Polled readers love the Fitbit Air, but there's still room for a Google smart ring

Are smart rings dying? They were all the rage just a few months ago, with Samsung, Oura, and other brands offering up their shiny new health-tracking jewelry. But, anecdotally, I’ve noticed that this wearable genre is slowly falling out of vogue. We expected several brands to join this group in the coming months and years, potentially including Apple and Google, but the latter has resorted to something entirely different in the meantime.

The Fitbit Air is a screenless band that trades the wearer’s finger for their wrist; it’s certainly not a smart ring. But this begs the question: are consumers happy with this device, or would they prefer a Google smart ring as well?

Well, we asked this in a recent poll, and the results genuinely surprised me.

There’s enough room for a Google smart ring and the Fitbit Air

First off, it’s worth noting just how many respondents don’t care about screenless trackers in any form. 10.4% of the vote would much rather have a wearable with a screen than a smart ring or an Air-like strap.

However, for those who prefer foregoing screens, the design preference is clear. More than half of respondents (54%) believe that the Fitbit Air’s design is perfect and would pick it over a Google smart ring.

I completely understand this stance. For decades, I’ve wanted Fitbit to return to its roots with a screenless tracker, and the Air has largely met that desire. Yes, it lacks a few features I’d love in a completely discreet tracker, but its form is a benefit. It’s innocuous, long-lasting, and just silently keeps tracking stats as I go about my day.

Smart rings aren’t as versatile and are more ostentatious. From a practical standpoint, I couldn’t imagine completing daily chores while wearing it. And yes, I could take it off, but that defeats the purpose. As someone who generally doesn’t wear rings, a Google smart ring just doesn’t appeal to me.

Smart rings generally cost more, too, and the $99 Fitbit Air certainly undercuts most of them. A Google smart ring would likely creep into the triple digits and compete against some stiff, established competition. Google arguably made the safe but smart choice with the Fitbit Air.

That said, Google adding a contender to the smart ring market would undoubtedly give consumers more choice and, in turn, fuel the development of wearable devices and technologies. That’s a positive that could ripple across the fitness-tracking world as a whole, even if you don’t like smart rings.

Notably, some readers certainly agree with this stance. Just over a third of respondents (35.4%) would “love” to see a Google smart ring in the future. Will we? That remains to be seen.

While the Fitbit Air is a clear hit with the majority of respondents, it didn’t earn a crushing victory over the smart ring genre. There are plenty of voters who would pick up a Google smart ring if it were available. But do you think Google should launch a smart ring in the future? Should it replace or complement the Fitbit Air?

Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.