I relied on my Apple Watch to track workouts and steps until I recently switched to the Fitbit Air.
The Fitbit Air is an excellent replacement since I got annoyed with the Apple Watch’s constant notifications and lackluster battery life.
While I’m loving my experience with the Fitbit Air, it should incorporate some Apple Watch features. Best of all, none of them require a screen either.
There’s no way to track laps or intervals on the Fitbit Air
A simple button would do
My main cardio workout is a morning run in my neighborhood or at a park with a running track. It’s my primary way of burning fat, and I also like to track lap times along with distance.
But on the Fitbit Air, I can’t track laps or timing during my run, not even through the Google Health app on my phone.
While I’m a casual runner, this feature matters for runners who track intervals to measure improvement.
On the Apple Watch, I double-tapped the screen or pressed the side button to mark laps without stopping.
That’s exactly what I propose the next Fitbit Air should have: a side button. This way, Air users can track laps or other markers during their workout.
What’s neat is that the button doesn’t go against the Air’s DNA; it lets it remain a screenless fitness tracker.
A short press of the side button, with a vibration confirmation, is more than enough for me to track lap intervals.
And while we’re at it, a long press could also let me pause/resume my workout. A side button would go a long way for serious runners and even cyclists.
While automated detection in Fitbit Air is on its way, I’d rather use a button for tracking.
A button could also let Fitbit Air control my phone’s music
A simple and effective solution
Sticking to the side button, I thought of another use that could make my life, or any runner’s life, easier.
For all its faults, the Apple Watch works seamlessly with music playback on the iPhone and lets me change music and podcast playback on the fly.
Since the Fitbit Air is a screenless fitness tracker, I can’t do any of that, and every time I want to skip, play, or pause audio, I have to whip out my phone.
Not only is that inconvenient, but it also disrupts the momentum I’ve built over a few miles. If you walk or run regularly, you know momentum is everything when it comes to a good cardio workout.
But a physical button on the Fitbit Air can solve all of my audio playback woes. The button works similarly to gestures on TWS earbuds.
A single press plays/pauses audio, a double press skips a track, and a triple press repeats the track. The only thing I would add is some vibration feedback.
This simple implementation is more than enough to control music while keeping the Fitbit Air’s screenless tracker DNA intact.
While I understand purists may not be a big fan of this option, you don’t have to turn it on.
But for people who like to train with music, it is one of the most important additions the Fitbit Air could borrow from the Apple Watch.
The Fitbit Air needs built-in GPS for total freedom
Freedom from the phone
The main problem with a smartwatch is that it always makes you feel tethered to the phone, even though it is wireless.
But I appreciate one thing about smartwatches: built-in GPS for tracking outdoor distance, pace, and routes.
With the Fitbit Air, none of that is possible because it has no onboard GPS. For outdoor tracking, you always need to keep your phone in the market for accurate data.
I don’t know about you; for me, a screenless tracker is about freedom, and having your phone with you all the time isn’t exactly that.
I’ve often thought about leaving my phone at home or in a locker when I go for a run or a hike, but I’d still like to review my progress using GPS.
Since I use an Apple Watch with built-in GPS, I can leave my phone behind and still review GPS data on my phone after my run.
On the Fitbit Air, though, I’m forced to lug around a phone in my pocket and still get less accurate step-based distance estimates.
The battery-life question doesn’t apply to a screenless tracker anymore, since modern low-power GNSS chips are efficient for on-demand outdoor tracking.
The Fitbit Air’s battery life will take a slight hit when using GPS, but I think it’s worth the trade-off. Users who don’t want to sacrifice battery life can turn off the feature.
The three features will make the Fitbit Air a complete training companion
The three features I loved on the Apple Watch can easily be incorporated into the Fitbit Air without sacrificing its screenless tracking identity.
While some features will slightly reduce battery life, the trade-off will be worth it for fitness-focused users who want to do a little more with the Air.
8.5/10
- Battery Life
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7 days
- Health sensors
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Optical heart rate, 3-axis accelerometer, temperature sensor
- Dimensions
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35 x 17 x 8.3mm (Module)
- Water Resistance
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50 meters
Fitbit Air is a screnless fitness tracker that can track workouts, runs, sleep, heart rate and other fitness-related metrics.
