Google's 'Fitbit Air' will reportedly compete with Whoop for 24/7 health tracking
It's said to cost $100 and could launch in mid-May
š A new competitor to the famous Whoop fitness tracker is coming soon
āļø Google is set to release the āFitbit Airā with a similar design and functionality
š Itāll work with a new āGoogle Healthā subscription service
šØ Multiple band designs and materials will be offered
š° Rumors suggest itāll 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, weāre 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 itās 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 itāll be pretty thin, too, and the battery life will likely last much longer than a traditional smartwatch. Itās expected to be Fitbitās 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 itāll 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. Itās unclear what features itāll unlock, but thereās a good chance itāll do all the stuff that Fitbit Premium does, like personalized guidance, a Daily Readiness Score, better sleep tracking, and guided workouts. Itās also unclear whether youāll 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 thereās no way to use the band without paying. Google could follow a similar model, but thatās 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.
Itās rumored to land on May 16, just under a month from now. We expect to see even more leaks before then thatāll give us a clearer picture of how Google will position the device and whether itāll serve as a threat to Whoop. Stay tuned.
Max Buondonno is an editor at The Shortcut and co-host of The Shortcut Live. Heās 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.





