All Pixel Watch and Fitbit models will receive a major upgrade for free

The dust has settled from yesterday’s big Made by Google event, where the Pixel 9 series and Pixel Watch 3 were unveiled.

But major news has flown under the radar, and it’s a big deal for anyone with an older Pixel Watch or Fitbit. Google has confirmed that a key feature of its Fitbit Premium subscription service will be made available for free.

Google didn’t mention this on stage during the keynote, but during the Q&A of our pre-event media briefing, a spokesperson said that the Readiness Score will be retroactively added to older Pixel Watch models and all Fitbits.

The metric, which aims to inform how much energy you have for the day based on data such as previous activity, sleep and heart rate variability, was previously only available if you paid for Fitbit Premium.

Discover everything announced at the 2024 Made by Google event.

That service costs £7.99/$9.99 per month or £79.99/$80 per year, so the change could mean some users don’t feel the need to continue with a subscription. Google’s spokesperson on the call said the company wanted everyone to have access to this important feature.

We don’t have any further details on when this will happen, but we’ll keep you posted as we hear more. The Fitbit website still states that Daily Readiness is only available with Premium.

Of course, there are still reasons to upgrade to the Pixel Watch 3, even if you get Readiness on your older device. It comes in a larger 45mm size for starters and adds impressive real-time running coaching, plus additional scores like Cardio Load and Target Load.

“The all-new Daily Readiness is better tailored to your body’s recovery state than ever before. An improved algorithm tracks and analyzes your body’s key recovery biometrics, such as resting heart rate, heart rate variability (HRV), and recent sleep. The result is a more comprehensive view of how ready your body is to start training each day,” Google said.

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