Google ditches the screen with the new Fitbit Air (2026)

Air isn’t meant to stand alone so much as serve as a data collector within Google’s expanding health software ecosystem. (The company also renamed the Fitbit app “Google Health.”) Built on top of the Gemini system, the Health Coach is the brains of the system, promising personalized guidance based on your habits, goals, and biometric data. Instead of just displaying statistics, Google Health Coach translates them into actionable recommendations. It can create workout plans, suggest recovery periods based on stress and readiness, and analyze sleep disturbances. It’s meant to provide ongoing training that evolves along with your routine.

Despite its stripped-down exterior, the Air retains the same range of tracking capabilities as the Charge 6. This includes basic metrics like steps, distance, and calories burned, along with more advanced features like weekly cardio load and daily standby logging. It also continues to offer 24/7 heart rate tracking, including irregular heartbeat notifications that can flag potential signs of atrial fibrillation (AFib), alerts for high or low heart rate readings, and heart rate variability (HRV) insights.

Sleep tracking gets a modest upgrade. The Air still offers Fitbit’s custom sleep score, but Google says the system — now powered by Google Gemini — is 15 percent more accurate than the previous model at capturing interruptions, naps, and transitions between sleep stages. It also includes Smart Wake alarms, which aim to wake users up at the ideal point in their sleep cycle for an easier start to the day.

It’s worth noting here that while Health Coach is at the heart of Google’s health ecosystem, it’s also a subscriber-only feature. Anyone can use the Google Health app for free, and if you have a Fitbit or Pixel Watch, you can continue to see your activity, sleep, and health tracking data. (Google also intends to offer support for a wider range of devices later in the year.) If you want access to Health Coach or features like adaptive fitness plans, it will cost $10 per month ($100 per year) for Google Health Premium. You get three months free when you purchase Air, and it’s also included for anyone who subscribes to Google One’s AI Pro and AI Ultra subscription plans.

If you’re already involved in Google’s wearables ecosystem, Air is designed to fit into your routine without any friction. Both the Air and Pixel Watch pair with the Google Health app, meaning you can wear them simultaneously or switch between them. Health data syncs automatically, and the app lets you filter metrics by device. It’s a small but telling detail that reflects Google’s broader attempt to unify its suite and build interchangeable inputs for a single health platform.

The new Google Health app will launch on May 19 for Android and iOS. The Fitbit Air is available for pre-order today and will launch on May 26.

Enjoy unlimited access to Wired. Get best-in-class reporting and exclusive subscriber content that’s too important to ignore. Subscribe today.