A familiar idea in a slimmer package

A lot of the early excitement around Fitbit Air comes from how different it looks compared to a typical smartwatch. Based on what we have seen so far, there is no display, the tracker body sits neatly under the strap and the whole thing looks very discreet.

But Fitbit has been here before. Its early identity was built on simple, app-first bands like the Flex, where the wearable itself stayed in the background and the app handled the real experience. In that sense, Fitbit Air feels less like a bold new direction and more like a return to old ideas with cleaner hardware.

That is not necessarily a bad thing because plenty of people do not want another bright screen on their wrist. They already wear a mechanical watch, a Garmin or something else and simply want background tracking without extra distractions.

The problem is that this concept is no longer fresh. Whoop already owns the recovery band conversation, Oura dominates the discreet wellness category through smart rings and Garmin covers the serious training crowd with deep performance metrics.

Fitbit Air is entering a space where the strongest players are already well established. That makes the launch feel more like catching up than leading, even if the product itself ends up being solid.

The real product is probably software

The thing is, it’s not just about hardware. Whoop’s biggest advantage is not the strap itself. It is the software platform built around recovery, strain, sleep analysis and daily coaching.

Users pay for the interpretation of the data, not just the collection of it. The band is simply the access point, while the value comes from how useful and consistent the insights feel over weeks and months.

That is why Fitbit Air’s rumored connection to a wider Google Health platform may matter more than the hardware. If Google is replacing Fitbit Premium with something broader and genuinely more useful, that could end up being the real story behind this launch.

If not, Fitbit Air risks becoming a nice-looking band with very little reason to choose it over a current smartwatch or smart ring. People have already shown they are willing to pay for recovery insights, but only if those insights actually help them change behavior.

Google has struggled with this before. Fitbit hardware often looked good, but users pushed back when the software felt too limited or when useful features sat behind another subscription wall.

If that happens again, excitement will disappear quickly. A thinner strap cannot fix weak software.

A $100 price tells its own story

The expected price of around $100 makes Fitbit Air much easier to approach than something like Whoop, especially if Google avoids a heavy monthly subscription model. That lower entry point could be a plus.

At the same time, the price also suggests expectations should stay realistic. This is unlikely to be packed with advanced sensors or major new health technology that changes the category.

It will probably rely on familiar tools like heart rate tracking, sleep monitoring, activity data and recovery estimates, all wrapped inside a better-looking and more discreet form factor. That is useful, but it also means the real value has to come from interpretation rather than raw data.

The very thin design raises another practical question, battery life. Recovery wearables work best when users forget they are there, and that only happens if charging stays out of the way. There is only so much battery you can physically fit inside a very slim device.

Comfort matters and a lightweight design absolutely helps. But comfort alone is not enough to make people excited about a new wearable.

Good product, limited excitement

Fitbit Air could still be a perfectly sensible product for the right user. It may be comfortable, affordable and exactly what some people want as a second wearable that quietly tracks recovery in the background.

That is especially true for people who already wear a traditional watch or a larger sports watch and do not want another bright display on the wrist. In that case, a slim recovery band makes complete sense.

But being sensible is different from being exciting. Right now, the strongest argument for Fitbit Air seems to be that it is thinner, simpler and cheaper than the alternatives.

That can absolutely sell products, but it does not create much launch energy. For a brand that once helped define consumer fitness tracking, many people were probably hoping for something that felt bigger and more ambitious.

Instead, Fitbit Air looks like a polished version of an idea the market already understands. Useful, maybe, but not especially surprising.

Subscribe to our monthly newsletter! Check out our YouTube channel.

And of course, you can follow Gadgets & Wearables on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds.

The post Why Google Fitbit Air may be all hype and very little new appeared first on Gadgets & Wearables.

That adds a much clearer picture of what Google is building here. This is not shaping up to be another traditional fitness tracker with a display, but something much closer to a Whoop-style recovery band focused on all-day health monitoring and app-based insights.

Fitbit Air could be the final name

According to the latest report, the wearable will be marketed as Fitbit Air, with the fuller branding said to be Google Fitbit Air. The “Air” name is reportedly tied to the thinner and lighter design, with the idea being that it should feel comfortable enough to wear continuously without the bulk of a smartwatch.

That lines up with what we have already seen. The device looks compact, screenless and built around passive tracking rather than wrist-based interaction. Instead of checking stats directly on the wearable, the experience seems designed around collecting data in the background and reviewing it later in the app.

Stephen Curry has reportedly been wearing the device publicly since at least January, which makes this look far beyond an early prototype. Between press appearances and behind-the-scenes content, it seems clear Google has been testing this in plain sight for months.

A bigger shift may be happening in software

The more interesting part of this story may actually be the software strategy around it. It seems the subscription service that currently unlocks deeper insights and AI-powered features, is expected to be rebranded as Google Health. Fitbit’s AI-powered personal health coach, which is currently in public preview, would reportedly become Google Health Coach.

Fitbit hardware would still keep the Fitbit name, but the services around it would move more directly under the Google brand. It suggests Google wants health and wellness features to feel like part of its wider ecosystem rather than a separate Fitbit experience.

It also helps explain why earlier teaser content linked to the band ended with the colourful Google “G” logo rather than Fitbit branding. At the time that stood out, and now it makes much more sense.

The Fitbit app already hinted at it

There were already signs of this approach in the Fitbit app itself. Screens shown on a Pixel phone included a “Live data” page displaying Cardio Load, heart rate, calories burned and elapsed time. That screen does not currently exist in the public Fitbit app, which strongly suggests dedicated support for this new wearable is already being prepared behind the scenes.

This fits the wider idea of the product. Instead of acting like a smartwatch replacement, Fitbit Air looks like it is being positioned as a dedicated recovery and health tracker. It sits somewhere between a fitness band and a subscription-based coaching platform. So you will probably be able to use it alongside the Pixel Watch.

That is also why comparisons with Whoop keep coming up. The focus is less on notifications, apps and on-device features, and more on readiness, recovery and long-term health trends.

For now, Google still has not officially announced the device. But with clearer hardware images, months of public testing on Steph Curry’s wrist and now a likely product name and subscription strategy, Fitbit Air looks like it could land in the next few weeks.

Subscribe to our monthly newsletter! Check out our YouTube channel.

And of course, you can follow Gadgets & Wearables on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds.

The post Fitbit Air name emerges as Google’s screenless band takes shape appeared first on Gadgets & Wearables.

The device finally comes into view

The rectangular grey housing is now clearly visible on top of the wrist, sitting flush beneath the fabric strap. Previous footage left a lot of room for interpretation because all that could be seen was the orange-edged woven strap. That was enough to suggest Google and Fitbit might be working on a Whoop-style wearable, but not enough to confirm what the hardware actually looked like.

These new images change that. The slim rectangular body now appears clearly integrated into the strap. It looks compact, screenless and built to sit discreetly on the wrist rather than stand out like a traditional fitness tracker.

That low-profile look fits perfectly with the direction many had already suspected. This appears to be something designed for all-day and overnight wear, with the focus likely on recovery, readiness, sleep and passive health tracking rather than notifications or on-device interactions.

A Whoop-style direction looks increasingly likely

The lack of any visible display remains one of the most telling details. There is still nothing in these shots to suggest this is a successor to Charge, Luxe or Inspire in the conventional sense.

Instead, everything points toward a screenless band that leans into continuous metrics and app-based insights. That naturally invites comparisons with Whoop, particularly given the minimalist textile strap and discreet body design.

Google has already shown signs of shifting Fitbit more toward software and health services, so a subscription-led recovery wearable would not be a surprising move. If that is the strategy, the device could sit in a different category altogether from Fitbit’s existing trackers.

Also shown is what may be an early look at the Fitbit app experience for the new band. A “Live data” screen appears on a Pixel phone in Steph Curry’s behind-the-scenes vlog, showing workout metrics such as Cardio Load, heart rate, calories burned and elapsed time, a screen that does not currently exist in the Fitbit app.

The timing may be closer than first thought

The design appears finished enough to suggest something much closer to launch-ready hardware. What makes this even more interesting is that Steph Curry appears to have been wearing the device for around two months now, which points to testing or seeding well ahead of any official reveal. Combined with the earlier footage and now these more detailed shots, the picture is starting to come together.

For now, Google has not confirmed anything officially. But for the first time, we are no longer just looking at a strap. We now appear to be getting a proper look at the device itself, which may well be Fitbit’s next big move in the wearables space.

Source: Instagram via Droid Life

Subscribe to our monthly newsletter! Check out our YouTube channel.

And of course, you can follow Gadgets & Wearables on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds.

The post Fitbit’s new band pictures finally show the device appeared first on Gadgets & Wearables.

Fitbit may be working on spot blood pressure checks

What makes this filing interesting is the way Fitbit seems to be approaching the measurement itself. Rather than trying to estimate blood pressure continuously in the background, the patent points to a guided check that the user actively starts, which could make the feature more reliable in real-world use.

The document, granted on April 7, 2026 by the US Patent Office, describes a system that combines optical pulse sensing with a force sensor to analyse how the pulse signal changes during a brief reading. In other words, this looks less like an always-on wellness metric and more like a dedicated health tool, similar in concept to how ECG features are used on smartwatches today.

The reading appears to be taken with a finger press

One of the clearest illustrations in the patent shows a finger pressing down on the top of the wearable while the main sensor remains in contact with the wrist. That detail makes the likely real-world use much easier to understand and gives the whole concept a far more practical feel.

In simple terms, you would wear the device as normal and then manually start a blood pressure reading. At that point, you place a finger on the top sensor area for a short period, which increases the force applied at the underside optical sensor against the wrist.

The wearable then tracks two things at once. It captures the pulse waveform through a standard optical sensor, much like existing heart rate tracking, while also measuring how much pressure is being applied through a dedicated force sensor. The software then analyses how the pulse amplitude changes as that pressure changes, using the relationship between the two to estimate blood pressure.

A more practical approach than passive estimates

This is an important distinction because many cuffless blood pressure concepts rely heavily on indirect estimation methods such as pulse transit time and calibration models. Those approaches can work, but they often depend on baseline calibration and can drift over time.

Fitbit’s patent suggests something more controlled. By knowing exactly how much force is being applied during a spot check, the device may be able to generate a more stable and repeatable estimate.

In practical use, this would likely be a feature for occasional checks rather than continuous all-day monitoring. Think of it as something you use occasionally to track trends, rather than a passive metric quietly updating in the background.

Why this matters now

The timing is interesting given the recent screenless Fitbit band teasers that seem to point toward a stronger focus on health, recovery and passive wellness tracking. A spot blood pressure feature would fit neatly into that broader direction, even if it eventually lands first on a Google Pixel Watch rather than a band.

Blood pressure remains one of the major health metrics that mainstream wearables are still trying to crack in a practical way. This filing suggests Fitbit is still very much working on solutions behind the scenes.

As always, a patent does not mean this feature is about to launch. Companies file plenty of concepts that never make it into consumer products, and that is especially true in the health sensing space.

That said, this one feels more grounded than many abstract filings because it lays out a believable way a user would actually take a reading. If Fitbit does bring this to market, it could become a genuinely useful addition for people who want quick spot checks and long-term blood pressure trends from the wrist.

This article originally appeared on Gadgets & Wearables, the first media outlet to report the story.

Source: USPTO

Subscribe to our monthly newsletter! Check out our YouTube channel.

And of course, you can follow Gadgets & Wearables on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds.

The post New Fitbit patent hints at blood pressure checks from the wrist appeared first on Gadgets & Wearables.

This suggests this was not a last-minute teaser put together for publicity, but something that has been in use behind the scenes for a while. For anyone following the story, it makes the possibility of an official announcement in the near future feel much more realistic.

The timeline now looks more interesting

When the more recent teaser first appeared, the big talking point was the device itself. A fabric-style wrist band with no visible display, worn by Steph Curry, immediately pushed the conversation toward a possible Fitbit move into the screenless recovery tracker category.

But we dug around his instagram account and found images of the device in other videos and posts. For example, this older March 6 footage changes the angle slightly. The screenshots clearly show the same style of band on Curry’s wrist, with the now familiar light grey centre section and orange accents.

For a device that appears close to final hardware, that sort of extended public use often points to a product that is moving through the final stages before launch. Companies regularly place near-finished wearables with athletes, ambassadors and creators well ahead of an announcement, partly to build familiarity and partly to test real-world usage.

And how about this from 10 weeks ago.

And there are more images.

What makes this especially notable is that the design looks consistent across all these sightings. There do not appear to be visible changes between the earlier footage and the newer teaser, which could suggest the hardware is locked in.

Interestingly enough, some images suggest that the tracking part may be on the inside of the wrist. There is no visible bump that we could spot on the top of the wrist – only the band.

A clear move toward the Whoop category

The bigger story remains what this device is trying to be.

Everything about the form factor points toward a passive health and recovery wearable rather than a traditional smartwatch or fitness band. There is no visible screen, no obvious notification interface and no sign that this is meant to replace something like the Fitbit Charge.

Instead, this looks much closer to the category currently dominated by Whoop and, increasingly, other screenless trackers focused on sleep, recovery, readiness and long-term wellness trends.

That would make a lot of sense for Google right now. Fitbit’s smartwatch identity has become increasingly tied to the Pixel Watch line, so a dedicated screenless band could give the brand a new lane to grow into, particularly around subscription-led health insights.

If Curry has been wearing this for the past two months, the device may already be in the final stages of launch prep. That could mean an announcement in the coming weeks, potentially tied to a broader Fitbit or Pixel event window.

This article originally appeared on Gadgets & Wearables, the first media outlet to report the story.

Subscribe to our monthly newsletter! Check out our YouTube channel.

And of course, you can follow Gadgets & Wearables on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds.

The post New Steph Curry screenshots hint Fitbit’s Whoop rival may launch soon appeared first on Gadgets & Wearables.

A different direction for Fitbit

The short clip does not reveal much, but it reveals enough to make the direction clear. Curry is seen wearing a band with a light grey centre section and orange accents along the sides and clasp, and there is no visible screen anywhere on the device. That alone makes this a major departure from the Fitbit watches and trackers we have become used to over the past few years.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Wardell Curry (@stephencurry30)

Instead of focusing on step counts and notifications shown on the wrist, this looks far more aligned with the idea of passive, round-the-clock health monitoring. The likely emphasis here is on sleep, recovery, readiness and longer-term wellness trends, all delivered through the Fitbit app rather than a display on the device itself. That makes the comparison with Whoop unavoidable, but it also feels like Google is trying to give the concept its own spin.

Not just another Whoop clone

At first glance, the obvious reaction is to call this a Whoop-style band, and in broad terms that is fair. It is a screenless wearable that appears to focus on health insights rather than smartwatch functionality. But based on the teaser alone, the design itself seems distinct enough.

The band uses a noticeably different visual style, particularly around the strap and fastening mechanism. That matters, because several brands that have launched devices strongly resembling Whoop bands have found themselves pulled into legal disputes with Whoop over design similarities and branding concerns.

This is why the Google and Fitbit approach here is interesting. The concept overlaps with Whoop, but the physical design shown so far does not appear to be a direct imitation. From what is visible in the video, it looks like Google has deliberately created a separate identity for the product.

The software will decide everything

The hardware is only part of the story. In reality, devices like this live or die by the software experience, and that is where Google may feel it has an opening.

Whoop’s biggest strength has never really been the band itself. The real value comes from how its app translates raw biometric data into strain, recovery, sleep debt and coaching insights that users can actually understand. If Google wants this to work, Fitbit’s software needs to feel equally polished.

This is where the company’s recent push into AI health tools becomes important. Fitbit’s Gemini-powered personal health coach features have already started rolling out more broadly, and it is easy to imagine this new band becoming the hardware layer for that ecosystem. Basic tracking may be available to everyone, while deeper analysis and coaching features could sit behind Fitbit Premium.

Our takeaway

There is a genuine opportunity here for Fitbit. A lot of people like the idea of deeper health tracking but do not necessarily want another smartwatch screen buzzing on their wrist all day. A low-profile fabric band that focuses on sleep, recovery and wellness could appeal to users who want less distraction and more insight.

The fact that Google chose to tease it through Stephen Curry also suggests this is not some distant concept. It feels much closer to launch than a typical early-stage product tease.

For Fitbit, this could mark an overdue comeback after several years without a new device launch. The category is already well established, but if Google can combine a distinct design with strong AI-driven insights, it may finally give the brand a way back into the spotlight.

Subscribe to our monthly newsletter! Check out our YouTube channel.

And of course, you can follow Gadgets & Wearables on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds.

The post Steph Curry teases Google’s new screenless Fitbit band appeared first on Gadgets & Wearables.

Fitbit adds food logging and a new resilience score

Let’s start with the additions. Users can now set calorie targets, log meals and track water intake directly in the Fitbit app. Fitbit is also introducing personalised macronutrient ranges, which should make the feature more flexible than a basic calorie counter.

This is something users in the community have been asking for. At the moment, this appears to be a phased rollout.

Alongside that, Fitbit is adding mood logging and mindfulness tracking as part of its mental wellbeing push. The more interesting change here is the updated stress management metric, now called “resilience”. Rather than focusing purely on stress in the moment, this sounds more like a longer-term view of how well the body is coping and recovering.

Cycle health gets deeper integration

Another new feature is cycle health tracking. Users can now log periods and symptoms directly from the calendar view.

For Premium subscribers, Fitbit is taking this a step further by adding personalised cycle insights through the AI coach. This is clearly part of the wider strategy of using Gemini-powered insights to turn raw data into more context-driven guidance rather than simply displaying charts.

Public Preview now extends to free users

Perhaps the bigger story is access.

Fitbit says users without Premium can now join the Public Preview to access the refreshed interface and track health, fitness and sleep data. Premium still keeps the more advanced features such as Ask Coach and custom fitness plans.

From a product strategy point of view, this makes sense. Fitbit appears to be using the broader preview rollout to get more users into the redesigned ecosystem, while reserving the deeper coaching tools as the subscription upsell.

As is often the case with Fitbit app updates, availability does not seem instant. Some users on iOS and in Canada reported updating the app but not yet seeing food logging or the new tools. Others say the upcoming sleep metrics mentioned last week are still not live and are expected over the coming weeks.

Subscribe to our monthly newsletter! Check out our YouTube channel.

And of course, you can follow Gadgets & Wearables on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds.

The post Fitbit adds nutrition tracking and expands coach preview beyond Premium appeared first on Gadgets & Wearables.

What FCC filings actually show

Let’s make something clear at the outset – FCC registrations do not necessarily equal product launches. They show how often a company pushes radio hardware through the US regulator, which sometimes means new boards, antennas, sensors or regional variants. One watch can generate several filings. Some experiments never reach retail at all.

Look at this as a proxy for hardware activity rather than a clean device count. Over a long period that proxy still tells a useful story, especially when you compare several brands side by side.

Essential reading: Upcoming smartwatches & health tech to expect in 2026

The table below sums up FCC registrations for Garmin, Polar, Suunto, Zepp Health, Withings and Fitbit from 2010 through 2025. We have not included Apple, Samsung, Xiaomi and a few other names in this list, as they simply have too many FCC filings. And most of them have nothing to do with wearable tech.

Even as a simple table you can already see very different personalities. Garmin keeps a high baseline then surges at the end of the period. Zepp Health fires in bursts. Polar Suunto and Withings barely move by comparison. Fitbit has slowly faded out.

So what’s behind these figures?

Garmin keeps the hardware engine running hot

Let’s start with Garmin. The company never really takes its foot off the gas. It starts the decade with mid teens filings, jumps into the 30s, sits in the 40s and 50s for several years, then peaks at 61 in 2025. Even the “quiet” years like 2018 and 2024 still sit in the mid to high thirties.

That pattern fits what readers see in shops. Garmin runs a wide portfolio across running, outdoor, aviation, marine and lifestyle. Under the surface this table suggests constant board spins, antenna tweaks and parallel projects. Some of that work becomes Fenix, Forerunner, Venu or Instinct variants. Some likely dies on the bench.

But you can be sure one thing. With Garmin, there is always something in the pipeline. Right now, the leaks point to the CIRQA band to launch in the near future. But make no mistake – there will be plenty of other devices in 2026.

Zepp Health moves in sharp bursts

Zepp Health plays a different game. It stays fairly modest early on, then spikes to 19 filings in 2020, hits 10 in both 2022 and 2023, dips again, then climbs to 9 in 2025.

This rhythm looks more like platform pushes than steady chipping away. When Zepp Health has a new architecture, radio platform or product wave, it seems to shove a batch of hardware through the FCC at once. That lines up with the way the company often launches several related wearables around the same time, across bands, watches and more rugged models.

Granted, Zepp Health has faced some criticism in earlier years for dishing out too many watch models. Perhaps that is the reason it has scaled back, focusing more on perfecting its software. Now it seems to have settled into a nice rhythm.

Polar Suunto and Withings stay conservative

Polar rarely climbs above four filings in any year. Suunto lives in a similar band, although it nudges up to four registrations in 2025, which hints at a bit more activity after a quieter stretch. Withings stays in low single digits the whole way, with a small bump in 2014 and 2016.

You can read that as a reflection of strategy. These brands focus on tighter lineups and slower refresh cycles. They seem to file when they have to, not because they want to keep a big experimental backlog alive. That approach trims risk, although it also leaves less room for surprise hardware.

For fans of these ecosystems the table sets expectations. You get fewer launches and a slower rhythm, but the devices that do appear usually sit in the catalogue for a while.

Fitbit’s long fade shows up very clearly

Fitbit tells a familiar story in numbers. It had a decent run through the mid 2010s, peaked at five registrations in 2019, then activity starts to sag. The early 2020s drop to three or four filings per year. By 2024 Fitbit sits at a single registration in this table, then it hits zero in 2025.

The company has hinted we should see a non-zero number in 2026. Let’s see if this pans out.

If you feel like Fitbit has pulled back on hardware, the statistics back that up. FCC work no longer runs at the pace that defined the pre acquisition era. Effort now leans more toward software integration inside the broader Google stack and less toward constant new radios in new shells.

For a reader thinking about long term platform choice, that matters. The table does not say anything about software support, but it does hint at where future devices are more likely to come from.

How you can actually use this info

Taken one device at a time, FCC leaks are fun but chaotic. Step back and look at fifteen years of filings and they start to behave. Garmin keeps filing, which usually means more hardware in more corners of the lineup. Zepp Health has worked in bursts in some years, but has now settled into a solid rhythm. Polar, Suunto and Withings plod along at their own pace. Fitbit looks a lot less eager than it once did.

This is not a crystal ball, but it works well as a pressure gauge. When filings ramp up, something is usually cooking. When a line stays flat for years, the launch calendar tends to thin out and the brand fades into the background rather than pushing the category forward.

Sources: FCC, FCCID Lookup Database, Gadgets & Wearables

Subscribe to our monthly newsletter! Check out our YouTube channel.

And of course, you can follow Gadgets & Wearables on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds.

The post Garmin stays busy while FCC filings show others slowing down appeared first on Gadgets & Wearables.

This extends the original February 2 cutoff by more than three months. Google began notifying affected users via email this week, stating that access will be cut off if the move isn’t done in time. That includes syncing, viewing your historical health metrics, or using the Fitbit app. Importantly, even if your Fitbit login uses a Gmail address, you still need to complete the migration manually inside the app.

What changes and when

Fitbit has been phasing out its legacy login system ever since the company was acquired by Google. The plan has always been to consolidate everything under the Google Account framework, in line with company-wide policy changes. Until now, users were told they needed to switch over by early February. That date has now shifted to May 19, giving some breathing room to those who didn’t act in time.

A second key date has also emerged. According to Fitbit, users who don’t migrate by mid-July may see their data permanently deleted. That includes personal health history, fitness records and account settings. Once that process begins, there is no path to recover anything left behind.

Some users are confused as to what will change once they migrate. Nothing really – apart from the way you log into your Fitbit account. You will need to use your Google credentials.

How to migrate

The migration process is fairly straightforward. Everything is handled entirely inside the Fitbit app.

A prompt should appear for eligible users, offering a step-by-step walkthrough. If it doesn’t, head to the app’s settings menu and look for the migration option there. The transfer links your Fitbit data to a Google Account, allows for continued device use, and lets you sign in with your Google credentials moving forward.

Essential reading: Top fitness trackers and health gadgets

Users who already transitioned do not need to take further action. But anyone still logging in using a Fitbit username and password should update before the deadline. This also applies to users who log in using Gmail but haven’t formally moved to a Google Account under Fitbit’s new structure.

Why this matters

Google’s original intention was to simplify and unify its services, especially as Fitbit gets pulled deeper into the company’s broader health ecosystem. That includes tighter integration with Google Health, as well as enhanced privacy and security protections that come with the standard Google Account setup.

Still, the drawn-out migration process and staggered deadlines have left some users frustrated. This latest extension may help reduce support headaches and avoid a mass lockout event, but it also kicks the can down the road.

Subscribe to our monthly newsletter! Check out our YouTube channel.

And of course, you can follow Gadgets & Wearables on Google News and add us as your preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds.

The post New May 2026 cutoff date for Fitbit account migration appeared first on Gadgets & Wearables.

A camera, but not for photos

The idea here is simple but clever. Most smartwatches don’t include a camera, but if one is present, it could be used in the background to gather information about the environment. This Fitbit patent doesn’t talk about photography at all. It focuses on how a camera’s automatic white balance values could act as a proxy for how much blue light is in the room or outdoors.

Essential reading: Top fitness trackers and health gadgets

These values are already computed during normal camera operation, even before a photo is taken. The device would sample them briefly, discard the image data, and use the white balance numbers to estimate the user’s exposure to blue wavelengths. It’s a way of recycling existing signals into useful health data without significantly draining battery or adding extra hardware.

The patent suggests the watch could give you a heads-up when you’ve had too much blue light. If you’re up late wearing a Pixel Watch under bright lights, it might nudge you to tone it down. It fits with things like sleep tracking and screen dimming features already found on phones.

We’ve created an AI concept image of the two watches pictured in the patent. One is rather chunky ugly looking, the other resembles the Versa/Sense range.

Why this points to Pixel Watch, not Fitbit

Fitbit might have filed the patent, but the company has clearly shifted its focus to fitness trackers. Smartwatches like the Pixel Watch are where Google is putting its energy now. A built-in camera, even one used just for sensing, doesn’t really fit with Fitbit’s current style of slim, battery-friendly bands.

Pixel Watch is a better match for this kind of feature. It already blends deep health tracking with Android smarts, and adding a simple camera could unlock new ways to track your environment and support things like sleep and focus.

We think there’s also a good chance the camera wouldn’t be limited to just one job. With the hardware in place, why not use it for other things as well. For example to scan QR codes, maybe basic face unlocking or capturing images. The patent doesn’t go there, but it’s not a stretch to see more than one feature using the same tiny sensor.

Right now, this is just a patent. It describes an idea, not something you can buy. But it gives a peek at how Google might push wearables to track more than just your body. Blue light is one example, but if a camera can pull in useful info without much effort, future Pixel Watches could tap into all kinds of ambient sensing.

This article originally appeared on Gadgets & Wearables, the first media outlet to report the story.

Source: US Patent Office, patent number 12536702

Subscribe to our monthly newsletter! Check out our YouTube channel.

And of course, you can follow Gadgets & Wearables on Google News and add us as your preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds.

The post Your next Google Pixel Watch might flag too much screen time appeared first on Gadgets & Wearables.