Note, Whoop: I’ll switch to Google’s new Fitbit tracker if these features are true

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Highlights taken by ZDNET

• Google is ready to unveil the Whoop dupe soon.
• Steph Curry teased a screenless health band on his Instagram.
• Here’s what I’d like to see on the Google fitness team.

Could Google’s latest fitness tracker return to its original, screen-less Fitbit form? All signs say yes. Google has teased a screen-less, Whoop-adjacent health tracker with the help of basketball star Steph Curry. A recent Instagram post from Curry shows her wearing a screenless, cloth band around her wrist, with the accompanying caption encouraging “a new relationship with your life.”

Few details have been confirmed on this next device, but rumors suggest the band will be called “Fitbit Air.”

Also: I replaced my Whoop with a rival fitness band with no monthly fees – and it’s almost as good.

Why is there a fitness band without a screen? And why now? Google’s new device may take away interest from popular fitness brand Whoop. The Whoop fitness band is at the more comfortable end of the health wearables spectrum. The company offers three subscription tiers, starting at $199, $239, and $359 per year. Google’s device, on the other hand, is rumored to be more affordable with the option to upgrade to Fitbit Premium.

Google has the opportunity to make an affordable fitness band with the rumored Fitbit Air and breathe new life into its old Fitbit product line, which has not been updated in years.

What I expect

Here’s what I expect to see and what I hope Google prioritizes in this new health tracker.

Given Fitbit’s bare-bones approach to fitness tracking, I think Google will emphasize an affordable, accessible fitness band with the Fitbit Air. Most Fitbit products cost between $130 and $230, so I expect this band to be on the lower end of that price range. I would also expect Fitbit to offer users a free trial of Fitbit Premium.

Also: IT-Mobile is giving away the Apple Watch Series 11 – here’s how to get it

Long, long, long battery life

A smart watch with a bright screen and integration with a compatible smartphone consumes a lot of energy. That’s why some of the best smartwatches on the market have a battery life of between one and two days, tops.

The fitness band, on the other hand, does not have a screen. That makes the battery life on the Fitbit Air double — or triple — that of Google’s smartwatches.

Also: I use this 30-second process to repair Samsung smartwatches – and it works every time.

The Fitbit Inspire 3 has about 10 days of battery life — and a clock display. Hopefully the screenless Fitbit Air has at least 10 days of battery life, and some change. Two weeks of battery life would be great.

In addition to usage time, I also hope that the screenless fitness tracker addresses some of the issues that Fitbit Inspire users have complained about. Many Inspire users report that the device’s screen died after a year of use. They could still access the data through the app, but the screen was not working. Despite being an affordable Google health tracker, the Fitbit Air should last users a few years without any hardware issues — or at least I hope it does.

Fitbit heart rate monitors are generally accurate

As a Google Performance Consultant and athlete teasing Google’s next device, Steph Curry is sending the message that this new device, which gives wearers a “new relationship with your life,” will be built for athletes and fitness enthusiasts. I hope this device will have accurate heart rate measurements and advanced hearing, like other Fitbit devices do.

Also: I walked 3,000 steps with my Apple Watch, Google Pixel, and Oura Ring – this tracker was very accurate.

Like Whoop, I hope the information provided by the Fitbit Air is functional and recovery driven. Whoop grew in popularity for this reason. Whoop users not only get their sleep and recovery score, but also see, through health data graphs and graphics, how their daily exertion, exertion, and sleep interact and inform each other.

I think that Fitbit Premium, with its AI-powered health coach and improved app design, may raise awareness and sleep with this new product.

Also: Is the AI ​​health coach subscription a scam? My verdict after testing Fitbit’s for a month

But I also hope that Google adds several features to the home screen of the application that specifically target stress and sports recovery, beyond the steps, sleep, readiness, and weekly exercise percentages that are already available on the main screen of the Fitbit application.

Most bands are custom made, unique

I hope the Fitbit Air is cheaper — and the bands that go with it are even cheaper. If the affordability rumors are true, I would hope that Fitbit sells bands that can be worn with a device that matches users’ styles and color preferences at a similar and affordable price point. Curry wears a gray-orange band on his tee. Hopefully the colors of this device are bright, patterned, and easily distinguishable from rival fitness bands.