Sleep Breathing Quality is coming to the Fitbit Air, Google says, though it has given no date. Until now, the feature was missing from the tracker. Google also hasn’t said whether Air owners will need a Google Health Premium subscription to use it. The newer Fitbit Edge’s status is still unknown.
What Google said about Fitbit Air sleep breathing quality
A Google spokesperson gave Android Authority a one-line statement:
Sleep Breathing Quality launched first on Pixel Watches and will come to Fitbit Air soon.
That is the full commitment. The statement gives no month and no rollout window. Before it, the Google Health app told Fitbit Air owners the breathing metric wasn’t available on their tracker. Android Authority and Android Police both reported that Google’s Store comparison page listed it for the Pixel Watch 3, 4 and 5 only.
How it fits into Health Guardian
Last month’s Health Guardian rollout added three insights to the Pixel Watch 3, 4 and 5. These were blood pressure trends, insulin resistance trends and sleep breathing quality. Fitbit Air and Edge owners got the first two through Google Health Premium. Sleep breathing quality was the one left out, according to Android Authority.
Android Police describes how the feature works. It reads overnight changes in blood oxygen to estimate how long you breathe optimally while asleep. Android Police also notes that it cannot diagnose sleep apnea. Treat it as a trend to watch, not a medical test.
Will it need Google Health Premium?
Google hasn’t said. Android Police states that Air owners will need Premium to see the data, but it doesn’t give a source for that claim. Android Authority, which received Google’s statement, says Google hasn’t clarified the point.
The pattern so far isn’t encouraging for free access. The other two Health Guardian insights need Premium on Fitbit trackers, while Pixel Watch owners get them without a subscription. Until Google spells it out, Air owners can’t tell whether this health metric will be free.
What about the Fitbit Edge?
Google’s statement mentions only the Air. Android Authority says the Fitbit Edge‘s fate remains uncertain and that it has followed up with Google. Android Police thinks the Edge should get the feature too, since it shares the Air’s hardware. That is Android Police’s opinion, not anything Google has said.
For now, Fitbit Air owners should expect the feature to appear in the Google Health app at some point. Edge owners have no commitment yet. Neither group knows whether it will cost extra.
Sources: Android Authority, Android Police
