Google’s screenless Fitbit Air made a splash, but it’s been three years since the company updated its display-equipped Charge 6. That older tracker is showing its age, lacking newer automatic workout detection, deeper health metrics, and an IP68 rating. That’s where the new Fitbit Edge comes in.
Announced on Monday, it is the successor fitness tracker fans with a screen preference have been waiting for. It sits in a sweet spot at $180—not as costly as a Google Pixel Watch but offering a similar experience in a slimmer, pill-shaped design. And unlike the Pixel Watch, it’s compatible with Android and iPhones via the Google Health app. Preorders are available now, and it goes on sale on October 27.
The Fixable Fitbit
The Fitbit Edge in Obsidian with Active Band (left), Magnet Band (middle), and Performance Loop Band (right).
Courtesy of Google
The Edge has a user-replaceable battery, a Fitbit first, aligning with Google’s efforts to make its Pixel Watch more repairable. (Likely also due to new battery regulations set to take effect next year in the European Union.) Repair options will vary by region and availability.
If you find the Pixel Watch’s round face too bulky, the Edge’s capsule-shaped alternative might suit smaller wrists better. If the Charge 6’s 1.04-inch display was too small, the Edge upgrades it to a larger 1.34-inch screen. The difference is noticeable, and that extra real estate could make a real impact when glancing at your metrics mid-workout.
The Edge borrows a few more attributes from the Pixel Watch, including an altimeter that uses atmospheric pressure to measure elevation changes. That means it can record elevation gain and loss during outdoor activities, track floors climbed, and add more context to your outdoor stats. It also has a far-field skin temperature sensor, replacing the standard device temperature sensor found in other Fitbits. By bringing some of the Pixel Watch’s more advanced hardware to a fitness-first wearable, Google is giving the Edge a compelling middle-ground position in its lineup at a Fitbit-friendly price.
Left to right: The Fitbit Edge in Porcelain with the Active Sport band, Brushed Silver Metal Links band, in Mahogany with Magnet band, and in Olive with Performance Loop Band.
Courtesy of Google
The Edge inherits the Fitbit Air’s improvements while restoring several Charge 6 features the screenless tracker lacks, including built-in GPS and electrical sensors that work with the electrocardiogram (ECG) app. You can also control music playback on a connected Bluetooth device, as you could with the Charge 6, and Google Maps turn-by-turn directions will arrive later this year.
Google also announced more advanced automatic activity tracking for the Edge, using Gemini Intelligence to identify up to 100 workout types. It can track more than 50 exercise modes, up from 40 on its predecessor. Google will also roll out these features to the Pixel Watch 5 and Air. If they work as promised, it means users won’t have to log every activity manually.
With a Google Health Premium subscription, the Edge can track blood pressure trends without manual calibration and insulin resistance trends without requiring a blood draw. Google first announced these capabilities alongside the Pixel Watch 5’s debut, but they only became available at the end of September. They’re also available on the Air, keeping Google’s screenless tracker up to date as its lineup expands.
The seven-day battery life remains unchanged, but it’s one of the Edge’s biggest advantages over the Pixel Watch. Like the Air, it takes about 90 minutes to fully charge, which is half an hour less than the Charge 6.
One odd omission is a near-field communication (NFC) sensor, which means the Edge doesn’t support contactless payments through Google Wallet. That’s a downgrade from the Charge 6 and a strange function to lose on a fitness tracker that Google is pitching as a step up from its basic Fitbits.
Dressed for Every Occasion
The Edge introduces new digital and analog clock faces, and the Canyon band color returns from the Pixel Watch 5, alongside five other band styles (Active Band, Active Sport Band, Performance Loop Band, Magnet Band, and Metal Links Band). The Stephen Curry collaboration ($220), which also appeared with the Fitbit Air and Pixel Watch 5, is back in the same brown-orange color.
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The new Metal Mesh band for the Fitbit Air.
Courtesy of Google
Alongside the Edge, Google is also giving the screenless Fitbit Air a visual upgrade with a new Metal Mesh band. It’s an even dressier strap than the polyurethane Elevated Modern Band. The Air may have initially been designed to disappear on your wrist, but the new band makes it a statement accessory.
If you’re all in on the screenless Fitbit Air, the Edge won’t change your mind. But if you’re not ready to give up a display, the Edge might be a compelling and affordable alternative for both iPhone and Android users. Stay tuned for our review.
