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Google is reshaping its health portfolio with three announcements on Thursday that signal a clear shift from hardware-led tracking to software-driven coaching.
There’s a new fitness tracker, a rebranded app, and… Artificial intelligence health coach This is his graduation from the beta. Not all of this will be welcome news (especially for long-time Fitbit users), but together it’s a clear indication of the next direction Google believes health tech is headed.
New devices: Fitbit Air
Google’s latest wearable devices are Fitbit Aira $100 screenless fitness band and a direct play on the growing category of training-focused trackers like the Whoop Band. There’s no display, no notifications, no timekeeping, just passive health tracking while the app decodes all that data to figure out your personal fitness plan.
The Fitbit Air has a removable sensor under the band.
The band is just the entry point. The bigger game is access to a Google Health Premium subscription ($10 per month or $100 per year, with three months included). This now includes Google Health Coach, an always-on AI concierge that translates all that data into a game plan.
The Fitbit Air works with iOS and Android, is available for pre-order on Thursday and will arrive in stores on May 26. A special Stephen Curry edition is also available for $130.
The first look at the Fitbit Air is here.
Secret weapon: Google Health Coach
Google’s AI-based health coach It’s been in public preview within the Fitbit app since October and is now rolling out to all Google Health Premium subscribers. Built on top of the Gemini system, it turns health data into personalized fitness plans, recovery guidance, and sleep insights, and displays recommendations without prompting.
Three phone screens display nutrition and fitness scoring in Google Health Coach.
AI health coaches Not new. Whoop, Garmin and Ora already offer similar tools, but Google is betting that its Gemini organization gives it a stronger software advantage.
With its launch today, the company also announced that Coach can now process medical records, PDF files, and uploaded images, making his guidance more personalized and actionable. It’s available on both Android and iOS with compatible Fitbit devices.
Goodbye Fitbit, hello Google Health
Arguably the most impactful change is not the hardware or AI, but the application. Starting May 19, the Fitbit app will automatically update to Google Health app For all current users. No action is required, and all historical data is migrated. Google Fit users will also be migrated to Google Health later this year.
The redesigned app consolidates data from wearables, Apple Health, Health Connect, and medical records into one interface organized into four tabs: Today, Fitness, Sleep, and Health. The experience has become more focused on recovery and training, with structured plans now placed in the Fitness tab and sleep trends more clearly visible.
For longtime Fitbit users, this likely feels like the most significant shift to the platform in years. Whether it’s an unwanted upgrade or trade-off will depend on how deep a presence you already have in Google’s ecosystem.
What this means for Google’s health vision
Separately, these updates appear to be incremental updates. Together they define a clear strategy: an integrated health ecosystem where devices capture data, software interprets it, and AI training becomes a core selling point.
Google is positioning the Fitbit Air as the entry point, Google Health Coach as the subscription engine, and the Google Health app as a unified hub that ties everything together. This shift is less about tracking steps or sleep and more about having a health data interpretation layer.
One detail worth noting is privacy. During its acquisition of Fitbit in 2020, Google pledged to keep health data separate from its advertising business. The company reiterated that commitment on Thursday alongside this rebranding, but as more sensitive health and medical data flows into Google’s ecosystem, those limits will continue to come under scrutiny.
CNET will be testing the Fitbit Air and Google Health Coach over the coming weeks. Check back for our full review.