The Fitbit Air is a good wearable weighed down by a chatty AI “coach” The Fitbit Air is a screenless fitness tracker that provides accurate health monitoring, long battery life, and a comfortable wearing experience. However, its associated Google Health app features a verbose AI coach that offers unnecessary commentary on user data, and the accessory bands are prohibitively expensive. Despite these drawbacks, the tracker itself is a competent and no-nonsense device for those seeking basic health tracking without smartwatch complications.

• 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. Continue reading https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2026/06/the-fitbit-air-is-great-but-googles-ai-is-too-nice-to-be-your-coach/