Google’s new Fitbit Air brings Pokémon Sleep to your wrist | TechCrunch

Google teamed up with the Pokémon Company to introduce a special-edition Fitbit Air that works with the Pokémon Sleep app.

Google is giving Pokémon fans a new reason to wear a Fitbit. The company announced Thursday a special-edition Fitbit Air that works with Pokémon Sleep, combining Fitbit’s health and fitness tracking and the sleep-focused Pokémon game. The announcement comes as Pokémon celebrates its 30th anniversary this year.

Pokémon Sleep launched in 2023, turning something as ordinary as going to bed into a Pokémon game. Players can earn in-game rewards for getting to sleep before their set bedtime, while the amount and quality of sleep they get helps drive their progress. You start with a big, sleepy Snorlax. The more you sleep, the more “Drowsy Power” your Snorlax builds up, which in turn attracts more Pokémon for you to discover.

The Fitbit Air adds another layer to that experience. It can sync with both the Google Health app and Pokémon Sleep, allowing users to track metrics including daily movement, heart rate, and cardio load during the day, then use the device to record sleep duration and quality overnight.

This isn’t the first wearable that can connect with Pokémon Sleep. The app already supports several wearables, including Apple Watch, the Fitbit series, Galaxy Watch, and Google Pixel Watch. Players can also use Pokémon Sleep without a wearable at all.

For Pokémon’s 30th anniversary, however, it’s a particularly clever crossover. It turns something people already do every night into another opportunity to engage with the franchise, while giving Google a playful way to make wearable health tracking feel more fun. Google has also recently teamed up with athlete Stephen Curry for a special edition of the Pixel Watch for $579, featuring an exclusive design built for workouts.

The special-edition device is available to preorder for $129 and starts shipping September 15. It will be sold online and in stores through the Google Store and Target.

The standard Fitbit Air, meanwhile, costs $99. Google introduced its new Fitbit Air in May, featuring a slimmer design, improved health and fitness tracking, and an AI-powered coach that provides personalized guidance based on users’ activity, sleep, and wellness data.