In this week’s episode of the MacRumors Show, we discuss Google’s latest Android and Gemini announcements, the recently announced Fitbit Air, and Apple Watch Series 12 rumors.
Central to Google’s announcements this week was Gemini Intelligence, Google’s new umbrella platform for AI across phones, watches, cars, and laptops. Its headline capability is cross-app automation: users can scan an event flyer and ask Gemini to get tickets from Expedia, or pull out a grocery list and have it build a cart in the shopping app. An accompanying feature called Create My Widget allows users to define a home screen widget in natural language and have Gemini create it, drawing on Gmail and Calendar to create a personal dashboard.
Google also introduced the Googlebook, a new class of laptop designed from the ground up around Gemini with partners including Acer, Asus, Dell, HP, and Lenovo arriving this fall. Gemini on Chrome for Android got a browsing layer coming out at the end of June, and Android Auto got AI-generated content responses and DoorDash voice ordering. The Meta partnership brings Ultra HDR, native stabilization, and night mode to Instagram on premium Android devices.
In January, Apple and Google announced a partnership where Gemini will power the next generation of Apple Foundation Models, including the personal Siri expected this year. Apple’s Siri equivalent was announced at WWDC 2024 but hasn’t shipped yet; Gemini Intelligence launches this summer using the same basic technology.
Google also unveiled the Fitbit Air this week, a $99 screenless fitness tracker that ships May 26. The device weighs just 12 grams with the band and tracks heart rate, AFib, HRV, SpO2, and sleep stages in a pill-shaped design with no display, buttons, and no notifications. Battery life lasts seven days, with a quick five-minute charge delivering a full day of use. Stephen Curry Special Edition is priced at $129, with basic tracking for free and Google Health Premium adds an AI Coach for $9.99 per month after a three-month trial.
The launch coincides with an extensive redesign. The Fitbit app becomes Google Health on May 19, Google Fit is rolled out, Apple Health data is supported on iOS, and APIs for Garmin, Whoop, and Oura. BloombergMark Gurman reported earlier this year that Apple has scaled back a training service like Health+, and this feature may have been introduced. The Apple Watch SE starts at $249 and requires daily charging, and the Fitbit Air’s $99 price tag without mandatory subscriptions addresses the part that Apple can’t include.
We also discuss the Apple Watch Series 12, which is shaping up to be an incremental upgrade. BloombergMark Gurman said in March that he does not expect major design changes, and a significant redesign is now not expected until 2028.
A leaker known as “Instant Digital” said this week that Touch ID, which appeared in Apple’s leaked code last year, has been shelved in favor of improved battery life. DigiTimes previously reported a list of eight sensors on the back of at least one 2026 model, although blood pressure monitoring is said to still come out on top. A new chip is expected, with the leaked code showing a logical improvement from the S10 used in the last third series. watchOS 27 will be previewed at WWDC on June 8.
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