Steph Curry has been spotted wearing what appears to be Fitbit’s new screenless tracker — the Fitbit Air — reportedly due on 16 May and expected to be offered with an optional subscription and AI coaching, according to Bloomberg and supplier listings.

Celebrity teasers and a new product class

Steph Curry, the Golden State Warriors guard, has been spotted wearing a slender, screenless wrist device that appears to be Fitbit’s new tracker. Photographs credited to Adam Pantozzi, NBAE photographer, show the grey-and-orange band on Curry’s wrist during recent games. In an Instagram post tied to Google, Curry wrote: "#sponsored I won’t spoil it. You kinda have to see it for yourself."

The sightings follow reporting that Google is developing a Whoop-style band under the Fitbit brand. Bloomberg reported that work is under way on a screen-free fitness device and that Google plans a paid tier for additional features. The combination of celebrity marketing and supplier leaks has produced a clearer picture of what the tracker will be and how it may be sold.

What the leaks say about price, date and design

Retail and supplier listings cited by 9to5Google suggest the product name is Fitbit Air and point to a release on 16 May. One supplier price in the data sits at US$93, which outlets have used to estimate a retail price near US$100. That's a markedly lower upfront cost than many smartwatches, though the presence of a paid subscription could shift the long-term price for customers.

The device appears to be built without a display. That echoes the approach of Whoop, a firm that focuses on continuous biometric monitoring without a screen, favouring long battery life and unobtrusive wear. Early photos show a thin band similar in silhouette to Whoop's hardware but with a slightly different form factor — reportedly thinner than Whoop and borrowing band styles seen on Google’s Pixel Watch line.

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Bands, colours and hardware options

Supplier notes assembled after the Fitbit Air name surfaced list several band styles and colourways. Core shades are said to include Obsidian, Lavender and Berry. Band types include a Performance Loop available in Obsidian, Fog, Lavender and Berry; an Active Band in small and large sizes; an "Elevated SoftFlex" strap in Obsidian, Moonstone and Porcelain; and a Metal Mesh option in Silver and Warm Gold.

The strap choices suggest Fitbit is aiming to make the tracker feel like an accessory as well as a monitoring tool. Most of the band nomenclature mirrors options already offered for the Pixel Watch range, implying shared design and manufacturing channels within Google’s hardware division.

How Fitbit Air will compete with Whoop and smartwatches

Whoop’s business model is to include hardware in a membership package. Customers effectively pay a monthly fee for access to the tracking platform, and the band itself comes at no separate charge. Fitbit Air’s apparent upfront price point — roughly US$100 — puts the company in a different position: sell inexpensive hardware and then sell a subscription on top.

Bloomberg said the device will be paired with an optional subscription offering, and that an AI-powered coach will live in the Fitbit app. If that turns out to be the case, Google will be following a hybrid route: affordable hardware to drive adoption and recurring revenue from software services. That model has worked for others, but it demands ongoing value in the subscription to keep churn low.

Without a screen, the band will lean on a companion app for interaction. That reduces complexity and power draw on the device itself. It also means Fitbit needs to ensure the app delivers timely, useful feedback and guidance to keep users engaged.

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Curry’s sponsored post, together with supplier listings, points to an imminent launch and a higher-profile marketing push for the new tracker.

This article was created with AI assistance.