new device in March.

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Published on May 8, 2026