Google's Pokémon Fitbit Air changes the band, not the tracker

The hardware is unchanged from May's Fitbit Air. What the extra thirty dollars buys is a strap, a colorway and a Pikachu.

By iDeviceAug 27, 9:33 AM CT3 min read

Ask about the Fitbit Air

Do I need a subscription? A subscription is optional. Google Health Premium costs $9.99 a month after a three-month trial that comes with the tracker. It adds a Gemini health coach, training plans that adjust as you go, and deeper sleep analysis. The tracker records everything on its own without it.
How long does the battery last? It runs 7 days. That is 7 days at most, and 7 days.
What does it cost? It costs $99.99. That is the list price.
Does it have GPS? It gets GPS from your phone. It has no GPS of its own, so it borrows the phone's.
Can it get wet (shower, pool, swimming)? Yes, you can shower and swim in it. It is rated to 50m, and for snorkelling. Its rating is IP68.
Does it work with my phone? Yes, it works with an iPhone or an Android phone.
How fast does it charge? It charges in 90 minutes, to 100%. That is wired, with a fast charger.
How heavy is it? It weighs 5.2g to 12g. The weight varies by size or finish.
How does it connect? It connects over Bluetooth 5.
Where do I wear it? You wear it on your wrist.
Does it take an ECG? No, it does not take an ECG.
Does it measure blood oxygen? Yes, it measures your blood oxygen.
Does it track heart rate? Yes, it tracks your heart rate.
Does it track HRV? Yes, it tracks your HRV.
Does it track sleep stages? Yes, it tracks your sleep stages.
Does it read skin temperature? Yes, it reads your skin temperature.
Will it warn me about an irregular rhythm? Yes, it warns you about an irregular rhythm.
Does it count steps? Yes, it counts your steps.
Does it have a screen? No, it has no screen.

BUY?

MY IDEVICE

Google opened preorders on Thursday for a Fitbit Air Special Edition built around Pokémon Sleep, in a colorway it calls Sleepy Blue with a silk print label of a sleeping Pikachu on the strap. Inside it is the Fitbit Air that launched in May, paired with the Performance Loop Band. It costs $129.99, ships on September 15 from the Google Store and Target, and is sold in the US and Japan.

Sleep data reaches the Pokémon Sleep app through Health Connect on Android or Apple Health on iOS, and the sync runs automatically every morning. A Sleep Score built from sleep duration multiplies Snorlax’s Strength into what Google calls Drowsy Power, and the higher that number goes, the more Pokémon gather around Snorlax the next day. Gizmodo reported that a standard Fitbit Air costs $99.99 and that the Steph Curry edition was also $129.99. Three months of Google Health Premium come with the band, and the Gemini health coach behind it costs $9.99 a month after that.

Update, Aug 27, 7:24 PM CT: Android Police reported that a standard Fitbit Air links to Pokemon Sleep just as well, so the game rewards do not require the special edition at all.

Update, Aug 27, 11:35 AM CT: Google will not sell the Pikachu strap on its own, per Gadgets & Wearables, so a Fitbit Air owner who wants it has to buy a whole second tracker.

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