health
The Fitbit Air is a good wearable weighed down by a chatty AI "coach"
The Air succeeds as a minimalist, reliable fitness tracker, but Google’s AI Health Coach feels unnecessary.
TL;DR
- The Fitbit Air is a screenless fitness tracker focusing on health statistics, costing $100.
- It features a minimalist design with only an LED for battery status and a vibration motor for alarms.
- The tracker monitors steps, heart rate, blood oxygen, and skin temperature, feeding data into a new Google Health app.
- Battery life lasts a full week on a single charge, making it suitable for continuous wear, including sleep tracking.
- The Google Health app includes an AI-powered 'Health Coach' that provides summaries and suggestions, but is often wordy and repetitive.
- Accessory bands for the Fitbit Air are expensive, with the silicone active band costing $35 and a polyurethane option costing $50.
- The tracker snaps easily into various band loops or frames, offering more flexibility than previous proprietary connectors.
- The Fitbit Air is considered a worthwhile investment for those wanting a straightforward fitness tracker, especially compared to subscription-based alternatives like Whoop.