Skip to main content

Future Android phones may come with another preinstalled Google app

The new Cardio Load and Readiness features in the Fitbit app.
Joe Maring / Digital Trends

If you have an Android phone, you know it comes with many preinstalled Google apps, such as Gmail, YouTube, and Google Maps. In future Android versions, another Google app might be automatically added to the mix.

As 9to5Google first noted, the Oppo Find X8 has Google’s Fitbit app preloaded on the device. It’s now part of Google’s Android app suite on that handset and replaces Google Fit. The site suggests, and probably rightly so, that more Android-based devices will also probably ship with Fitbit preinstalled in the future.

Recommended Videos

In 2021, Google acquired Fitbit. Since that acquisition, every version of the Pixel Watch, including the Pixel Watch 3, has come with Fitbit preinstalled. However, only one smartphone, the Oppo Find X8, has been released with the Fitbit app already installed.

Please enable Javascript to view this content

Currently, Android users can download the Fitbit app from Google Play.

Screenshots taken from the Fitbit app, with data taken from the Google Pixel Watch 2.
Fitbit app Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

I’m not sure if having another native Google app preinstalled on my phone is significant, especially considering that Fitbit will likely replace Google Fit in the lineup.

However, not everyone is pleased that new Android phones already have so many preinstalled Google apps. These include Google Search, Chrome, Gmail, Google Maps, YouTube, Google Photos, YouTube Music, and so on. It’s also not uncommon for smartphone makers to include their own preinstalled apps, leading to even more software loaded on your phone right out of the box.

If Google moves forward with including Fitbit as a preinstalled option on every new Android device, it could coincide with the launch of Samsung’s Galaxy S25 series, slated for January. This would mark a significant step in Google’s strategy to enhance its ecosystem and compete more effectively in the health and fitness market. On the other hand, if this feature isn’t implemented immediately, it might be strategically rolled out with the anticipated Google Pixel 10 series, which is expected to be unveiled next summer/fall.

Bryan M. Wolfe
Bryan M. Wolfe has over a decade of experience as a technology writer. He writes about mobile.
Google Gemini arrives on iPhone as a native app
the Google extensions feature on iPhone

Google announced Thursday that it has released a new native Gemini app for iOS that will give iPhone users free, direct access to the chatbot without the need for a mobile web browser.

The Gemini mobile app has been available for Android since February, when the platform transitioned from the older Bard branding. However, iOS users could only access the AI on their phones through either the mobile Google app or via a web browser. This new app provides a more streamlined means of chatting with the bot as well as a host of new (to iOS) features.

Read more
I tried a new Android phone that puts some of the best smartphone cameras to shame
The rear camera setup on the Oppo Find X8 Pro.

It’s been a few years since I was surprised by a smartphone camera’s zoom performance. With Samsung offering 100x zoom on its Galaxy S Ultra lineup, little has shocked me with smartphone cameras — until now.

The Oppo Find X8 series is the successor to the Find X7 series from last year, and alongside several other improvements, there’s also been a significant upgrade in one area: the 30x zoom. Oppo and OnePlus have great cameras at shorter zoom distances, and at a recent briefing, I discovered that we can now add the 30x zoom to the list.

Read more
A must-try Android app has finally arrived on the iPhone
Person holding a phone with Google Gemini Live being shown.

A few days ago, Google Gemini appeared in the Apple App Store for a user in the Philippines, who was even able to download it. We took it as a sign that the new AI assistant would soon make its way to the App Store in the U.S. Well, we were right, as you can now download Gemini as a standalone app on your iPhone, after previously only being able to access it through a browser.

The Gemini app is free to download and has a surprising number of features available. More powerful functions are available for a $20-per-month subscription, but you can try Gemini Advanced out for one month for free. It grants priority access to new features and gives a "1 million token" context window.

Read more