Google's October update lets Fitbit Air recognize over 100 workouts, up from 10

A Droid Life writer who has used the Fitbit Air since its first day wrote that "it has been borderline horrible at automatic detection and often misses workouts." ^[16] That is one user's account. Google's description of the fix is a different kind of evidence: the updates "make automatic activity tracking dramatically more intelligent, reliable and accurate," Google said, and in its tests they "cut missed workouts by more than half." ^[20][21]

Engadget reports that the upgrade nearly doubles accuracy ^[1], and Droid Life reports 2x more accurate detections ^[22]. The reports do not say how Google measured accuracy or how large its test was. The list of recognized workouts is the part a user can count. It grows more than tenfold ^[17], and Droid Life says it now covers strength training, swimming, and racket and team sports ^[7]. Google said the update is meant to close the gap on fast-moving activities such as tennis and HIIT ^[13].

Detection will also try to learn from activities a user confirms or edits, Droid Life reports ^[9], and Notebookcheck says the minimum duration can be adjusted in the app ^[11]. We'd expect those first weeks of confirmations and edits to shape results, so a very short trial would test the untrained detector.

Health Guardian is pitched with an image. "Health Guardian features give you this early indication that something needs attention, kind of like a check engine light for overall well-being," Google said. ^[12] What the Air and Edge get, as Engadget describes it, is a monthly summary ^[8]. Health Coach then offers recommendations based on those readings and points to raise with a doctor ^[10]. Both watches need the Premium subscription for it ^[5][6].

We'd sort the pieces by two features of each claim: whether a user can check it alone within a few weeks, and whether it sits behind a recurring charge. Workout detection passes the first. A manual log kept for two weeks before the update and two weeks after gives the count of sessions the watch caught on its own. The reports attach the Premium requirement to Health Guardian only ^[5][6]. Blood pressure and insulin resistance trends fail the first test, since checking them takes a cuff or a clinic reading, and they sit behind the second.

We think the sensible order is to take the detection update when it arrives and hold the Premium purchase until a first monthly summary can be set against an independent reading. The tradeoff is time. Waiting forgoes the early indication Google is selling, and paying first means subscribing before there is anything to judge.