Fitbit has announced that Google Assistant is now available as an on-device virtual assistant on its Sense and Versa 3 smartwatches. The addition brings new convenience features to the devices and allows a wearer to control a number of actions using their voice. It was included as part of the Fitbit OS 5.1 software update.
The Sense and Versa 3 are Fitbit's most sophisticated devices, offering features like stress management, an ECG app, skin temperature tracking, oxygen saturation (SpO2) tracking, and sleep optimization. James Park, co-founder and CEO of Fitbit, says the company's aim is to give people the tools to better understand and take control of their health and wellness. This latest update is another means of achieving that.
The Sense and Versa 3 already had Amazon's Alexa virtual assistant built-in, which allowed users to do things like ask their device questions, set alarms, and check the weather. Indeed, the new software update has extended the functionality of Alexa on the devices so that it can now give audible replies to questions or instructions. In addition, though, users can now also opt to use Google Assistant.
Google Assistant On Fitbit: What Can It Do?
Fitbit says that owners of both the Sense and Versa 3 will be able to use Google Assistant to take hands-free Bluetooth calls via the on-device microphone and speakers, send incoming calls to their voicemail, control the volume of their device, and control smart home devices around their home. Android smartphone users will also be able to respond to text messages using voice-to-text commands. Fitbit also makes a number of suggestions of how users might make use of the functionality for the health and wellness purposes around which Fitbit has been built, such as starting a yoga session at home, checking the weather forecast for a walk, and checking sleep duration.
Beyond the addition of Google Assistant to the Sense and Versa 3 devices, the OS 5.1 software update has improved the SpO2 functionality of the devices. Fitbit Premium members can now use the devices to track their SpO2 levels while they are sleeping and can see their SpO2 average in the Fitbit app without using a clock face designed for that specific purpose. The rollout of Fitbit’s OS 5.1 software update has begun, with Google Assistant being made available in the U.S. Australia, Canada, India, Ireland, New Zealand, Singapore, and the U.K.
Source: Fitbit