---
title: 'Finally! New Fitbit Air - $99 & No Subscription'
source: 'https://youtube.com/watch?v=mw5bf7LXJk8'
video_id: 'mw5bf7LXJk8'
date: 2026-08-06
duration_sec: 662
---

# Finally! New Fitbit Air - $99 & No Subscription

> Source: [Finally! New Fitbit Air - $99 & No Subscription](https://youtube.com/watch?v=mw5bf7LXJk8)

## Summary

The video is an unboxing and first impressions review of the newly announced Fitbit Air, a screenless fitness tracker priced at $99 with no required subscription. The reviewer highlights its compatibility with both iPhone and Android, its small form factor, and its feature set, while noting that a full test will follow after the product's launch on May 26th.

### Key Points

- **Product Introduction** [00:02] — Fitbit Air is a screenless fitness tracker from Google-owned Fitbit, priced at $99 with no required subscription. It works with both iPhone and Android.
- **Comparison to Whoop** [00:27] — The reviewer has been a long-time Whoop user and appreciates the no-display design. Fitbit Air is smaller and cheaper than Whoop while claiming similar functionality.
- **Unboxing and Design** [01:08] — The box includes the tracker unit, three interchangeable bands (performance loop, silicone, elevated), and a magnetic charging puck. The device is very small and looks like a bracelet.
- **Reasons for Displayless Design** [01:49] — Displayless trackers are more comfortable for sleep, offer a style that can be dressed up, and have significantly longer battery life compared to smartwatches.
- **How the Device Works** [02:27] — The unit is a small pod that fits into the band. It has sensors and two nodes. Charging is done via a magnetic puck.
- **Band Options** [03:05] — Three band types: performance loop (fabric), silicone (for swimming), and elevated (nicer look). Bands are interchangeable and similar to Pixel Watch straps.
- **Battery Indicator and Alarm** [03:46] — The device blinks white if battery >20%, red if 0-20%, solid red at 0%. Triple tap shows battery level. It also vibrates for low battery and can be used as a smart alarm.
- **Workout Tracking** [04:38] — Auto workout tracking identifies activities like running or cycling. Users can manually start/stop workouts in the app and correct mislabeled workouts.
- **Compatibility and App** [05:19] — Works with Android and iOS. Uses the Google Health app (formerly Fitbit app). Pixel Watches still don't work with iPhones, but Fitbit Air does.
- **Sensors and Features** [06:02] — Tracks heart rate, HRV, blood oxygen, temperature, sleep, calories, and workouts. No GPS or ECG, but uses phone GPS when connected.
- **Accuracy and Testing** [06:42] — Reviewer hasn't tested accuracy yet due to embargo. Will do extensive testing after launch on May 26th.
- **App Redesign and Subscription** [07:23] — Fitbit app becomes Google Health app. Basic model is free with all data. Fitbit Premium ($10/month or $99/year) adds AI insights, adaptive training plans, workout library, and medical record summaries.
- **App Interface** [08:57] — Four tabs: overview (customizable), workouts, sleep, and health. Allows deep dives into metrics like HRV and sleep stages.
- **Final Impressions** [10:03] — Reviewer loves the feel and fit. Plans to buy additional bands. Suggests future accessories like armbands or clothing integration. Will do full comparison and testing in upcoming videos.

### Conclusion

The Fitbit Air is a promising budget-friendly screenless fitness tracker that offers core tracking features without a subscription, appealing to both iPhone and Android users. Its success will depend on accuracy and battery life, which the reviewer will test post-launch.

## Transcript

A product that everyone is very excited about as a screenless fitness tracker finally coming from Fitbit, which is actually owned by Google. And this thing actually selling for a pretty low price
of just $99 with no required subscription. There is an optional in the video what that actually gives you. And I And honestly, I think most But another really exciting thing is that this actually works with both
iPhone and Android. So, I've been a big wearer of the Whoop for a pretty long time. I love that it has no display on it because I can wear a second watch, this one just tracks. But the Fitbit Air is really targeting this in a smaller
form factor, a cheaper form factor, and still claiming to do essentially all the here. This, by the way, is probably going to be more of a PR box. I assume this tissue paper on here. So, a little bag with the Google Health
branding. All right, so let's open it up and see what the product looks like. Air. Honestly, quite tiny as you can see. On the side, you see inside it's
straps that I'll show you. There's three main designs here. We also have the unit and we have the charging puck. It's make more sense once we just open it. And there it is. This is the new Fitbit Air. Let's see in the box you're getting,
the box we're getting a charger, which is a little puck style like this. All right, so putting it on, you can see just how much smaller this is than the Whoop. This is the Whoop MG I'm wearing right here. And looking at them side by
never know is even a fitness tracker. It really just looks like a small bracelet. wrong. I really I like the aesthetic here. And that's the reason that a lot of these brands are coming out with these these faceless, displayless uh
honestly a great format. This is something that a lot of people will be wearing because really three main reasons. One, when you're sleeping, it's much more comfortable than a larger device. Two, this is a style that you
different things. You can dress up with this, you can have it on your other wrist and still wear like an analog watch or a smart watch or something, and distracting. You don't have any obviously notifications or anything on
here. And most importantly, the battery life on these is significantly longer than say most smart watches. Some sports watches are like 30 to 50 days of the Pixel Watch, the Apple Watch, you're getting like one day of battery. This is
let's look at how this actually works. You can see the strap. We have three them out, you can see the unit is this little tiny thing right in there. You just push from the back. You just push from the back, and this is it. It's just
the things that used to go in your shoe, those little pedometer things that Nike can see your your sensors right there and the two nodes, because to charge this, you simply place it on this little magnetic puck here. This is the charger,
charge it. You obviously can leave it in the band like this, and then just put it up fairly quickly. So, like I said, I have three different bands I want to show you. Google's calling these loops. So, this is the performance loop, and
you can see when you put it on, you slide this up, and it covers it covers it, but it's going to be hidden down there. And this band like really doesn't feel like I could wear this for a pretty long time. And the second band I have is
just all silicone right here. So, a little bit stretchier, a little bit swimming, and it'll it'll obviously dry off a lot faster. And again, you can just take the unit out of the middle, and we will just clip that right in. I
you need to put this, but on the side, you'll see there is a small hole right orientation for this. I realized this later. There's a little gray indicator at the bottom that lines up with the inside of the strap. And the reason for
inside the Fitbit Air that when you're charging it, it will show you the battery level. It'll be blinking white if it's over 20%. If it's between 0 and 20, you get blinking red and solid red if it's at 0%. You can also triple tap
the Fitbit Air to see what the battery level is. It'll just blink on the side. there, so it'll vibrate when it has low battery to remind you to charge. And by for one other thing, which is going to be as an alarm in the morning. So, you
have a smart alarm on here. Of course, this does track your sleep, and if you say you want to wake up at 6:00 in the morning, rather than just waking up at optimal time before 6:00 a.m. within like 15 to 30 minutes based on what is
best for the current sleep stage you're in. But, this strap goes on exactly like a Pixel Watch strap, as you might have seen. Our older Fitbits are the same way as well. So, quite a familiar band, quite a familiar fit there. And this one
really would have no idea this This is impressive how well they band is called the Elevated Band. It just looks a little bit nicer, a little tracking workouts, this is going to be doing auto workout tracking. So, it just
identifies if you're running or cycling or whatever you might be doing, and what we saw on the Whoop bands. But, if that is not enough for you, if you want when exactly you're starting and ending your workout, you can go in the app and
Additionally, if it auto tracks a workout and it labels it as something incorrect, then you can go in the app later and redefine what that was and run, for example." All right, so I'm obviously going to be testing this a
>> I'm going to take I think now's time to officially take my Whoop off and switch the Fitbit. Okay, so some key things to know about this. One, this is compatible with both Android and iOS. So, if you have an iPhone, not only is this going
get the Google Health app, which again is going to work with both. The previous Pixel Watches will still not work with iPhones, but the Fitbit Air will work first impressions of this band, by the way, it is a little tricky to get it on
once you do. I feel like I could wear this and just completely forget it's pressure point on the bottom, which which so many other watches do. Also, look at the sensors underneath. This is very similar to a lot of the older
Fitbit devices, the Mi bands, and things like that. This is going to be tracking levels, your stress levels, your heart rate variability, your blood oxygen, and data to track your sleep, your calories burned, and it can also track workouts.
based on your heart rate and your activity and your movement. There's accelerometers in here, but it does not have GPS baked in. However, when you're connected to your phone, you're able to use your phone's GPS, and of course I
cycling or whatever outside. This also does not have an ECG, but otherwise it from a fitness tracker, including even a temperature sensor, which is primarily going to be used during sleep. So, how accurate is this? Well, Google doesn't
on my testing, No, I'm just kidding. Obviously, I can't tell you. You thought sure Google PR, if they're watching this video, probably just had a heart attack. it, so I didn't do any testing yet. There's also an embargo. I can't talk
about this until it launches on May 26th. So, I will be doing an enormous make some comparisons, and if you guys aren't already subscribed to the channel, please be sure to click that subscribe button, because I'm going to
have a lot of data to share. We'll see just how accurate and functional this thing actually is, as well as how long the battery actually lasts. So, now is app. Sounds boring, but there's actually a huge redesign on the app, where Fitbit
is finally getting like the final stages of merging with Google. And the Fitbit re-download it. It is just becoming the Google Health app. And in there, you can either go with the basic standard model, where you don't pay for anything, and
you're able to get all of your data off of the Fitbit Air. You don't need to pay different from the likes of Whoop. And honestly, props to Google. I think this want to have subscriptions in your app, you want to add extra value, not
gatekeep data from your watch. And I think they did a great job here. So, if you're paying for the Fitbit Premium model, which is either $10 a month or $99 per year, there's a couple things you get. The core of it is really going
to be AI. There's a lot of AI insights for different things, AI discussions, It's really connected of your data, so you can ask and interpret a lot of your data in very meaningful ways. It can also make adaptive training plans based
you tell it. You could say, "Hey, I'm injured, like my arm's injured." And it can make workouts based on that. You also have a workout library. So, all you know, do the workouts. You can do all the guided workouts from, you know,
again, is kind of a nice thing. That makes sense that that would be a paywall behind the paywall would be medical record summaries, where you can ask like the paywall, I think for most people, might really not be necessary.
just fine. But when you buy this, they actually give you 3 months of Google it out and see for yourself if it's actually something you would even want. you still get the full functionality of the device itself. And as you can see
really looks quite good. You've got four tabs across the bottom. The first one is like kind of your overview, and you can customize this based on what metrics you care about, whether that's more cardio, more like uh health improvement, weight
whatever your goals are, the first page is really going to be catered towards which is going to have suggested workouts and workout videos, as well as really tap into them and dive deeper into the analytics of a specific run,
your sleep, where you can really unpack that. And for a while, Google has really been doing a great job, in my opinion, on the Fitbit app, of giving you doesn't really want to look at all the data, you get a quick summary of like
to, you can dig really, really deep into your heart rate variability and fourth type is going to be your health where you can really dive deeper into health and and you know, HRV while you're sleeping and breathing and
everything like that. Oh, and this app for once actually also allows you to you have a different smart watch, if you have an eight sleep mattress, if you have an aura ring, you can sync all of those into one app. Okay, so that is my
unboxing and first impressions of the Fitbit Air. Not to be confused with the children's watch from a couple years ago from from Fitbit. I love how this feels and fits. I feel like I might eventually get a couple different bands and swap
I'm sure, you know, Google has a bunch. They have like four colors in each style, but there will also almost definitely be a ton of these on Amazon in no time at all, including some that you could maybe wear other places. I
wear it like in some clothing, in some like compression shorts for example, in an armband. Whoop has this in many different places. Right now, Google is future it's very likely that will happen. So, please, please leave a
you have. What kind of tests should I do with this for that next video I'll be making. It's going to be on May 26th. If to subscribe. I will be comparing this and testing this and making several
videos that will be launching either on or right after that date. So, thanks for watching guys and I'll see you in that video.