Tracking metrics get a new name

Once of the changes here is the continued rebranding and expansion of the watch’s biometric tracking. The old BioCharge tool has turned into HybridCharge, which promises to give you a much more thorough look at your daily body strain and recovery.

This shift blends your standard workout data with daily lifestyle stress. If you wear the watch all day, the software will try to factor in things like poor sleep or work stress rather than just looking at the physical strain from a run.

Support for the new Helio Strap Pro

An interesting update is support for the recently launched Helio Strap Pro. This makes Active 3 only the third watch to receive the feature, after Balance 3 and Balance Ultra. Syncing the external strap to the watch unlocks specific data during high-intensity training like HYROX competitions or workout simulations.

Moving the tracking from the wrist to a dedicated strap solves the classic issue where heavy lifting or arm flexing throws off wrist sensors. The new firmware analyzes cardiorespiratory strain alongside your actual muscular load to show exactly how your body handles intense functional movements. We are yet to see if the strap gets features outside of HYROX.

Better interval training controls

Beyond accessories and health scores, the 3.21.0.3 firmware tweaks how the watch handles structured workouts. The updated interval training process now lets you keep recording your exercise seamlessly after a programmed workout finishes.

This small tweak fixes the annoying issue where rigid fitness apps force a hard stop the second a timer ends. Letting you transition straight from a tough interval into an open-ended cooldown makes the whole workout experience feel much more natural. The update also packages the usual minor bug fixes and optimizations to keep the interface snappy and users happy.

Next month the watch is due to receive the full Zepp OS 6 treatment.

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Of course, this does not guarantee a new watch is dropping tomorrow. Or the day after. But it does suggest the software side is being prepared for hardware that can report some form of light or solar input.

What the app code reveals

Solar references are not entirely new in the Zepp Health app. Earlier builds already contained a few solar related strings and a SolarBatteryChargeRecord. That record included fields like lux, panelType, status, and chargePowerPercent.

This suggests Zepp Health has been laying the groundwork for this feature for quite some time. The latest build appears to move things further by adding more visible, sync facing pieces around solar intensity.

The code now includes references like solar_intensity, what_is_solar_intensity, watch_face_input_power, and case_back_input_power. There is also explanatory text that describes solar intensity as “the instantaneous luminous flux received per unit area on the device’s exposed surface”.

The newer build also includes a SolarIntensityAction inside the device action model. One related event string refers to clicking a solar intensity entrance. This suggests the feature will appear as a tappable menu option somewhere in the device section of the app.

There is also a SolarIntensitySyncJob and a SOLAR_INTENSITY data type. These sit alongside a SUPPORT_SOLAR_INTENSITYflag. This points directly to a feature that depends entirely on compatible hardware.

The mention of watch_face_input_power remains the most interesting part. It suggests the app is preparing to show power input through the front of a watch, which fits a solar assisted display layer perfectly. That does not confirm a specific product, but it points in a very clear direction.

The case_back_input_power reference is still harder to pin down. It could relate to charging diagnostics, internal testing, a unique dock, or a different power path altogether. For now, it appears Zepp Health is building the app framework for hardware that reports light based input.

The strategic alignment for Amazfit

Solar tech makes total sense given the company’s rugged outdoor watches line. Adding a solar layer works as a battery extender rather than a full replacement for a plug-in charger.

This matches how other brands use solar grids to stretch battery life. Garmin dominates this space. It uses its special Power Glass and Power Sapphire lenses to squeeze extra days of watch mode out of its Fenix and Instinct lines.

Garmin packs a see-through photovoltaic layer right between the display and the outer lens. It tracks real-world energy using a solar intensity graph. This setup gives users a clear look at sunlight conditions over the previous few hours.

Suunto uses a similar approach with some of its devices in the Vertical range. It gives outdoor athletes battery gains when they train under direct sunlight.

Why it probably won’t feature an AMOLED screen

This software leak raises a major question about the display. Solar harvesting and vibrant AMOLED panels do not mix well. AMOLED screens are incredibly power hungry, so a tiny solar grid cannot generate enough juice to offset what the screen burns.

Instead, major brands stick to memory in pixel screens for their solar models. Garmin and Suunto use these low power reflective displays because they sip energy and thrive in direct sunlight.

Like other brands, Amazfit builds almost all its current watches with bright AMOLED panels. If Zepp Health wants to make a serious solar watch, it will likely need to ditch that tech for a more efficient display.

The company actually has experience with this setup. Early hits like the Amazfit Bip S relied on reflective transflective screens to deliver legendary battery life. Going back to a reflective screen would make a ton of sense for an extreme adventure watch.

Which means a solar watch would be a return to MIP displays for Zepp Health. On the other hand, Garmin has registered a patent for solar tech on a AMOLED display. If Zepp Health opts for this route it would beat Garmin to the punch as the first smartwatch band with this type of tech.

Potential device candidates

Of course, developers often add code months before a watch goes into production. Sometimes these features stay locked inside prototypes that never launch publicly.

The current code lacks any specific model names or launch dates. It just confirms the engineering team is working on a software layer that hints at this type of functionality. So there is no absolute confirmation this will happen.

But it fits. And the timing fits the broader push into specialized training tools. A solar model would help Zepp Health target the endurance and adventure market.

If this code turns into real hardware, the rugged outdoor lines are the most obvious fit. Big, durable cases provide plenty of room for a solar ring around the display. Perhaps the T-Rex or Falcon line. We are expecting new candidates from both in the months ahead.

There is also a chance this is tied to a new device category rather than a conventional watch. The references to input power leave some room for interpretation.

Until a certification listing or product name appears, this should be treated as an interesting clue rather than confirmation. But it is a clue with enough detail to keep an eye on.

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Fitbit Air: One minute review

Fitbit Air is not the device to buy if you want a full fitness watch, live workout stats or deep training analysis. It is too passive for that, and Google Health still needs more control and clearer access to the underlying data.

But as a small screen-free health tracker, it works better than I expected. The comfort is excellent, sleep and health tracking suit the form factor, silent alarms are genuinely useful and the battery life is easy to live with.

The bigger question is the app. Fitbit Air depends on Google Health more than most wearables depend on their companion software. When the app works well, the device feels clean and low-friction. When it does not, the lack of a screen makes the limitations more obvious.

Fitbit Air*

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I would not recommend Fitbit Air to everyone. But I would recommend it to someone who wants a simple, lightweight tracker for passive health data, sleep, alarms and background monitoring without wearing another smartwatch.

Fitbit Air is at its best when you stop expecting it to do everything. It is not a complete wearable. It is a small health sensor that makes sense if you are comfortable letting the app do most of the work.

Design, hardware and comfort

It might sound strange, but Fitbit Air makes more sense on the wrist than it does on paper. Bear with me. A screen-free Fitbit sounds limited at first, yet the design works because the device is small, light and easy to forget about.

Comfort is easily the best feature here. If a passive tracker irritates your skin or feels bulky, the whole concept falls apart. The Fitbit Air avoids this completely, and it is easy to wear for days at a time, including to bed, without feeling like another demanding gadget is strapped to your arm.

Ditching the display is a smart move. You do not have to deal with buzzing notifications, tiny menus, or awkward watch-style interactions. It feels more like a discreet health pod than a traditional fitness band, which is exactly the kind of low-profile approach I appreciate.

Of course, you have to accept some trade-offs with this design. Any basic feedback needs to come from the Google Health app, the vibration motor, or the tiny battery light. While this keeps the hardware clean, you lose the instant gratification of glancing at your wrist for stats.

The internal tech is simple but covers the essentials well. The device tracks heart rate, movement, blood oxygen, and skin temperature variations, while the vibration motor is ideal for silent morning alarms.

The physical design is a huge win. The hardware is light, comfortable, and out of the way, making it much easier to wear continuously than a Whoop or most other fitness trackers I have tested over the years. Google got the hardware right.

Setup and app experience

Setting up the Fitbit Air is a breeze. It pairs up through Google Health, asks for the usual permissions, and then just fades into the background. That is exactly how it should be for a screen-free tracker, since the last thing you want is a complicated setup before you even put it on.

Things get trickier once you open the app. Because the Fitbit Air does not have a display, Google Health has to do all the heavy lifting. It is your screen, your settings menu, and your dashboard all rolled into one, which puts a lot of pressure on the software.

The main screen looks clean enough when you first open it. The layout is easy to scan, and being able to view data from different sources side by side is a nice touch. It makes the device a lot more useful if you like comparing trends instead of just trusting one tracker blindly.

Still, Google Health definitely feels like a work in progress. Some parts are cleaner than the old Fitbit app, but others just feel clunky. It often takes too many taps to get to the raw numbers or see a clear trend line.

The AI Coach is a perfect example of this. It is fine if you want a casual explanation or a quick nudge based on your recent stats, but sometimes it just feels like it is getting in the way. There are plenty of days where you do not want to chat with an AI, you just want your data.

Luckily, Google is already pushing out updates to fix these software gaps. They are bringing back missing features and listening to early feedback, which is great news because a screen-free tracker like this completely relies on its companion app to be useful.

Living without a screen

Living with Fitbit Air means giving up quick glances. There is no watch face, no step count on the wrist, no workout screen and no easy way to check whether something is being tracked.

That bothered me less than expected. After a few days, I stopped treating Fitbit Air like a normal tracker. It works best as something that collects data quietly in the background.

There are benefits to that. It does not distract you, show notifications or pull your eyes to the wrist. Silent alarms also make sense on this kind of device. You set them in the app, the tracker vibrates and that is all it needs to do.

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The downside is control. If you want to check battery, confirm a setting or look at an automatically detected activity, you need your phone. Workouts also feel limited because there is no live pace, distance or heart-rate zone on the wrist.

For daily health tracking, I can live with that. For serious exercise, I would not.

Health and sleep tracking

Health tracking is where the Fitbit Air feels most at home. As a tool that builds a health picture in the background.

The core metrics are all covered. The device tracks heart rate, sleep, daily activity, blood oxygen, and skin temperature trends. And it does this with reasonable accuracy. It also supports background AFib notifications, which adds a serious layer of health monitoring without turning the tracker into something you constantly need to check.

Sleep tracking stands out as one of the best use cases. The hardware is small enough to wear overnight without a second thought, which matters far more than a massive list of niche metrics. If a sleep tracker bothers you in bed, the data becomes useless anyway because you will just stop wearing it.

The results were useful during my testing, but I noticed placement matters. I experimented with wearing the device on my ankle and noticed that it recorded shorter sleep durations than when worn on the wrist. That does not mean one position is definitely right and the other is wrong, but it highlights why the companion app needs to explain these placement differences better.

For day-to-day health tracking, Google Health does a decent job. Sleep, resting heart rate and temperature trends are easy enough to follow, and the app turns passive data into something readable. Even if it sometimes feels like it is trying to do too much. A lot of the time, I just ignored the AI suggestions.

I liked to have the passive AFib notifications running in the background. But you have to remember this is not an on-demand ECG device. The hardware can watch for irregular rhythms while you rest, but it will not replace a dedicated device with a proper ECG app if that specific feature is what you need.

Ultimately, general health and sleep monitoring suits the Fitbit Air well. It takes the best of Fitbit tech and packages it into a small form factor. The device shines brightest when it collects passive data, shows long-term trends and stays out of the way.

Silent alarms and vibration

Silent alarms are one of Fitbit Air’s simplest features, but also one of the most useful. They fit the whole idea of the device well because there is no screen involved and very little interaction needed.

You set the alarms in Google Health, and Fitbit Air does the rest with a vibration on the wrist. You can create up to eight alarms, choose between low and high vibration and dismiss them with a double tap. It is basic, but it works.

I found this more useful than expected. A screen-free tracker does not need many active features, but a silent alarm is exactly the sort of thing it should do well. It gives the device a practical role beyond passive tracking without making it feel like a smartwatch.

The vibration is not aggressive, which is good for comfort but may not suit everyone. The high setting is the safer option if you are using it as a wake-up alarm, especially if you sleep deeply. The low setting feels better for reminders during the day.

Sports tracking

Sports tracking is where Fitbit Air feels most limited, but not useless. The hardware can collect decent workout data, but the lack of a screen changes what you can realistically expect from it.

For casual activity, it does the job. Steps, heart rate and automatically detected exercise all fit the idea of a passive tracker. You wear it, let it collect data and check the app later.

My wrist-based 5K result was better than I expected. Fitbit Air came very close on heart rate, with average heart rate matching my reference device, and distance coming in only around 40 metres short. That is a strong result for a small screen-free tracker.

But the overall exercise experience still feels basic. If you care about pacing or want feedback while training, Fitbit Air is not the device for that. It does not have a display.

Automatic detection is useful, but it also exposed a software gap. When I wore Fitbit Air on the ankle, it picked up the 5K run automatically, but started too early and finished too late. That pulled down the average heart rate because the session included time before and after the actual run.

The problem was not simply detection. That worked well enough. It was what happened afterwards. Google Health does not currently give you enough control to clean up that kind of mistake properly. For a screen-free tracker, the app should give you more flexibility..

So I would not treat Fitbit Air as a serious sports or running tracker. It is fine for logging movement and giving you a broad view of activity, and the wrist run result shows the sensors can perform well. But the training experience is too limited for anyone who wants live feedback, detailed workout tools or proper post-session control.

Battery life and charging

Battery life is one of the easier parts of Fitbit Air to live with. Google quotes up to seven days, and that feels like the right kind of target for this device. A screen-free tracker should not need daily charging.

In normal use, I found the battery low-maintenance. There is no display draining power, and the device is designed to sit quietly in the background, so it does not feel like something you constantly have to think about.

Charging is handled through a magnetic charger. A full charge takes around 90 minutes, while a quick five-minute top-up can give roughly a day of use. That makes it easy enough to charge while showering, working at a desk or getting ready in the morning.

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The main annoyance is checking battery status. With no screen, you have to rely on the app or the small battery light. That is fine most of the time, but it does remove the quick glance you get from a normal tracker.

Subscription and value

The Fitbit Air is a whole lot easier to justify because you do not need a monthly subscription just to see your basic data. At $99, the price feels fair for a tiny, screen-free tracker that just focuses on passive health stats.

Don’t get me wrong, the subscription side is still there. Google Health Premium is basically the new version of Fitbit Premium, and it throws in the AI Coach, personalized fitness plans, daily workout guidance, and extra help making sense of your health data. It also lets you log things like meals and workouts using text, voice, or photos.

The good news is you do not actually need any of that for the essentials. The Fitbit Air still tracks your sleep, heart rate, daily steps, and core health metrics completely free. I would treat the subscription as a nice extra rather than something you need just to make the device work.

The value equation changes completely if you already pay for Google AI Pro or Google AI Ultra. Google bundles Google Health Premium into those plans, which works out well for me since I already have a Gemini subscription. It means I am not looking at the Fitbit Air as yet another gadget that adds an extra bill to my monthly budget.

Even so, I would still judge this tracker on the core experience first. The AI Coach and deeper guidance can be helpful, but they are not essential.

What works well

Comfort is definitely the biggest win here. It is tiny, incredibly lightweight, and so easy to wear for long stretches, including to bed. It never feels like you have another bulky smartwatch strapped to your arm, which is perfect if you want to track your health without adding more screen time to your day.

The passive tracking matches this physical design perfectly. Things like heart rate, sleep, daily steps, skin temperature trends, blood oxygen, and background AFib notifications all make total sense on a device you do not constantly need to check. The hardware is much better at quietly gathering data in the background than trying to act like a mini training watch.

Silent alarms are another simple but great feature. They are easy to set up, the vibration is discreet, and the whole thing works flawlessly without needing a display. It is exactly the kind of low-friction feature that suits this form factor.

I also really like the side-by-side data view inside the Google Health app. It makes the tracker a lot more useful if you already have health metrics from other devices, since you can easily compare broad trends instead of treating one specific tracker as the absolute truth.

The overall value also works well, as long as you do not need a full smartwatch. The price is reasonable, the battery life is low-maintenance, and you do not need a separate monthly subscription just to see your core data.

The Fitbit Air is at its absolute best when you keep your expectations realistic. It is not a sports watch, and it does not try to be one. As a small, passive tool for tracking sleep, health stats, silent alarms, and background data, it handles its job much better than I expected.

What needs work

The real issue here is not the hardware at all. It is the software built around it. The Fitbit Air relies completely on the Google Health app, and that interface still needs plenty of polish, better user control, and much faster access to the stats that actually matter.

The automatic workout detection definitely needs some work. When the app guesses the start or end time of a session wrong, there should be an easy way to trim or correct the workout afterwards. This becomes a much bigger deal on a screen-free tracker because you cannot just manually start, stop, or check things on your wrist.

Google Health also needs to do a better job of explaining the data without burying it under too many menus. The AI Coach might be fine for some, but it should never feel like a barrier between you and your own health metrics. There are plenty of times when the app just needs to show the raw numbers clearly and get out of the way.

Ditching the screen works fine for passive tracking, but it gets annoying when you just want a quick confirmation. Checking your remaining battery life, tweaking a setting, or confirming your workout status always forces you to reach for your phone.

Fitness tracking also stays pretty basic. The tracker can gather helpful daily activity data, but it is just not built for real-time workout feedback, pacing, heart-rate zones, or deep training analysis.

The physical device itself shows a lot of promise. Now, the Google Health app just needs to catch up to the hardware.

*We are a review site that receives a small commission from sales of certain items, but the price is the same for you. Purchasing items by clicking on links in this article allows us to run this website. We are independently owned and all opinions expressed here are our own. See our affiliate disclosure page for more details.

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A lower price for Acemate’s rally robot

We first covered the Acemate S10 back in May, when the company was still riding the momentum of its crowdfunding campaign. That momentum appears to have held up well. Acemate says the device received support from more than 1,500 backers and raised over $2.4 million.

Now the company is moving into a more traditional sales push. For Prime Day, the S10 will be available at $1,899 in the US, £1,899 in the UK, €1,899 in Europe, CAD$2,499 in Canada and AUD$2,899 in Australia. In the US, that works out to a nice reduction from the listed $2,499 MSRP.

This still makes the S10 a premium training device. But it does bring the price closer to the upper end of advanced ball machines, which is probably where many buyers will mentally place it.

More than a static ball machine

The pitch for Acemate remains interesting because the S10 is not just another machine that fires balls from one end of the court. It tracks incoming shots, moves around the court, catches the ball and sends it back. Yes, you read that correctly, it catches the balls you hit back at it.

The robot uses 4K binocular vision and Acemate claims a 0.15-second response time. Ball return speeds go up to 100 km/h. In theory, that should make practice feel closer to a rally than a feed session. A bit like hitting with a real person.

That’s not what you get with normal ball machines. These types of devices can help with repetition, but they often lets the player stand still and groove a shot in isolation. Acemate’s approach should put more pressure on movement, recovery and timing.

The software may be the bigger story

The hardware grabs attention, but the coaching features could be what make the S10 more valuable over time. Acemate includes more than 40 training templates across NTRP levels 1.0 to 5.0, covering forehands, backhands, volleys, overheads and other common drills.

Players can also build custom sessions by changing feed interval, ball height, direction, speed, spin and ball count. After practice, the robot provides session data, including shot placement, speed, net clearance and accuracy.

Acemate S10 AI Tennis robot*

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As always, “AI coaching” deserves a little scepticism until people use it over many sessions. But tennis is a good candidate for this type of feedback. The sport gives you measurable patterns. If the S10 can track them reliably, it could help players spot problems they would otherwise miss.

The Prime Day discount definitely doesn’t make the Acemate S10 cheap, but it does make it a lot easier to justify for regular players, coaches or clubs. If you’ve been eyeing this thing since the crowdfunding campaign, this is probably the right time to pull the trigger.

We’ll find out exactly how well it handles on the court when we put the robot through its paces next month. So keep an eye out for our full hands-on review.

*We are a review site that receives a small commission from sales of certain items, but the price is the same for you. Purchasing items by clicking on links in this article allows us to run this website. We are independently owned and all opinions expressed here are our own. See our affiliate disclosure page for more details.

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View on Amazfit’s website.

The Pro is not just Helio Strap 2

Zepp Health dropped the Helio Strap Pro at the HYROX World Championships in Stockholm. That tells you everything you need to know about who this is for. This is a dual-sensor setup meant for hybrid athletes who want deep performance data, not a casual fitness tracker launch.

The original model kept things simple by tracking heart rate and recovery from your arm without any monthly subscription fees. Plenty of people loved that straightforward approach. The Pro model changes the game by splitting the system into two separate modules. You get one tracker for your arm and a brand new one that clips onto your waist.

How the arm module compares

The arm module handles the standard tracking features. It keeps the same basic BioTracker 6.0 optical setup as the older version, so you will not see a massive jump in pure heart rate accuracy.

Zepp Health did upgrade the motion tracking inside this unit. The original version used a basic accelerometer and gyroscope combination. The Pro version replaces this with a 9-axis sensor setup by adding a geomagnetic sensor. This extra hardware helps the device recognize exactly how your arm moves during complex workouts.

Battery life sees a tiny bump from 10 days to 11 days. So not much of a change there.

The waist sensor changes the focus

The real news here is the waist clip. This sensor sits right at your center of mass to monitor torso movement and overall posture. It provides a level of biomechanical feedback that the old arm strap could never match.

This module shines during structured HYROX station intervals. The app recognizes the exact exercise you are doing and calculates the physical load on your muscles. This helps you compare your efficiency across different simulation stages.

The catch is that this feature only works in official HYROX race and simulation modes at launch. It will not track your standard weightlifting sessions or casual runs yet. But there is a good chance the software will be upgraded in due course so that the waist sensor has use beyond HYROX.

What’s worth noting, the official specifications show that the waist module contains optical sensors. In reality, the waist unit does not track your heart rate at all during your workouts. Your pulse data still comes entirely from the arm unit. You should view the arm piece as your physiological tracker and the waist piece as your motion tracker.

Some early coverage focused heavily on the new HybridCharge system. The original model actually received similar energy management features through recent software updates. The true advantage of the Pro model comes from data integration. The system combines your heart rate data with the physical workload metrics from your waist. This creates a much more accurate recovery score for hybrid competitors.

Deciding if you should upgrade

Those who actively compete in hybrid races will find immediate value in the waist sensor. It delivers specific station breakdowns that no other wearable offers right now. It solves the problem of tracking high-intensity functional movements accurately.

Standard gym goers should skip this model for the moment. The new combination does not justify the higher $199 price tag. If you just want a reliable screen-free pulse tracker, the $99 original model remains a better choice if you can still find it in stock.

There is one important catch with Helio Strap Pro. The full three-device setup only works with Amazfit Balance 3 and Balance Ultra at launch. That means the watch, the Helio Core Motion HR module and the Helio Core Motion Waist module all need to work together for the complete HYROX analysis.

The HR module can still work as a standalone screen-free tracker for health, sleep and workouts. But the waist module is the Pro feature, and that part needs a compatible Amazfit watch to function. Zepp Health says support for more Amazfit watches is coming, but there is no firm timeline yet.

View on Amazfit’s website.

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That worked better than I expected. Garmin remained my main device for runs, GPS, training load and workout analysis, while Fitbit Air became a lighter passive tracker for sleep, silent alarms, heart rate, AFib alerts and a second view of my daily health data.

Garmin remains the training device

I have been wearing a high-end Garmin Forerunner for a few years now. It is my main fitness tracking wearable and it still handles the serious stuff without much drama. I trust it.

Runs, workouts, GPS, training load, recovery data and performance trends all live there. If I want pace on my wrist, route data, heart rate zones, structured workouts or a deeper look at training status, the Forerunner is still the device I use.

Fitbit Air does not offer that kind of live workout experience. It has no screen or proper on-device training interface. You can’t see your pace or distance while running. That makes it a poor substitute for a serious sports watch, especially if you are used to Garmin’s training tools.

But that also misses the point. A second wearable does not need to replace the first one. It needs to give you something different enough to justify wearing it.

That is where Fitbit Air becomes more interesting. It does not beat Garmin at being Garmin. It gives you another stream of passive health data, with a different app, different assumptions and a different view of your body.

The testing showed both sides

For example, I did a wrist-based 5K run. Fitbit Air came surprisingly close to my Garmin on heart rate and distance, with average heart rate matching and distance coming in only around 40 metres short.

However, I did not suddenly see it as a Garmin replacement. But I did start to see it as more credible than a simple background tracker. The problem is, the depth of stats that you get for exercise comes nowhere near Garmin.

I also did an ankle placement test and let the Fitbit pick up on another 5K run automatically. The results here were not as clean. Fitbit Air did pick up the run automatically, but it started too early and finished too late. That dragged the average heart rate down because the session included time before and after the actual run.

The bigger issue was not the sensor. Again, it was the software. Google Health does not currently give you the simple editing tools needed to trim that kind of workout properly, which makes automatic tracking less useful than it should be.

That is the Fitbit Air story in miniature. The hardware idea has promise. The passive data can be useful. But the Google Health experience still needs more control if this is going to appeal to people who already understand wearable data.

With Fitbit Air, almost everything depends on the app. If the app cannot cleanly handle auto-detected workouts, edit sessions or explain differences between wear positions, the whole experience feels more limited.

One thing I do like in Google Health is the side-by-side view of data from different sources. It makes Fitbit Air more useful as a second device, because you can put its numbers next to Garmin’s and see where they match or drift apart. It does not magically join the two ecosystems together, but it does make the data easier to sense-check.

Fitbit Air works better in the background

Once I stopped treating Fitbit Air like a watch, it made more sense. It is at its best when it fades away and lets the app do the interpretation later.

That makes it a very different device from Garmin. With a Forerunner, I interact with the watch constantly. I start workouts, check stats, glance at screens during runs and review structured training data afterwards.

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Fitbit Air is more passive. It is there for sleep, general activity, heart rate, silent alarms and background health features such as AFib notifications. It is not trying to be a mini command centre on the wrist.

That is why it works better as a second device. Garmin can remain the serious training tool, while Fitbit Air fills the quieter parts of the day. It gives you another look at recovery, sleep and everyday health without asking you to wear a second full smartwatch.

The Whoop plus Garmin logic applies here

Some Garmin users also wear Whoop. They do not usually do this because they want Whoop to replace Garmin for running, cycling or structured workouts. They do it because Garmin handles performance while Whoop handles the background recovery layer.

Fitbit Air can sit in a similar category, although it is not the same type of product. Garmin remains the performance tool. Fitbit Air becomes the smaller passive health tracker that runs alongside it.

That comparison helped me understand the device better. I stopped asking whether Fitbit Air could become my main wearable and started asking whether it could add a useful second lens.

That is a much fairer test. It also makes Fitbit Air more relevant to people who already own a Garmin, Apple Watch or Pixel Watch. The use case is not replacement. It is companion tracking.

Who Fitbit Air is really for

After a month, I would not recommend Fitbit Air as someone’s only serious fitness device. If you run, cycle, train with structure or care about live workout data, Garmin is in a different class.

But Fitbit Air still has a role. It makes more sense as a second wearable for people who want another passive layer of health data alongside their main device.

That does not mean taking Garmin off at night. If you rely on sleep, HRV Status, Body Battery or Training Readiness, removing the watch creates gaps in Garmin’s own recovery picture.

Fitbit Air*

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Fitbit Air works better as an additional lens. It can give you a second view of sleep, resting heart rate, alarms, daily activity and background health signals, while Garmin remains the centre of the training setup.

The mistake is judging it as a Garmin rival. It is not one. Fitbit Air makes more sense next to Garmin than instead of it.

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The mock up that started the talk

An unofficial image circulating on Reddit triggered a fresh wave of discussion about the upcoming Samsung watch line. The picture shows three dark smartwatches under a generic series title, looking like an official teaser at first glance.

But that is not what it is. The image appears to be editorial artwork from a tech site, not a leaked internal asset from Samsung or an official teaser. It should, therefore, not be treated as an early reveal of the Galaxy Watch 9.

Samsung just teased Galaxy Watch 9 Series
by u/Budget_Hamster4422 in GalaxyWatch

The reaction is still telling. Some long-time Galaxy Watch owners immediately focused on the case shape rather than the possible specs. A few said they would rather keep older round models than move further into Samsung’s newer squircle design language, while others argued that the current Ultra-style look is more comfortable and distinctive than it appears in pictures.

That split says more than the image itself. Samsung’s newer design direction still has not fully settled with the user base. Owners are not just waiting for better battery life, new health metrics or cleaner software. They also want to know whether the Galaxy Watch line is still going to look like a traditional watch, or whether Samsung is now fully committed to a more hybrid square-round identity.

What the certification data tells us

We do not have an official announcement yet, but regulatory filings give us a clear view of the upcoming hardware footprint. Certification reports confirm that regular models will arrive in both 40mm and 44mm sizes.

We also see paper trails for a second generation Ultra model. This means Samsung wants to maintain a distinct split between everyday devices and heavy duty hardware.

The classic model is where the narrative gets blurry. While older code references hinted at a version with a rotating bezel, recent certification filings completely ignore it. The paperwork focuses entirely on the standard and Ultra models.

Until better evidence surfaces, we have to treat the physical bezel as a major uncertainty. I predict that Samsung might bench the classic design entirely this cycle to force adoption of the newer shape. This is a risky move that could alienate traditional buyers who love the physical click.

Software upgrades meet physical resistance

Samsung already previewed an impressive suite of next generation health features to build anticipation. The upcoming update introduces advanced metrics including vascular load, an antioxidant index, and personalized bedtime guidance.

These tools should provide valuable context on cardiovascular strain and sleep recovery. They represent a nice step forward from simple step counting and basic sleep tracking.

However, excellent software cannot compensate for hardware that people dislike on their wrists. Consumers do not buy these devices based on data sheets alone. A watch serves as a highly visible personal accessory that you wear all day.

That leaves Samsung with a clear challenge for Watch 9. The next watches are likely to arrive around the usual July window with new health tools in tow, but the design may decide how warmly long-time Galaxy Watch users receive them.

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The retail page adds the missing commercial details after yesterday’s reveal. It confirms the full package, the specs, FSA/HSA eligibility and the way Zepp Health is positioning the device.

What the US listing confirms

As expected, the box includes Helio Core Motion HR, Helio Core Motion Waist, Helio Pro Clip, wristband, armband, magnetic charging head and instruction manual. No surprises there.

The setup uses one sensor on the upper arm and another at the waist. The upper-arm unit handles heart-rate and physiological tracking, while the waist pod adds movement data around posture, stability and body mechanics.

Built around hybrid training

Helio Strap Pro is clearly aimed at hybrid athletes, with HYROX sitting at the centre of the pitch. We are yet to see whether the use of the pod gets extended to other sports int he coming months.

An upper-arm sensor should help with cleaner heart-rate data when the wrist is under load or moving awkwardly. The waist sensor gives Zepp Health another data point for how the body moves as fatigue builds.

The system currently supports eight HYROX events and works with HYROX Race and HYROX Simulation on compatible Amazfit watches. That makes the Pro model much more specific than the regular Helio Strap.

The landing page reveals a focus on open connectivity that extends outside the proprietary Zepp ecosystem. The upper arm sensor can broadcast real-time heart rate data via Bluetooth directly to third-party bike computers, gym equipment, and competing sports watches. 

The pods also handle data storage completely on their own when you choose to leave your watch behind in the locker room. Internal memory ensures that workout tracking, daily recovery metrics, and general movement files sync up to the companion app later.

Core specs

Helio Core Motion HR weighs 11.4 grams and uses the BioTracker 6.0 PPG sensor. It also includes an accelerometer, gyroscope, temperature sensor and geomagnetic sensor.

That unit has a 232mAh battery and is rated for up to 11 days of typical use. It supports more than 50 sports modes through the Zepp Health app.

Helio Core Motion Waist weighs 10.7 grams and also uses a 232mAh battery. Amazfit lists up to 44 days of typical use for that sensor, which points to a lighter workload outside training.

Both units are rated 5 ATM and charge magnetically. The system works with Android 8.0 and above, iOS 17.0 and above.

Our takeaway

The US listing makes Helio Strap Pro easier to place. At $199.99, this is not a casual heart-rate strap. It is a specialist training kit for people who want cleaner data during sessions where a watch can get in the way.

The waist sensor is the part that gives the Pro model its identity. If Zepp Health can turn that movement data into clear post-workout feedback, Helio Strap Pro has a proper role. If the app only adds another layer of scores, the hardware will be doing more work than the software.

For now, the product has a sharper shape than it did at launch. It is aimed at HYROX and hybrid training first, with broader sports support sitting around that core idea.

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The transition from the classic Fitbit setup to the unified Google Health app is still rubbing a lot of long-term users the wrong way. Recent feedback threads show people are still annoyed by missing data charts, clunky food logging, and a messy home screen. This latest update tries to fix some those headaches.

Today and health tabs offer better customization options

A lot of the frustration with the big redesign comes down to data feeling buried under too many menus. Now you can hit the pencil icon in the main metrics section to switch between a standard view and an expanded layout. This lets you see more metrics right on the Today tab without having to swipe right.

The update also lets you easily swap the order of your metrics in edit mode by tapping a card and selecting the one you want to replace it with. For Android users, rearranging charts in the Key Metrics section of the Health tab gets a lot simpler with direct drag-and-drop support, though iOS users will have to wait until version 5.03.

The update also brings back the hourly activity charts that vanished during the initial platform overhaul. This means you can add those step-per-hour circular diagrams back to both your Today and Health dashboards.

Beyond the visual tweaks, the developers cleared up some annoying activity tracking bugs. They fixed an issue where manually logged exercises incorrectly reported zero steps or distance. They also corrected low-distance bugs on auto-detected bike rides.

Sleep logs and partner app data get better management

Sleep data gets a rewrite in this update to make overnight patterns easier to read at a glance. The restlessness bar now sits right next to your sleep stages graph so you can compare restlessness and awake data together, backed by improved detection for minor awake moments.

Android users get an easier way to track naps over time with separate tabs in the daily Sleep Score view, an addition scheduled for iPhone users in the next release. Full support for deleting sleep sessions is now live, and a bug that blocked people from editing their sleep sessions has finally been squashed.

Managing health data imported from third-party services is also much less of a headache now. You can delete individual exercise sessions, food logs, and weight logs synced from partner apps directly inside the Google Health app instead of diving into the Privacy Center.

If the data came from a direct integration, you can wipe it instantly. Logs from Health Connect or Apple Health will direct you to those specific platforms to complete the deletion until a future update removes that extra step.

Food logging sees massive layout improvements

Nutrition tracking received a comprehensive cleanup aimed at making the interface quicker to use. Food searches load much faster on both platforms, with Android users now seeing serving units and calorie counts directly in the search results.

Google also added macronutrient estimations right on the main logging page so you can preview your breakdown before saving the log. This makes it much simpler to eyeball your targets before committing.

The primary nutrition tile on the Today tab completely drops the old net calories layout. It now displays your total calorie intake as the top number and your remaining calories as the bottom number to give you a clearer snapshot of your daily target.

The roadmap ahead for the ecosystem

Even though this update cleans up a few immediate software bugs, several promises on the company development map are still up in the air. Big integration features like sending data directly to Apple Health are still scheduled for later this summer. The upcoming artificial intelligence coach layer is also causing a lot of debate among users who want real control over their workout adjustments rather than automated text summaries.

Right now the update seems to be rolling out in staggered waves across different regions. Quite a few people on community forums noted that you might need to manually clear out and re-add your home screen tiles to get the new layout options to pop up.

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Table of contents

Our pick of the best connected rings
Why get a smart ring?
How to choose the right smart ring
Drawbacks and limitations of smart rings

Our pick of the top connected rings

Indistinguishable from regular jewellery in looks, smart rings are becoming more popular. This is our pick of the best devices that you can purchase today. They combine fashion and technology into some seriously smart wearables.

RingConn Gen 3 – the best value for money smart ring

Tech specs:

• Infrared, Red and Green, temperature sensors
• Vibration alerts
• Vascular trend
• Up to 14 days battery life

RingConn has become one of the stronger options in the smart ring market, especially for those interested in sleep, recovery and long-term health trends. Its unobtrusive design still works well for 24/7 wear, while the updated app gives users plenty of data without pushing them into a subscription.

The third generation device is slightly thicker than before. But the trade-off is a larger battery, a new vibration motor, upgraded heart rate sensors, an improved temperature sensor and a newer 3-axis accelerometer. Battery life now stretches up to 14 days, while the universal wireless charging case is easier to live with than the older size-specific setup.

As noted in our hands-on review, Gen 3 stands out for strong sleep tracking, useful recovery-style insights and reliable daily activity monitoring. The new Vascular Trend feature gives it a more distinctive health angle, although it works best as a long-term trend tool rather than a replacement for a blood pressure cuff. Vibration alerts are another useful addition, even if the feature still needs more polish before it reaches its full potential.

RingConn Gen 2 Air remains the cheaper option. That model uses stainless steel rather than titanium, offers up to 10 days of battery life instead of up to 14 days, skips vibration alerts, does not include Vascular Trend and lacks sleep apnea pattern monitoring. It also comes with a wired charging dock rather than the Gen 3 universal wireless charging case.

Bottom line: RingConn Gen 3’s features, hardware and performance make it one of the most compelling alternatives to Oura Ring. It is comfortable, long-lasting and health-focused, with no monthly subscription fees. The exercise heart rate tracking still has limits at higher intensities, but for passive health tracking it is one of the best smart rings around.

RingConn*

Helio Ring – best for exercise tracking

Tech specs:

• Titanium-alloy build.
• BioTracker PPG HR sensor, temperature, EDA, 4-Axis accelerometer, 3-axis gyroscope
• Around 4 days battery life
• 10 ATM water resistance

The $299 Amazfit Helio Ring is an exciting addition to the smart ring market. Though its Recovery Score can be inconsistent, the ring shines in several different areas. Its comfortable, sleek design and precise heart rate tracking during workouts make it a great choice for runners.

As per our hands-on review, the device offers comprehensive health and fitness tracking, a user-friendly app, and great battery life – making it a strong competitor among smart rings. While the Zepp Aura subscription unlocks premium features, the free app version still provides valuable insights.

Bottom line: If you want a reliable, stylish smart ring that prioritizes fitness tracking, the Amazfit Helio Ring is definitely worth considering. Particularly if you own an Amazfit watch. Its performance, particularly in heart rate monitoring during exercise makes it a valuable asset for those who want to improve their workouts and overall health.

Amazfit*

Ultrahuman Ring Air – a great lifestyle improvement device

Tech specs:

• Fighter jet grade Titanium reinforced with Tungsten Carbide Carbon coating outer shell.
• Infrared, Red and Green, temperature sensors.
• Around 6 days battery life
• 5 ATM water resistance

The Ultrahuman Ring Air distinguishes itself in the crowded smart ring arena with an insightful app that does more than just display metrics; it educates users about their health. Notable for its decently accurate heart rate variability, resting heart rate, and sleep tracking, the device also incorporates unique features like a circadian clock and stimulant restriction window.

As noted in our hands-on review, its comfortable, lightweight design and long-lasting battery make it easy to wear continuously. Frequent updates continue to add value.

That said, the device isn’t without its imperfections. Both the step count and some Beta features could benefit from fine-tuning to achieve better accuracy. Additionally, the app’s interface could be simplified for an improved user experience. Nonetheless, the Ultrahuman Ring Air presents a compelling package, especially given its lack of subscription fees and a $350 retail price, making it a viable, cost-effective option for those looking to delve deeper into their health and wellness.

Bottom line: The Ultrahuman Ring Air offers valuable health insights in a comfortable design. Despite minor flaws, its unique features and competitive pricing make it a solid choice for health tracking.

Amazon | Ultrahuman*

Ōura Ring 5: The best smart ring, but expensive

Tech specs:

• PPG, negative temperature coefficient sensor, 3D accelerometer for movement
• Lightweight titanium with non-allergenic, non-metallic inner molding build
• Free sizing kit
• Up to 9 days battery life
• 40% thinner than before

The Oura smart ring puts lots of emphasis on sleep. With no buttons to push, it automatically detects and analyses your nightly rest and recovery by measuring heart rate, respiration rate, body temperature, movement, blood oxygen and other signals.

The 5th generation device brings a smaller and lighter design, with Oura claiming a 40 percent reduction in size compared with Oura Ring 4. It measures 6.09mm wide and 2.28mm thick, with weight starting from 2 grams depending on size. The ring keeps the titanium build, 100-meter water resistance and IP68 rating, but the sensing system has been rebuilt with a new internal layout.

Battery life is now up to 6 to 9 days, depending on ring size and usage. Oura is also introducing an optional portable charging case, sold separately, which can provide up to a month of extra battery life. That makes Ring 5 a little easier to live with when travelling.

The software side is expanding too. Oura is adding features such as Health Radar, live activity tracking, GLP-1 medication tracking, clinical data uploads and improved Locate tools, with several additions also coming to older Oura rings. The subscription model remains, with the first month free for new members, then $5.99 per month or $69.99 per year in the US.

Bottom line: Oura Ring 5 is a thinner, lighter and more comfortable version of one of the best-known smart rings. The rebuilt sensors and smaller design make it a stronger option for sleep, recovery and long-term health tracking. But it remains pricier than much of the competition, especially once the subscription is factored in.

Ōuraring.com

Wellue O2Ring: keep an eye on your SpO2 with medical-grade accuracy

Tech specs:

• Measure oxygen level (SpO2), pulse rate, movement
• Measurement interval – 1 second
• Warning vibration for low oxygen, high/low pulse rate
• 15 grams weight
• 12-16 hours of continuous use on a single charge

This one is slightly different from other options on this list. The Wellue O2Ring predominantly does one main thing and it does it with medical grade accuracy – it tracks your blood oxygen. In fact, it is FDA approved for this sort of thing. Other stats that you’ll get are heart rate and body movement.

The device has a built-in vibration motor that kicks into gear when it sees something out of whack. You’ll get an alert if your blood oxygen level or heart rate are outside of threshold you preset on the smartphone app.

There’s also the option of installing PC software in addition to the smartphone app. The software allows you to view and print a very detailed sleep report, which can also be exported as PDF or CSV files.

In our review, we found the device works really well. The ring is quite big in size so it is not something you would want to wear around the clock. But for measurements at home, in the office, or overnight it is quite useful.

It is worth noting the WellueO2 Ring is slightly more expensive than a typical fingertip pulse oximeter. But if you need overnight monitoring with alarms and long term tracking then it is probably the best option out there. For some, it might become their most important piece of jewelry.

Bottom line: The WellueO2 Ring is not your typical smart ring. Its main trick is that it monitors blood oxygen while you sleep. It will also alert you if it spots abnormalities.

Amazon | Wellue (use coupon GW10 for 10% discount)*

Samsung Galaxy Ring – great for those in the Samsung ecosystem

Tech specs:

• Features titanium casing with a concave interior design
• Water resistant up to 100 meters
• Battery life of up to 7 days
• Offered in 9 different sizes for optimal fit
• Available in 3 colors: Titanium Black, Gold, and Silver

The second watch from a big smartwatch brand (after Zepp Health), the Samsung Galaxy Ring combines health tracking technology with a minimalist ring design. Using advanced sensors, it monitors metrics including heart rate, sleep patterns, and skin temperature, sending data to the Samsung Health app for analysis. The ring features a titanium casing available in multiple finishes, offering water resistance up to 100 meters and a battery life of up to 7 days.

AI-driven features include Energy Score, which optimizes daily activity recommendations based on sleep and previous performance data. The ring automatically detects workouts and provides personalized Wellness Tips. For added convenience, users can control their phone’s camera or alarms using a Double Pinch gesture.

Samsung offers the Galaxy Ring in Titanium Black, Gold, and Silver, with nine size options for optimal fit. The device’s ultra-lightweight, concave design ensures comfort during extended wear.

Bottom line: The Samsung Galaxy Ring offers comprehensive health tracking in an elegant, durable design that seamlessly integrates with the Galaxy ecosystem. It’s an ideal choice for existing Samsung wearable users looking to expand their wellness monitoring capabilities while maintaining a minimalist aesthetic.

Samsung*

Why get a smart ring?

Research suggests that we check our phone every six and a half minutes and much of this results from notifications that do not really interest us or can wait for us to attend to them later. With your cellular device tucked away in your pocket or bag, you can use a piece of jewelry to attend to only those notifications that deserve your attention. The rest can wait.

But potential use of smart rings goes further. Because your fingers have easy-to-sense arteries, some of these devices are also able to gather precise data on your body’s vital signals. They do this with sensors such as a 3d accelerometer, gyroscope, heart rate blood oxygen sensor and more. Much like fitness trackers.

Then there are smart rings that can be used to open a door lock or a smartphone or even send SOS messages. Such an accessory can be an easier option to use for some than a smartwatch. It is all a matter of preference. Some people are a fan of the concept, others are very much against it and prefer something sitting on their wrist.

How to choose the right smart ring

The right smart ring for you can be determined by a number of factors, including your specific needs, lifestyle, and personal style. Before making a decision, it is worthwhile to conduct some research and carefully consider your options. Here’s are some things to keep in mind:

• Determine your needs: The first step in selecting a smart ring is determining what you require it for. Do you want it to track your health and fitness, make contactless payments, control smart home devices, or provide security? The features you require will have a significant impact on your smart ring selection.
• Check compatibility: Make sure the smart ring you’re thinking about buying is compatible with your smartphone or other devices. Some smart rings are only compatible with certain operating systems or versions.
• Consider the design: A smart ring is a piece of jewellery as well as a functional device. When selecting a smart ring, keep your personal style and comfort in mind. Examine the available designs, materials, and colour schemes. Some brands also provide custom designs.
• Examine the battery life: The battery life of smart rings varies greatly. Determine how frequently you will need to charge the ring. Some rings can last for several days on a single charge, while others must be charged on a daily basis.
• Examine health and wellness features: If you want to track your health and wellness, see what sensors and features the smart ring has. Sleep tracking, heart rate monitoring, activity tracking, temperature monitoring, and so on.
• Examine security features: If you intend to use your smart ring to make payments or unlock devices, look into its security features. Biometric authentication, encryption, or a secure app could all be used.
• Consider the price: Smart rings range in price depending on their features and brand. Determine your budget and compare the features and quality of various rings within it. Also, keep in mind that some options come with an on-going monthly subscription fee.
• Examine the reviews and ratings: Examine user reviews and ratings to get a sense of the smart ring’s performance and dependability. Take note of comments about comfort, durability, tracking accuracy, and customer service.

Drawbacks or limitations of smart rings

Smart rings, though innovative and compact, come with their own specific set of limitations. The most obvious is that, because of their small size, they house limited battery capacity. Which means frequent charging. Typically you can expect the battery in your smart ring to last 3-4 days.

Another disadvantage is that, being worn on the finger, they’re more exposed to wear and tear from everyday activities. Rings from certain manufacturers are prone to cratching. So that’s something to be aware of.

Finally, there are no smart rings currently with a display. In fact you will struggle to find one with any sort of notification capability.

*Disclosure: We are a review site that receives a small commission from sales of certain items, but the price is the same for you. We are independently owned and all opinions expressed here are our own. See our affiliate disclosure page for more details.

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