The update package shown in the Zepp Health app is 16.17MB, which does not sound huge, but the change log is fairly packed. The app also recommends using Wi-Fi OTA for the update. That makes sense here, as the update screen specifically says to keep the watch above 50 percent charge, keep the network stable and use 2.4GHz Wi-Fi if updating directly on the device.

Let’s dive into the specifics.

Equivalent pace comes to Balance 2

A new addition is something called Equivalent Pace. This combines personal physiological data, fitness level and gradient changes to convert uphill and downhill effort into an equivalent flat-ground pace.

That should make pacing easier on rolling terrain. Raw pace can look messy on hills, especially when a steady effort produces very different numbers depending on gradient. Equivalent Pace tries to make that easier to read by translating the effort into something closer to flat-ground running.

This is the type of metric that makes more sense on Balance 2 than on a basic fitness watch. The device already leans into outdoor and performance features, so adding a smarter pace interpretation gives runners another way to judge effort without obsessing over every rise and dip.

Garmin has had a similar feature called Grade Adjusted Pace for a while. The idea is broadly the same as Zepp Health’s Equivalent Pace on Amazfit Balance 2: both try to turn uphill and downhill running into a flat-ground pace estimate, so the runner gets a cleaner read on effort rather than raw pace alone.

The difference is in how each company frames it. Garmin’s GAP is mainly presented as a pace field adjusted by terrain steepness, while Zepp Health says Equivalent Pace also combines personal physiological data and fitness level with gradient changes.

Offline route planning gets a real boost

An important addition for many users will be Offline Route Planning. The change log says users can now create loop routes and routes from the current location to a destination within the Topographic Map app while offline.

There is also automatic recalculation if you go off course during navigation. That is a useful safety net, especially when running or hiking somewhere unfamiliar and trying to avoid reaching for the phone every few minutes.

GPS Heading has also been added inside Topographic Maps. The update describes this as bringing heading display to the Topographic Map app for a navigation experience more consistent with workout navigation.

Zepp Health has optimised topographic map display and on-watch route creation. The notes mention navigation to points up to 100 km away and dynamic contour-line precision adaptation. That points to a smoother mapping experience.

Multi-device data now gets smarter

Another change is Activity Data Fusion & Sync Back. The change log says data from multiple devices can be fused through Zepp and synced back to all devices for better consistency. We actually thought this would arrive as part of Zepp OS 6, but Zepp Health seems to be rolling it out earlier.

The feature will be important to those who own more than one Amazfit device. For example, someone might wear a watch for workouts and the helio strap for sleep or recovery. A cleaner sync system should reduce duplicate or inconsistent activity records.

Balance 2 also gets Bluetooth Speaker support. The notes say the watch can connect to your phone and play phone audio.

HYROX and diving also get attention

The update adds HYROX Race x Stryd integration. According to the change log, Balance 2 can connect to Stryd and show pace-related workout metrics in real time.

That fits with Zepp Health’s wider push into hybrid training. HYROX support already makes sense on the newer Amazfit lineup, and Stryd integration gives more serious runners another data layer during race-style sessions.

There are also diving improvements. This includes depth calculation, descent and ascent detection, plus suppression of system notifications during workouts.

Watch face status indicators have been optimised as well, with users now able to customise their visibility. Map downloads also get work, including support for combined downloads of multi-level cloud maps, although the screenshot cuts off the rest of that line.

For Balance 2 owners, this looks like a worthwhile update. Zepp Health has started publishing a monthly look look ahead for updates coming to each watch, and this firmware patch includes pretty much everything promised for June and then some. Next month, Balance 2 owners should see another round of refinements, with Zepp Health flagging an enhanced Zepp OS 6 user experience, improved weather handling, optimised terrain map downloads and better navigation alerts.

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The reaction is not hard to understand. These are watches many people still use every day, and some of them do not feel old enough to be cut loose from Apple’s next major software update.

Owners are annoyed for a simple reason

The frustration is not really about watchOS 27 itself. Most users are not desperate for every new feature, and many will barely notice the missing software tricks on day one.

The annoyance comes from the feeling that Apple has moved the line too soon. Series 8 and Apple Watch Ultra both arrived in 2022, which makes the cutoff feel sharper than a normal ageing-out process. These are not forgotten models sitting in drawers. Plenty of people still use them for workouts, sleep tracking, Apple Pay, notifications and health data.

That is why the reaction has been stronger than Apple may have expected. Owners are looking at watches that still run well and wondering why they are already outside the main update path. The answer may sit inside Apple’s hardware requirements, but the customer-facing message is much simpler. Their watch still feels fine, yet Apple has decided it is done with major watchOS releases.

Series 8 and SE 2 owners have a point

The original Apple Watch Ultra will get much of the attention because it was the expensive model. But Series 8 and SE 2 owners have just as much reason to be irritated.

Series 8 was not a minor product. It brought temperature sensing and crash detection, and its health and fitness package still covers most of what ordinary Apple Watch users rely on. For someone who bought it late in its retail cycle, missing watchOS 27 will feel abrupt.

The SE 2 cut is also awkward. Apple sells the SE line as the more affordable way into the Apple Watch ecosystem. That pitch works only if buyers feel they still get a decent support window. Once a value model loses major updates quickly, the value argument starts to look weaker.

This does not make the watches useless

Of course, Apple has not switched these watches off. They still work just fine.

The issue is what happens next. App support can narrow over time. New iPhone features may not connect as neatly with older watchOS versions. Some fixes and refinements may skip unsupported models.

That is the part owners are pushing back against. They are not saying their watches are broken. They are saying Apple has shortened the road ahead while the hardware still feels capable.

This also changes how discounted Apple Watches should be viewed. A cheaper older model may look tempting, but the remaining software window now needs to be part of the calculation. Saving money upfront is less attractive if the watch is close to dropping off major updates.

This changes the value calculation

Owners do not need to rush out and replace a working watch. If a Series 8, SE 2 or Ultra 1 still tracks your workouts, handles notifications and gets through the day, it still has a job to do.

The problem is what this says about buying an Apple Watch now. A discounted older model may look like a good deal, but the remaining software window has to be part of the price. Saving money upfront looks less attractive if the watch is already close to missing major updates.

That is where watchOS 27 leaves a mark. Apple has not made these older watches useless, but it has made them less attractive as long-term buys.

The post Apple Watch owners push back as watchOS 27 drops older models appeared first on Gadgets & Wearables.

Garmin Express 7.29.0 fixes the issue

The fix appears to be Garmin Express 7.29.0 for Windows. Users who had been stuck with the problem are now reporting that their watches sync again, map management opens properly and updates can be installed as expected.

The bug was not that Garmin Express failed to detect the watch. That is what made it more annoying. The watch appeared as connected, but the top update panel did not load correctly. Instead of showing software or map options, Garmin Express kept showing a generic prompt to refresh and check for updates.

That effectively blocked the normal desktop route for managing maps. On watches such as the fēnix 8 and tactix 8, that is a fairly big miss because maps are a major part of the pitch. Owners were not dealing with an obscure setting. They were trying to use a core maintenance tool on expensive devices.

The problem seems to have started for many after firmware 21.39. Later firmware versions did not clear it for everyone, and Garmin Express 7.28.1 also failed to solve it for affected users. Garmin Express 7.29.0 now looks like the release that actually fixes the Windows side of the problem.

The bug affected several newer Garmin models

Reports initially centred on the fēnix 8 series, including AMOLED, Sapphire and Pro variants. Other models were later mentioned too, including the Forerunner 970, Enduro 3, tactix 8 and D2 Mach 2 Pro.

A few workarounds did help some people while they waited for a fix. One involved opening Garmin Express first, starting the map update flow, then connecting the watch only when the app asked for it. Others used Map Manager directly on the watch over Wi-Fi.

Some users also tried factory resets and clean setups without restoring settings from another Garmin watch. That worked for a few, but it was never a good solution. Resetting a high-end sports watch just to restore map access is too much hassle, especially for anyone with customised data screens, maps and activity profiles.

Update Garmin Express before trying anything else

Affected users should update Garmin Express for Windows to version 7.29.0 before doing anything drastic. That should be the first step if the app still shows the refresh screen instead of the normal map and software update panel.

Once Garmin Express is updated, reconnect the watch and try map management again. Hopefully, it should finally restore normal map and update access.

The post Garmin finally fixes map update bug affecting newer premium watches appeared first on Gadgets & Wearables.

FotMob is the easiest all-round pick

FotMob is probably the most practical choice for most football fans. The app has World Cup 2026 support, live scores, match stats, alerts, highlights and Live Activities for Apple Watch.

For those with an iPhone, FotMob says users can follow matches from the Lock Screen, Dynamic Island, as well as the Apple Watch, with Live Activities dressed in country colours. It also has updated widgets for the group stage and knockouts.

There is also an Android version of FotMob on Google Play. The listing says the app offers live scores, detailed stats, breaking news and personalised alerts. So that’s great for users who mainly want reliable football coverage without hunting around for a dedicated tournament-only tool.

The appeal here is simple. FotMob is not just a World Cup app. It is a football app that has been updated for the World Cup, so it should remain useful after the tournament ends.

Apple Watch users have a few other solid routes

Apple Watch users can also use Apple Sports. Apple says the app can show live scores and play updates on Apple Watch through Live Activities, as long as the user has iOS 18 and watchOS 11 or later.

That makes Apple Sports a good low-friction option if you already live inside Apple’s ecosystem. It is not as football-focused as FotMob, but it does the basic live score job cleanly.

OneFootball is another option. Its App Store listing includes Apple Watch support and World Cup 2026 coverage, with live scores, goal alerts and match results.

For iPhone users, the choice probably comes down to how much detail they want. Apple Sports is cleaner and more minimal, FotMob gives you deeper football coverage and OneFootball sits somewhere between live scores, alerts and football news.

Wear OS has apps and watch faces

Wear OS users have two different routes. They can install a football scores app such as the above mentioned FotMob. They could also opt for SofaScore, or go for a World Cup watch face.

SofaScore’s Google Play listing says the app is optimised for Wear OS smartwatches. It covers live sports scores and detailed statistics, so it is worth a look if you prefer a broader sports app rather than a football-only one.

The more interesting Wear OS option is Kick It, a free World Cup watch face from Facer and Citizen. It pulls tournament data onto the watch face, including live scores, standings, team records and match status.

There are limits. Kick It currently works for users in the US, Canada, Japan and the UK on watches running Wear OS 6, with an EU launch planned. So it looks useful, but it will not be available to every Wear OS owner.

If your watch supports it, the benefit is obvious. You do not need to open an app just to see what is happening. The score sits on the face itself.

Garmin users get a dedicated World Cup face

Garmin owners should look at WC2026 Live Pro on Connect IQ. It is a watch face rather than a normal app, but it is built specifically for the 2026 tournament.

The face shows live scores, daily fixtures and group standings directly on the watch. It also adjusts kick-off times to the local time zone, which is handy for a tournament spread across multiple time zones.

There is also a favourite team feature. That lets the watch keep your chosen team more visible, even when it is not playing that day.

This is probably the neatest setup for Garmin users because it uses the watch face itself instead of relying on phone alerts. The trade-off is that it is more specialised than FotMob or SofaScore, so its usefulness will drop sharply once the tournament ends.

The official FIFA app is still worth having

The official FIFA World Cup 2026 app is also worth a look. It covers fixtures, schedules, live scores, stats, line-ups and real-time updates. But be warned – the software is very poorly rated by users with 2.1 stars out of a possible 5.

Or you could opt for Flashscore. Which has live World Cup results, match updates, stats and group standings.

For the watch, though, I would narrow it down. Apple Watch users should start with FotMob or Apple Sports. Wear OS users should look at FotMob, SofaScore or Kick It if their watch supports it. Garmin users have the cleanest tournament-specific option with WC2026 Live Pro.

The post The best smartwatch apps for following the World Cup 2026 appeared first on Gadgets & Wearables.

Apple Watch support first arrived back in 2015. That early version belonged to a very different smartwatch era, when third-party watch apps were still finding their feet and most messaging tools on the wrist felt fairly basic. The app was later dropped out of view leaving users without software for years. As far as Wear OS, Telegram removed its support for that operating system in 2021.

This new release closes that gap on both sides.

What the new Telegram watch apps can do

The new watch apps give users direct access to chats from the wrist. That means you can open Telegram on Wear OS or Apple Watch, browse conversations, read longer messages and check shared media without waiting for a phone notification to appear.

Voice messages are part of the package too. That is useful for Telegram because many conversations on the service are built around group chats, media sharing and quick voice notes rather than simple one-line replies.

The apps also support replies from the wrist, either by text or voice. So the feature set is quite comprehensive.

What’s worth noting, there are some differences between platforms at launch. Wear OS users can mute and pin chats, as well as delete messages from the watch. Apple Watch users, on the other hand, get location viewing and sticker support.

Telegram says the missing tools should come to each platform in the next update. For now, the two versions overlap on the main features but differ on some controls.

Why this is better than notifications

Telegram alerts could already appear on smartwatches through the phone’s normal notification system. That is useful for quick glances, but it only reacts to incoming messages.

The new apps change the interaction. Users can open Telegram directly on the watch, go into chats, check older messages, view shared media and listen to voice notes without waiting for a fresh alert.

That makes the watch more useful for sorting small Telegram interactions. You can see whether a message needs a reply, send a short voice or text response and leave the longer stuff for the phone.

It also avoids the biggest limitation of notification-only use. If the alert is dismissed or buried, you are not stuck going back to the phone just to find the conversation again.

For a messaging app built around busy group chats, voice notes and shared media, that is a better fit for the wrist. The watch still stays in its lane, but Telegram now gives it enough to do that the app feels worth keeping there.

Source: Telegram

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What changed

It has been a while since the Helio Strap last received a firmware update, so this one is worth noting. Version 3.18.0.1 is not trying to turn the device into something new. It looks more like a tidy-up release aimed at making the strap behave better inside the wider Amazfit ecosystem.

The first change is probably the more useful one. Zepp Health says the Activity Detection feature has been optimised so the Helio Strap will no longer create duplicate activity records when your watch is already tracking a workout. That sounds like a niche fix until you actually run into it. Then it becomes exactly the sort of thing that makes post-workout data messy.

The Helio Strap sits in a slightly unusual place. It is not a watch. It is not a screen-first wearable. It works best as a lightweight fitness strap that feeds data into the Zepp Health app and can sit alongside a more capable Amazfit watch. That makes clean workout handling important. Users do not want two versions of the same session fighting for attention inside their history.

This update should help people who use the Helio Strap with an Amazfit watch rather than as a standalone tracker. If the watch already records the run, ride or gym session, the strap should now avoid generating a separate duplicate activity record from its own detection system.

This also suggests Zepp Health is still tuning how the Helio Strap behaves in a multi-device setup. That is where the product needs to be reliable. A strap like this does not win people over with a big display or rich on-device features. It needs to disappear into the background and record the right data at the right time.

Heart rate tracking also gets attention

The second listed change is an optimisation to the heart rate monitoring algorithm. Zepp Health says this should improve heart rate tracking accuracy, though the release notes do not give extra detail on what has changed.

It will be interesting to see whether the update improves higher-intensity exercise tracking. Optical heart rate sensors can struggle when movement, strap tension and sweat all get involved. The Helio Strap has a simpler job than a smartwatch in some ways because it does not have to manage a screen-heavy experience. But it still lives or dies by whether people trust the numbers.

Worth installing

The final note simply says other known issues have been fixed. That is the usual catch-all line in firmware updates, but the two named changes are enough to make version 3.18.0.1 worth installing.

All things considered, this is a maintenance release with one very practical fix. But for anyone using the Amazfit Helio Strap alongside a watch, removing duplicate workout records should make the experience cleaner straight away. As always, different regions may receive the update at different times. We have reports of those in the UK and a few other countries already receiving the new firmware.

In other news, the company is working on the gen 2 device. We recently spotted the FCC regulatory filing for that one and expect a launch in the second half of the year.

The post Amazfit Helio Strap firmware targets workout duplication and heart rate accuracy appeared first on Gadgets & Wearables.

Another database now shows OW245

The listing was issued on 4 June 2026 under certificate number 122484/DJID/2026. It names Suunto as the brand, gives OW245 as the model and uses “SUUNTO OW245” as the marketing name.

The device category is listed as Outdoor Watch. That lines up with the FCC material and with the Core 2 identity already shown on the label.

The applicant is PT Indo Arloji Perkasa, with China shown as the country of origin. There is no product image in the database entry and the listing does not reveal additional hardware details.

Still, it gives us a second certification trail for the same model. That usually means the device is moving through regional approval ahead of launch, rather than sitting as a forgotten internal filing.

The FCC filing already told us more

The earlier FCC filing remains the stronger source because the label included the Core 2 name directly. It also gave away the most interesting hardware clues.

The CR3032 battery points to a replaceable coin-cell setup rather than a rechargeable smartwatch design. That makes Core 2 feel much closer to the original Core than to watches such as Suunto Race or Vertical.

Bluetooth LE adds the modern layer. That could mean app pairing, firmware updates, settings sync or basic data transfer. It does not automatically turn Core 2 into a full smartwatch.

The 100m water resistance is also useful. It suggests Suunto wants this to feel like a proper outdoor watch, not just a nostalgic Core reissue with a new name.

This looks like a proper Core revival

The new Indonesian listing does not change the basic picture. It reinforces it.

Core 2 now looks like a modern version of Suunto’s old outdoor tool watch. The formula appears to be replaceable battery, rugged build, Bluetooth support and outdoor-first positioning.

The big unknown is timing. The FCC confidentiality period pointed toward September 2026 as a possible key date, unless Suunto launches before then or extends the hold. The Indonesian certification now gives us recent movement in early June, which keeps the launch trail alive.

There is still plenty we do not know. The listing does not confirm pricing, case size, display type or exact feature set. But the model number now appears in more than one place and the product category remains consistent.

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

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The numbers explain the shift. Zepp Health said its average selling price rose by more than 20% year-on-year, helped by stronger demand for higher-end Amazfit models. That is a big change for a brand that built much of its reputation on undercutting Garmin, Fitbit and Apple Watch.

The price ceiling has moved

Now make no mistake – Amazfit still sells plenty of affordable watches. But the top of the range now looks very different. T-Rex 3 Pro comes in at around $399. The recently launched T-Rex Ultra 2 pushes that further to about $549.

That still keeps Amazfit below the obvious premium rivals. Apple Watch Ultra 3 starts at $799, while Garmin Fenix 8 commonly sits around the $999 level before discounts. So Amazfit is not trying to match Garmin or Apple on price. Which is a good thing. If Amazfit can offer enough of the same outdoor and training appeal for less money, the higher pricing still works.

T-Rex is doing the heavy lifting

The T-Rex line is the obvious place to test this. Outdoor watches already carry higher price expectations because buyers care about battery life, materials, GPS, maps and durability. A higher-priced T-Rex makes more sense than a much more expensive Bip or Active watch.

Despite the price hike, Zepp Health said the more expensive T-Rex models accounted for nearly half of T-Rex family unit sales in March and April. That suggests buyers are not just looking at Amazfit because it is cheap. Some are now choosing the more expensive versions inside the range.

The company also said it has more T-Rex family products lined up for 2026, so this does not look like a single premium experiment. Falcon 2 could be part of that push if it lands later this year, and that would likely move the price ceiling even higher.

The same shift shows up elsewhere. Balance 3 and Balance Ultra lean into HYROX, recovery, readiness and hybrid training. Cheetah 2 Pro and Cheetah 2 Ultra take the pitch into running, with Zepp Coach, training plans, recovery insights and third-party platform links.

Value is still the safety net

Zepp Health is not abandoning cheaper models. Active Max, Active 3 Premium and Bip Max still keep Amazfit tied to the value side of the market. That gives the brand useful cover. It can chase higher margins with T-Rex, Balance and Cheetah, while still keeping entry-level buyers in the ecosystem.

The risk is confusion. Amazfit used to be easy to understand. It meant long battery life, lots of features and lower prices. Now the message is broader. Some models still fit that old formula. Others are trying to compete with proper sports watches.

But that may be exactly where Zepp Health wants to land. Amazfit does not need to become Garmin. It just needs enough buyers to see a $549 Amazfit as a credible alternative to an $799 or $999 watch.

The post Amazfit is no longer just the cheaper smartwatch brand appeared first on Gadgets & Wearables.

Verizon appears to have jumped early

Carrier support pages are not always exciting reading, but they can be useful when they reveal software details before the official marketing machine catches up. In this case, Verizon has published update pages for Pixel Watch 2 and Pixel Watch 3 that specifically mention Wear OS 7.

For Pixel Watch 2, Verizon lists the update as System Update 20. For Pixel Watch 3, it appears as System Update 9. Both pages show the same software version, CP2A.260603.001, along with the June 2026 Android security patch.

The language around the update stays fairly plain. Verizon says the software brings the latest Wear OS 7 update, the latest Android security patch and performance and stability improvements.

This fits the Wear OS 7 timeline

Google already detailed Wear OS 7 earlier this year, so the update itself is not a surprise. The timing is the interesting part. A June 9 carrier listing suggests the Pixel Watch rollout may be at the final preparation stage, or already staged for some users depending on region, model and carrier.

Wear OS 7 has always looked like a cleaner platform update rather than a dramatic redesign for the sake of it. The useful parts sit around battery efficiency, smarter watch interactions, better app behaviour and tighter links between Android phones and Wear OS watches.

One of the bigger background changes is the move to Android 16 under the hood. That should give Google and developers a more modern base to work from, even if users mostly notice the surface-level features first. The best updates to a smartwatch often feel boring at first, then prove themselves through better consistency over time.

Google has also talked about battery gains with Wear OS 7. The company previously suggested that supported devices could see improved efficiency, which would be welcome on Pixel Watch hardware. Battery life has never been the Pixel Watch line’s strongest selling point, so even smaller gains could make the daily experience less annoying.

The sensible caveat is that carrier pages do not always mean every user gets the update instantly. Pixel Watch updates can roll out in stages, so one owner may see it before another. Region, carrier and model can all affect timing.

Still, the signs now look solid. Verizon has published the details, the software version is consistent across the Pixel Watch 2 and Pixel Watch 3 pages and the date lines up with a likely June software release window. Pixel Watch owners should probably start checking the system update screen over the next few days.

via Droidlife

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That is not how most people test a fitness tracker. It is also exactly why I found the result useful. If a device can produce decent data in a messy real-world setup, that tells us something about how flexible the hardware might be.

This follows my earlier Fitbit Air vs Garmin 5K test, where the screenless tracker came very close when the run was started properly from the phone. For this follow-up, I wanted to make life harder for it. I wore it on my ankle and did not start anything manually.

The distance result was solid

My Garmin Forerunner recorded the run at 5.01 km. Fitbit Air logged 5.16 km, which puts it around 150 metres higher over the run. That is not perfect, but for an automatically detected run from the ankle, I would call it a surprisingly decent result.

The Garmin used GPS. Fitbit Air, on the other hand, had to rely on its own motion data and whatever context it could pull together in the background. The important part is that it did not drift wildly. It recognised the session as a run and landed close enough to be useful for casual tracking.

That makes the result more interesting than a simple wrist-to-wrist test. Ankle wear changes the movement pattern completely. The device has to deal with sharper leg motion, higher impact and a position it probably was not designed around as its main use case.

Google only talks about wearing the tracker on the wrist. In practice, though, it can also be worn on the upper arm or even the ankle. I have worn it like this 24/7 for the past week and the only real difference I have noticed is shorter sleep tracking. My guess is that I move my legs more than my arms during sleep, so the tracker may be reading some of that movement as wake time.

The average heart rate needs context

But what about heart rate during the 5K. Well, at first glance, the heart rate comparison looks weaker. The Garmin reported an average heart rate of 144 bpm, while Fitbit Air showed 132 bpm. Taken alone, that looks like a fairly large gap.

But the chart tells a better story. Fitbit Air appears to have started tracking too early and ended too late. Those low heart rate sections at the beginning and end pulled down the average. During the actual running portion, the heart rate trace looked much closer to the Garmin result.

The max heart rate makes the point even clearer. The Garmin recorded 161 bpm, while Fitbit Air reached 160 bpm. That is only 1 bpm apart, which is a strong result for a tracker worn on the ankle during a run.

This was probably the most interesting part of the test for me. Optical heart rate from the ankle sounds like something that should struggle. In this run, it looked surprisingly stable once the effort started properly.

Auto-tracking is the weak link

The main issue was not that Fitbit Air failed to detect the run. It did detect it. The issue was that it wrapped too much time around the actual workout.

The Garmin recorded 28 minutes and 33 seconds for the 5K. Fitbit Air showed 35 minutes and 48 seconds. That extra time changes the whole summary. It makes the average pace look much slower and it drags down the average heart rate.

Fitbit Air*

Order now

This is where Google Health needs better editing tools. There is currently no option to trim the run afterwards. I could view the activity, but I could not cut off the early and late sections that should not have counted as part of the workout.

That limitation is annoying because the raw tracking looked better than the final numbers imply. Strip away the extra time and Fitbit Air would probably get much closer on average heart rate. The problem is that the app does not let me clean up the session.

A useful result with a clear caveat

This test does not prove that Fitbit Air is a replacement for a running watch. It also does not prove that ankle-based heart rate will hold up in every workout. Intervals, hills and faster changes in effort could expose weaknesses that a steady 5K does not show.

Still, I came away encouraged. Fitbit Air got the distance close, detected the run automatically and matched the Garmin’s peak heart rate almost exactly. For a screenless tracker worn on the ankle and left to work passively, that is a better outcome than I expected.

The lesson for me is that Fitbit Air’s hardware may be more capable than the app summary suggests. The sensor performance looks promising, but the automatic tracking window needs more control. A simple trim option in Google Health would make a big difference here because it would let me remove the dead time and keep the useful part of the workout.

For now, this makes Fitbit Air look like an interesting passive fitness tracker rather than a precision running tool. It can capture the run and the ankle heart rate result looks genuinely useful. But if Google wants this kind of device to be trusted for workouts, post-run editing needs to catch up with the hardware.

The post Fitbit Air on the ankle delivers a surprisingly solid 5K run result appeared first on Gadgets & Wearables.