A writer who swapped an Apple Watch for the screenless Fitbit Air says it lacks lap marking, music controls and built-in GPS. Runners should know before buying.
A writer at Android Police switched from an Apple Watch to the Fitbit Air, a fitness tracker with no screen, and likes it. He still found three things missing: marking laps during a run, controlling music, and tracking outdoor routes without carrying a phone. He thinks a single side button could fix two of them.
Akshay Bhalla says the Apple Watch annoyed him with constant notifications and weak battery life. The Fitbit Air fixed that. It is rated 8.5 out of 10 in the article's spec box, lasts about 7 days on a charge, and is water resistant to 50 meters. It tracks workouts, runs, sleep and heart rate.
The first gap is laps. On the Apple Watch, he could double-tap the screen or press the side button to mark a lap without stopping. On the Fitbit Air, he cannot track laps or timing during a run, even in the Google Health app on his phone. He says this matters to runners who time intervals to measure progress.
The second gap is music. The Apple Watch lets him skip tracks or pause a podcast on the fly. With the Fitbit Air, he has to pull out his phone, which he says breaks the momentum of a good workout.
The third gap is GPS, the satellite signal used to map where you ran. The Fitbit Air has none built in. For accurate outdoor distance and routes, the phone has to come along. Without it, he gets step-based distance estimates, which he says are less accurate. On the Apple Watch, he could leave the phone behind and review the route afterward.
His idea is a side button on a future Fitbit Air. It would not add a screen, so the tracker would stay screenless. He sketches how it could work:
He adds that people who dislike the idea could simply leave it off. He suggests the same for GPS, since it would cost some battery. He says automatic detection is on its way to the Air, but he would still rather use a button.
This is one writer's wish list. The material does not say whether Google plans a button, GPS or any of these features. No release date or price for a new model is given.
If you run, walk or cycle with a tracker, think about how you train. If you want laps, music control or route maps without your phone, the Fitbit Air as described does not offer them today.
The Fitbit Air has no GPS, lap marking or music controls, so runners who want those without a phone may want to look elsewhere.
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