Fitbit Air gains Metal Mesh band option and enhanced automatic activity tracking

New Band for Fitbit Air

Google released a new Metal Mesh band for the Fitbit Air, offering an alternative to existing fabric and polyurethane options. The band is available in Polished Silver and Champagne Gold, designed to complement existing jewelry.

The Metal Mesh band is priced at $69.99. A bundle including the Fitbit Air device and both the Metal Mesh and Performance Loop bands will be available for $149.99, exclusively in gold.

Enhanced Automatic Activity Tracking

Alongside the new band, Google announced improvements to automatic activity tracking across Fitbit devices and Pixel Watch. The number of automatically detected activities has increased from 10 to over 100, now including strength training, swimming, and various racket and team sports.

The updated tracking system incorporates contextual reasoning, utilizing workout routines, historical data, manual edits, and location data (with permission) to achieve nearly double the detection accuracy and reduce missed workout logging by over 50%. Workouts meeting a minimum duration and sustained elevated heart rate are automatically logged and summarized in the mobile app within 30 minutes.

Health Guardian Features for Premium Users

Google also detailed new Health Guardian features for Google Health Premium users. These features analyze overall health data. Users who set up blood pressure and insulin resistance trend tracking in the app will receive monthly reports to assist with lifestyle adjustments. This aims to provide more utility for the AI Health Coach feature for average Fitbit users.