Why the Fitbit Air Should Steal These Three Apple Watch Features

After spending a significant amount of time relying on an Apple Watch for daily health tracking, workouts, and step counts, a transition to the screenless Fitbit Air offered a refreshing change of pace. The primary catalyst for the switch was a growing fatigue with the constant influx of notifications, persistent connectivity prompts, and the lackluster battery life that typically plagues modern smartwatches. The Fitbit Air presents an appealing alternative, capturing the essence of a minimalist approach to health monitoring reminiscent of earlier eras in fitness technology.

Yet, even as the experience with the Fitbit Air proves largely positive, the device leaves room for improvement. A close examination of its everyday utility reveals that borrowing a select few concepts from the Apple Watch ecosystem could elevate the hardware significantly. Remarkably, none of these desired enhancements require adding a power-hungry display to the minimalist tracker, preserving its core design philosophy while meaningfully expanding its capabilities for active users.

There’s no way to track laps or intervals on the Fitbit Air

For many fitness enthusiasts, cardio routines form the cornerstone of daily training regimens. Morning runs through neighborhood streets or around local park tracks serve as primary methods for burning fat and building cardiovascular endurance. Beyond merely logging distance, tracking lap times and structured intervals is critical for measuring ongoing athletic improvement and maintaining steady pacing.

On the Fitbit Air, however, tracking specific laps or timing workout intervals directly from the wrist remains impossible, and those gaps are not filled even when navigating the Google Health application on a connected smartphone. While casual runners might overlook these omissions, the absence of granular interval tracking is a notable hurdle for athletes who rely on precise segment data to gauge performance adjustments.

By contrast, using an Apple Watch allows for seamless interaction during a workout, such as double-tapping the screen or pressing a physical side button to mark laps instantly without interrupting momentum. Introducing a simple, tactile side button to the next iteration of the Fitbit Air would resolve this limitation. Such an addition would allow users to log laps and specific workout markers on the fly while entirely preserving the device’s identity as a screenless fitness tracker.

A brief press of a side button, accompanied by subtle vibration confirmation, would provide more than enough feedback to track lap intervals reliably. Expanding this concept further, a long press could easily be programmed to pause or resume an active workout session. For serious runners and cyclists alike, a physical control point of this nature would represent a substantial quality-of-life upgrade, offering a tactile alternative to automated detection features that are still rolling out across the platform.

A button could also let Fitbit Air control my phone’s music

Sticking with the concept of a physical side button opens the door to another practical application that could streamline training sessions for runners and outdoor enthusiasts. Despite various software drawbacks, the Apple Watch integrates seamlessly with media playback on a paired iPhone, granting users the ability to adjust music and podcast tracks on the fly without breaking stride.

Because the Fitbit Air functions as a screenless fitness tracker, managing audio playback directly from the wrist is impossible. Every adjustment—whether skipping a track, pausing a podcast, or replaying a favorite song—requires pulling a smartphone out of a pocket or arm band. This interruption is not merely an inconvenience; it actively disrupts the rhythm and momentum built over the course of a long run. For anyone dedicated to cardiovascular conditioning, maintaining forward momentum is essential to a successful workout.

Implementing a physical control mechanism on the Fitbit Air could eliminate these audio playback frustrations entirely. Borrowing the logic behind gesture controls commonly found in true wireless stereo earbuds, a multi-click system could govern media output smoothly. A single press could handle play and pause functions, a double press could skip to the next track, and a triple press could repeat the current selection, all paired with distinct vibration feedback to confirm the input.

This straightforward implementation would allow users to manage their training soundtracks effortlessly while leaving the fundamental architecture of the screenless tracker intact. While purists who prefer absolute minimalism might hesitate at the prospect of added functionality, such features could easily remain optional. For athletes who train with music, however, bridging this gap would make the hardware a far more versatile companion.

The Fitbit Air needs built-in GPS for total freedom

One of the persistent frustrations associated with modern smartwatches is the underlying feeling of being tethered to a smartphone, even when utilizing wireless connectivity. At the same time, the inclusion of built-in GPS remains one of the most valuable aspects of traditional smartwatches, enabling accurate outdoor tracking of distance, pace, and geographic routes independently.

The Fitbit Air currently lacks onboard GPS hardware, meaning outdoor tracking relies entirely on maintaining a continuous Bluetooth connection with a nearby phone to secure precise location data. For a device built around the concept of a screenless, minimalist lifestyle, being forced to carry a smartphone during outdoor excursions runs counter to the promise of true athletic freedom. Many runners and hikers prefer leaving their mobile devices secured at home or locked away in a locker, yet they still want reliable, independent route and distance tracking to review afterward.

While pairing an Apple Watch with built-in GPS allows users to leave their phones behind entirely and review detailed route metrics later, wearing the Fitbit Air forces a different compromise. Users must lug a mobile device along in a pocket while settling for less accurate, step-based distance estimations.

Concerns regarding battery drain are far less daunting today than in earlier hardware generations, largely due to the development of highly efficient, low-power Global Navigation Satellite Systems chips designed specifically for on-demand outdoor tracking. While continuous GPS usage would inevitably draw more power, the trade-off would likely appeal strongly to performance-focused users, and those prioritizing battery conservation could simply disable the function when local tracking is unnecessary.

The three features will make the Fitbit Air a complete training companion

The core strengths of the Fitbit Air rest on its lightweight design, impressive battery longevity, and straightforward approach to health metrics like optical heart rate, step counts, and sleep analysis. Yet, by adopting select functional improvements inspired by the Apple Watch—such as a tactile side button for lap timing and music management, alongside onboard GPS capabilities—the device could evolve significantly.

Integrating these capabilities would not require compromising the minimalist, screenless identity that defines the hardware. Instead, these thoughtful additions would address common pain points for active users, transforming the Fitbit Air from a basic daily activity monitor into a comprehensive, frictionless training companion for everyday runners, cyclists, and fitness enthusiasts alike.