23 hours ago
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🏃 A new competitor to the famous Whoop fitness tracker is coming soon
⌚️ Google is set to release the “Fitbit Air” with a similar design and functionality
💚 It’ll work with a new “Google Health” subscription service
🎨 Multiple band designs and materials will be offered
💰 Rumors suggest it’ll cost around $100 and launch May 16
Google is working on its own version of Whoop. After teasing the mysterious device at the end of last month and photos surfaced of Stephen Curry wearing the unannounced product, we’re hearing that the gadget may be called Fitbit Air, according to 9to5Google. In a separate report, Droid-Life says the fitness tracker could cost around $100, and it’s expected to work with a new Google Health subscription service.
The Fitbit Air will be screen-less and look like a long watch band strapped to your wrist. It looks like it’ll be pretty thin, too, and the battery life will likely last much longer than a traditional smartwatch. It’s expected to be Fitbit’s way of enabling 24/7 health tracking, which is helpful when you want to understand how your body recovers from physical activities over the long run.
The big question is whether it’ll be similar to Whoop in its feature set beyond that.
Google is rumored to take the existing Fitbit Premium subscription service and turn it into Google Health. It’s unclear what features it’ll unlock, but there’s a good chance it’ll do all the stuff that Fitbit Premium does, like personalized guidance, a Daily Readiness Score, better sleep tracking, and guided workouts. It’s also unclear whether you’ll be required to have a Google Health subscription if you want to use the Fitbit Air. Whoop ties the hardware directly to its subscription service, so there’s no way to use the band without paying. Google could follow a similar model, but that’s just speculation for now.
The Fitbit Air will reportedly come in three color options: Obsidian, Lavender, and Berry. There will also be a bunch of different band options, including a Performance Loop Band, Active Band, Elevated SoftFlex Band, and a Metal Mesh Band. Each will be offered in a variety of colors and finishes.
It’s rumored to land on May 16, just under a month from now. We expect to see even more leaks before then that’ll give us a clearer picture of how Google will position the device and whether it’ll serve as a threat to Whoop. Stay tuned.
Max Buondonno is an editor at The Shortcut and co-host of The Shortcut Live. He’s been reporting on the latest consumer technology since 2015, with his work featured on CNN Underscored, ZDNET, How-To Geek, XDA, TheStreet, and more. Follow him on X @LegendaryScoop and Instagram @LegendaryScoop.
