Google launched the Fitbit Air in May, and nearly five months later, the fitness tracker is making its debut in India. Google will start selling the Fitbit Air starting October 2 for ₹13,999 ($146), and it will be sold in Obsidian, Berry, Lavender, and Fog. I didn’t think it would be priced quite as high, as resellers had the fitness tracker at ₹12,999 ($135), but that’s what you’ll need to shell out if you want to buy from Google.
The Fitbit Air is intriguing because it is Google’s take on what a screenless tracker should be. There’s clearly a lot of demand for smart rings and trackers, and I routinely see Whoop bands at the gym. But the key difference is that unlike Whoop, Google doesn’t charge a subscription to use the Fitbit Air — you just buy once, and get all the features. It’s a refreshing change of pace from the brand that gave us the Nest Cam.
In his review, Derrek Lee had this to say about the fitness tracker: “The Fitbit Air is exactly the type of product Google needs, short of a smart ring. It’s simple, distraction-free, and comfortable to wear, even to bed.”
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The Fitbit Air has continuous heart rate tracking, heart rate variability, irregular heart rhythm (Afib) notifications, blood oxygen (SpO2) tracking, and sleep analysis. My favorite feature is the automatic activity tracking; not having to do so manually is a big deal. Reviews point to the feature being a bit of a hit-and-miss, but I’m eager to see how it holds up in my testing.
Google Health Coach is present as well, and the AI-assisted feature gives you plenty of actional insights, and is a bit sassy (particularly if you don’t get adequate rest). As with Google’s smartwatches, the brand is bundling a trial of Google Health Premium with the Fitbit Air, so you can see what the platform has to offer.
I’ll be getting the Fitbit Air shortly, and I’ll be putting it to the test against the half-dozen or so smartwatches I have in my rotation.