AfterDawn: Tech news

Google revealed its Whoop competitor

Written by Petteri Pyyny @ 08 May 2026 5:05

Google revealed its Whoop competitor

Discreet, completely screenless activity trackers have become hugely popular, especially in the United States, but also in Europe. At the forefront of the trend has been the American Whoop, whose products have their own cult-like fanbase, but others, like Polar and Amazfit have also introduced their own, similar activity trackers.
Now advertising giant Google wants its own slice of that market and the company released a new, screenless Fitbit Air activity tracker. Like its competitors, Fitbit Air focuses on collecting health and wellness data as discreetly as possible, without screen notifications and visual clutter. The device automatically recognizes exercise activities and everything else worth tracking, meaning running or cycling sessions are not started or stopped, but the device deduces everything itself with its built-in sensors.



At the same time, Google discards the traditional Fitbit app and replaces it with the new Google Health mobile app, to which Fitbit Air also connects.

Fitbit Air weighs 12 grams with the strap (without the strap, the device weighs only 5.2 grams) and is promised water resistance up to 50 meters deep. The battery is promised to last for a week while continuously monitoring the user's health, sleep, and activity.

Fitbit Air in different colors


Fitbit Air features, among other things, 24/7 heart rate monitoring, heart rhythm tracking for atrial fibrillation, blood oxygen saturation (SpO2) measurement, resting heart rate and heart rate variability tracking, and analysis of sleep stages and duration. The device automatically recognizes common exercise activities, but workouts can be manually started from the Google Health app on the phone if desired.

According to Google, Fitbit Air is aimed at users who find current wearables too large, complex, or expensive. The company describes the new product as simple, affordable, and comfortable enough to be worn on the wrist 24/7. According to Google, Fitbit Air's algorithms become more precise the longer the tracker is used, meaning it learns its wearer's exercise habits and movement patterns.

Fitbit Air is tightly integrated with Google's new, AI-powered Google Health Coach service, which is part of the paid Google Health Premium subscription. Health Coach leverages the company's Gemini AI to offer users personalized exercise and wellness recommendations, sleep coaching, and assistance in setting various health and fitness goals.

Fitbit Air is available for pre-order immediately from Google's own online store. In Europe, the tracker is priced at €99.99 euros and in States is sells for $99.99. For those who pre-order the Fitbit Air, it comes with a three-month Google Health Premium trial period. The device will arrive on store shelves on May 26.

Previous Next  
Comments have been disabled for this article.

Latest news

Windows 11 26H2 released - Start menu changes, improved search, Task Manager changes, .. Windows 11 26H2 released - Start menu changes, improved search, Task Manager changes, .. (30 Sep 2026 12:48)
Microsoft released Windows 11 version 26H2, bringing light updates and deeper AI integration. This update is the first more lightly installing annual Windows update.
Meta VR Glasses revealed - very light, tons of 3D content coming up Meta VR Glasses revealed - very light, tons of 3D content coming up (24 Sep 2026 3:23)
Meta introduced new pair of VR glasses that combine entertainment, work, and AI. According to Meta, lightweight glasses offer an unobtrusive virtual reality experience with cutting-edge technology and an intuitive user interface.
Samsung smart refrigerators received a software update - stopped working, food spoiled Samsung smart refrigerators received a software update - stopped working, food spoiled (24 Sep 2026 3:17)
According to Korean media sources, a software update for Samsung's smart refrigerators has failed miserably. After the update, the refrigerators stopped working completely, and several consumers report that their food has spoiled.
1 user comment
Now sharing links to Facebook costs money Now sharing links to Facebook costs money (22 Sep 2026 5:57)
Meta has started restricting the sharing of external links on Facebook pages, moving a feature that has been completely free and self-evident until now behind an expensive paywall.
Winamp makes a comeback - combines streaming and MP3 player Winamp makes a comeback - combines streaming and MP3 player (20 Sep 2026 3:37)
Winamp returns to the market in 2027 as a streaming service. The new version combines a traditional MP3 player and modern streaming services. Deezer will provide the streaming for Winamp through a partnership.

News archive