Google looks set to bring Fitbit back to basics with a screen-less fitness band, and Steph Curry just gave the clearest public tease yet. The wearable appears to be coming under the Fitbit brand, with basic features built in and extra capabilities locked behind a subscription, which is a very Google way to keep the sticker price low and the recurring revenue flowing.
Bloomberg says the band will be sold as a ”fitness band” with only the essentials out of the box. Curry, who is Google’s ”Performance Advisor,” posted an Instagram video showing a fabric design with a light gray center, orange sides, and a clasp, while the clip ended with Google’s gradient ”G” logo and a promise of a ”new relationship with your health.” No display, no fuss, no temptation to stare at your wrist every ten seconds. Apparently that still counts as innovation.
Fitbit goes back to a stripped-down design
If this device ships as described, it would be Fitbit’s first screen-less tracker in years. The last one was the Flex 2 in 2016, which used a row of indicator lights instead of a display. That’s a notable shift for a company that has spent much of the last decade pushing toward fuller smartwatch-style tracking, even as rivals kept proving there is still a market for simpler wearables.
The comparison is obvious: Whoop built an entire business around a display-free band, while Fitbit’s current entry point is the Inspire 3 at $99.95. A cheaper, no-screen model could give Google a cleaner answer to users who want health tracking without smartwatch baggage, and it may also help Fitbit avoid competing head-on with its own watches.
What the subscription model suggests
The real tell is the software paywall. Basic features included at purchase, premium extras later: that’s the playbook Google has leaned on across services, and wearables are no exception. It also gives Fitbit a way to sell a lower-cost device without giving away the more advanced health tools that keep users inside the ecosystem.
- Brand: Fitbit
- Form factor: screen-less band
- Out-of-box features: basic features
- Extra features: likely behind Fitbit Premium
- Current cheapest Fitbit tracker: Inspire 3 at $99.95
A 2026 Fitbit launch looks close
Google already said in October, alongside the personal health coach preview, that new Fitbit hardware is coming in 2026. That leaves room for more than one device, and the obvious question is whether this band is the whole story or just the warm-up act before something like a Charge 7. Curry’s teaser feels too polished to be idle hype, which usually means the clock is ticking.
My guess: Google wants the band to hit the market fast, cheap, and visible enough to remind people Fitbit still exists. If a display-free model lands first, it could be the entry point that pulls users into subscriptions and later upgrades, with a stronger screen-equipped product reserved for the tougher fight. Either way, the next Fitbit announcement is probably closer than Google is saying out loud.