Google Health Coach, Fitbit Air enter crowded market for health monitoring

After a late start, Google appears to be gaining momentum in the wearable game by going downmarket, emphasizing wellness, and leaning on artificial intelligence. 

On May 19, the company made Google Health Coach available globally to anyone with a Google Health Premium subscription, which is $9.99 per month or $99 per year. The coach, which had been available in preview since October, uses Gemini models to help users track fitness, sleep, nutrition, and health metrics. 

Google Health Coach’s rollout follows the May 7 release of Fitbit Air, a screenless wearable starting at $99, and the Google Health app, a redesigned version of the since-sunsetted Fitbit app. (Google acquired Fitbit in 2019.)  

Together, the launches point to a focus on helping consumers monitor everyday health. It’s an active market among wearable manufacturers and AI vendors alike; Google told CNN its differentiator is its planned integration of Google Health Coach with other apps and devices. 

A late entry in the wearable market

Emphasizing data analysis is an understandable move for Google given the company’s unsteady foray into wearables over the last decade. 

A 2015 “medical wristband” prototype from Google X Lab never materialized. Neither did two Android Wear smartwatches that were set to launch in 2016, more than a year after Apple Watch debuted. Google’s Pixel Watch ultimately came out in October 2022; that followed the company’s acquisition of Fitbit plus the 2019 acquisition of intellectual property from Fossil Group, which has since exited the smartwatch market.  

By then, Apple Watch was on its eighth generation and Samsung’s Galaxy Watch on its fifth. Both could measure blood oxygen levels and take electrocardiogram readings, and Galaxy Watch 5 could measure blood pressure. 

Data from IDC shows that today Google lags in the global wearable market behind leaders Apple, Xiaomi, Huawei, and Samsung, appearing in an “Others” category that includes notable fitness watch maker Garmin.  

The company also faces competition from wearables with smaller form factors, notably Whoop’s wristbands and Oura’s smart rings. Both also connect to apps that provide AI-driven insights.  

A push for consumer data aggregation

FDA guidance released in January indicated that general wellness products and their apps can make claims to support management of fitness, weight, sleep, and stress. The guidance stemmed from the FDA’s dispute with Whoop last summer over blood pressure measurement claims.  

The guidance document represented an about-face for the agency, which initially warned Whoop that its wearable was a medical device, not a wellness device, and therefore needed regulatory clearance. It also reflects a subtle shift: Manufacturers looking to differentiate their products are incorporating digital biomarkers into wearables that aim to provide a steady stream of data that’s ready for interpretation. 

This appears to be Google’s goal. Fitbit Air includes the sensor technology that’s now table stakes in wearables (heart rate, blood oxygen, and sleep) without a screen. It’s catering to people who prefer passive monitoring to a watch aiming to serve as a smartphone on the wrist.   

The value proposition is the integration with Google Health, which itself connects to numerous third-party applications and lets users consent to syncing with electronic health records. From there, Google Health Coach subscribers can get personalized fitness plans, complete with workout guidance, and let the app track their progress.  

Broader market differentiation is due later this year, when Google aims to make the coach available for Android Heath Connect (for Samsung devices) and Apple HealthKit. Both have their own AI tools, but CNN noted Google appears to be banking on consumers wanting to aggregate data from many apps and devices to get more meaningful recommendations. 

It’s a common refrain in healthcare – but will it be enough to help Google make up for lost time? 

Brian Eastwood is a Boston-based writer with more than 10 years of experience covering healthcare IT and healthcare delivery. He also writes about enterprise IT, consumer technology, and corporate leadership.