After New App, Google Confirms New Fitbit Hardware is Coming in 2026

Google apparently wants to revive the Fitbit fitness tracker next year. Now that a new edition of the Fitbit app has been announced, which also includes an AI-based “personal health coach,” new hardware is scheduled to appear in 2026.

First the new app, then the right hardware?

Yesterday, Google announced, among other things, a new Fitbit app that will feature an AI health coach. At the same time, it was also made clear that, contrary to expectations, there would be new hardware from the Fitbit brand. Until recently, Google had relied almost exclusively on equipping its own products with Fitbit features, but foregoing the Fitbit branding.

Like Droid Life notes Google’s latest announcement about the new Fitbit app also includes a note that “new Fitbit hardware will be released next year.” As is so often the case, this is of course no guarantee that Google will actually follow through with its plans. Finally, it could also be hardware that supports Fitbit services but is marketed under a different branding.

A bit of hope for die-hard fans

Nevertheless, the announcement that has now been made should give some fans of the Fitbit brand, which was bought by Google years ago, a little anticipation, as the Internet company had largely stopped marketing hardware products under the Fitbit name. Most recently, the Fitbit Ace LTE, a simple fitness tracker for use by children, was released in 2024. Previously, the last “real” Fitbit product, the Fitbit Charge 6, appeared in 2023, after the last major hardware launches were carried out in 2022 with the Fitbit Sense 2 and Versa 4.

Since then, Google has actually only marketed the Fitbit services and the associated app as part of its Pixel ecosystem in connection with the Pixel Watch. Ahead of the launch of new Fitbit hardware, Google is starting public testing of the Fitbit AI Personal Health Coach today. This is a type of AI-supported assistant that can be tried out by owners of the Fitbit Charge 5 or 6, the Fitbit Sense or Sense 2, Fitbit Versa, Fitbit Inspire, Fitbit Luxe or a Pixel Watch of all four generations. The assistant is available in the new preview version of the Fitbit app.