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| Users of the Google Pixel Watch 4 will apparently soon be able to take out a new subscription. |
Rumors have been swirling for weeks, and now it’s starting to look official: Google is about to shake up the fitness tracking world with a display-less wristband that costs just $99. But there’s a twist you won’t want to ignore.
According to multiple reports and fresh findings from the Google Store itself, the tech giant is preparing to launch what could be called the Fitbit Air – an affordable, screen-free fitness band designed to track your health metrics without the distractions of a traditional smartwatch. The catch? To unlock its full potential, you’ll need to pay a monthly fee.
And that fee isn’t just for the new budget band. Google is quietly rolling out a brand-new subscription called Google Health Premium, which appears poised to either supplement or outright replace the existing Fitbit Premium service.
The $99 Wristband With No Display: Genius or Gimmick?
Let’s start with the device itself. If the rumors hold true, Google’s upcoming fitness wristband will ditch the screen entirely. At first glance, that might sound like a step backward. But consider the logic: no screen means exceptional battery life, a lighter design, and a lower price point – potentially just $99.
That’s significantly cheaper than the Apple Watch SE ($249) and even undercuts most of Fitbit’s own lineup. For casual fitness enthusiasts or anyone who finds full-fledged smartwatches overwhelming, a simple, screen-free tracker could be the perfect entry point.
However, the rumored device is expected to require a Google Health Premium subscription to access features like sleep scoring, guided workouts, and detailed health insights. Without it, you’ll likely get only basic step counting and heart rate monitoring.
Google Health Premium: What We Know So Far
Here’s where things get interesting. As 9to5Google first discovered, Google Health Premium is already appearing in several places – including the Google Store checkout process and the Fitbit app itself.
If you currently add a Pixel Watch 4 to your cart in Google’s online store, the company is now recommending this new subscription at €8.99 per month (roughly $9.99 USD). Meanwhile, within the Fitbit app, the pricing appears as $9.99 per month or $99.99 per year.
Take a closer look at that annual price: $99.99 per year is actually $20 more than the current Fitbit Premium annual plan, which costs $79.99. That’s a notable increase, and it raises an obvious question: Is Google Health Premium a replacement for Fitbit Premium, or a more expensive tier with extra features?
The answer remains unclear. However, the new branding and logo – a heart filled with Google’s signature gradient colors (blue, green, yellow, and a touch of red) – strongly suggest Google is preparing to phase out the Fitbit name from its subscription services.
Speaking of the Pixel Watch 4, you can check current pricing on Amazon here:
👉 Google Pixel Watch 4 on Amazon – $309
And for those in Europe, here’s the direct link to Google’s own store listing:
👉 Pixel Watch 4 on Google Store Austria
The AI-Powered Personal Trainer That Could Seal the Deal
So what exactly would you get for that $10 per month? According to the rumors, the headline feature is something called the Fitbit Personal Health Coach – an artificial intelligence system designed to act as your own personal trainer.
We’re not talking about generic workout tips here. This AI is expected to:
- Create custom training plans based on your goals, fitness level, and progress
- Answer natural-language questions about your workouts, form, or recovery
- Adapt in real-time as your performance improves or plateaus
In other words, it’s the kind of functionality you’d normally pay a human trainer $50–$100 per session to provide. If Google can deliver on that promise, a $10 monthly subscription suddenly sounds like a bargain.
The AI coach is rumored to work across both the new Fitbit Air wristband and the Pixel Watch 4, creating a unified health ecosystem that spans Google’s entire wearable lineup.
A New Logo, A New Direction
The visual identity for this new service has already leaked. The Google Health Premium logo features a heart drawn with a brushstroke – incomplete, with intentional negative space. As design experts at 9to5Google noted, it’s “more obvious than the series of dots that make up an arrow in the current Fitbit logo.”
The gradient coloring mirrors that of the Google ‘G,’ Gemini, Home, Photos, and Maps – a deliberate move to tie health services into the broader Google brand ecosystem.
You can see the full logo and read the original report here:
👉 9to5Google: This is the Google Health logo that might replace the Fitbit app
What This Means for Fitbit Fans
For longtime Fitbit users, this news might feel bittersweet. The Fitbit brand has been a staple in fitness tracking for over a decade. But since Google acquired Fitbit for $2.1 billion in 2021, it’s been clear that a gradual rebranding was inevitable.
However, the hardware appears safe – at least for now. The rumored “Google Fitbit Air” naming suggests the Fitbit name will remain on devices, even as the software and subscription services transition to Google Health.
The bigger question is what happens to existing Fitbit Premium subscribers. Will they be automatically migrated to Google Health Premium? Will they face a price hike? Google hasn’t officially commented, but the appearance of both services in the Fitbit app suggests a transition period is coming.
Launch Timeline: Sooner Than You Think
Here’s the most concrete evidence: Google Health Premium is already listed in the Google Play Store and the Google Online Store. Typically, companies don’t add new subscription SKUs to their storefronts weeks or months in advance.
That means we’re likely looking at a launch in the next few days – possibly alongside the official unveiling of the Fitbit Air.
Google has a history of dropping new products with little warning, so it wouldn’t be surprising to see both the hardware and subscription go live simultaneously.
Should You Wait or Buy Now?
If you’ve been considering a fitness tracker or smartwatch, here’s my honest take:
- If you want a full-featured smartwatch, the Pixel Watch 4 remains an excellent choice – especially at $309 on Amazon. Just be aware that you may soon be offered Google Health Premium alongside it.
- If you’re purely interested in fitness tracking and don’t need apps, notifications, or a screen, waiting for the rumored $99 Fitbit Air could be a smart move. Just factor in the subscription cost if you want the advanced features.
- If you’re already a Fitbit Premium subscriber, sit tight. Google will likely offer a transition path, and you might even get a promotional rate for moving to the new service.
The Bottom Line
Google is clearly doubling down on health and fitness – but it’s doing so with a subscription-first mindset. The $99 wristband is a clever way to lower the hardware barrier, knowing that recurring revenue from Google Health Premium will drive long-term profits.
Whether consumers will embrace another monthly fee is the real question. At $10/month (or $100/year), Google Health Premium is priced competitively against Apple Fitness+ ($9.99/month) and Peloton ($12.99/month). But unlike those services, Google’s offering is tied directly to its own hardware.
For now, keep an eye on the Google Store and the Fitbit app. If the leaks are accurate – and they usually are – you’ll be hearing an official announcement within days.
What do you think? Would you pay $10 a month for an AI personal trainer? Or is another subscription the last thing you need? Drop your thoughts in the comments below.
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