Google's Fitbit gets an Edge (but loses its wallet)

Fitbit have been making trackers since 2009 and Google have owned them since 2021 (the $2.1bn deal was announced in 2019, the regulators took a while). Since then the Fitbit smartwatches have gone (replaced by the Pixel Watch), the Fitbit app has become Google Health and earlier this year the screenless Fitbit Air arrived for those that don't want anything lighting up on their wrist.

Fitbit Edge Stephen Curry Edition (screen off)

That left a gap where the Charge 6 (2023) used to be and Google have now filled it with the Fitbit Edge, which is a Charge 7 in everything but name. It was announced on October 12th 2026 and went on sale on October 27th.

Fitbit Edge showing screen on

The old Charge 6 had recently started failing, Google offered a sensible discount on a new device, so the Stephen Curry Special Edition of the Edge was purchased.

The Fitbit Edge range

It sits between the Fitbit Air and the Pixel Watch 5 i.e. more than a band, but not quite a watch.

Pixel Watch 5, Fitbit Edge and Fitbit Air

The Edge is a lozenge shaped aluminium unit that's 11.5 mm thick. Google don't quote the rest, but the leaked specs put it at 39.2 x 25.6 mm and 17.7 g. Google do say the case is 45% lighter than an Apple Watch Series 12 (though not many people are going to weigh them).

The display is a 34 mm (1.34") always-on backlit colour AMOLED (Google call it "Hybrid OLED") with 46% more viewing area than previous Fitbit trackers. It seems brighter and is larger than the Charge 6 with a more pleasant curved look. There's also a real mechanical side button, a single press wakes the screen, opens the app list or pauses a workout, and holding it for 10 seconds restarts the unit.

Stephen Curry Special Edition, side view with the mechanical button

NOTE: Google's design blog says the chassis is 100% recycled aluminium, while the footnote says recycled aluminium is at least 2% of the product by weight. Both can be true, but one sounds a lot better than the other.

It's rated to 5ATM and IP68 so it's fine for swimming. There are 4 finishes (Obsidian, Fog, Olive and Canyon) and the bands are interchangeable using a new mechanism that needs a firm push until it clicks. Google's support pages make a point of this, as otherwise the band (and Edge) may fall off.

Bands are the Active Sport (small and large in the box), Magnet, Metal Links and a fabric Performance Loop (coming soon). The Stephen Curry Special Edition comes with its own moisture-wicking band in rye and orange, the strap is very comfortable and is easy to fasten.

Onboard sensors are an altimeter (so floors climbed is back), accelerometer, gyroscope, red and infrared sensors for oxygen saturation (SpO2), multipurpose electrical sensors compatible with the ECG app (select countries only and not for under 22s), photoplethysmography (PPG) optical heart rate sensors, an ambient light sensor and a far field skin temperature sensor.

Positioning supports GPS, Galileo, GLONASS, BeiDou and QZSS so the phone can stay at home on a run. Currently the device is set to dynamic, where it will use the on-board GPS when required. Google claim route tracking is up to 40% more accurate than the Charge 6 and sleep staging up to 15% better. Workouts are detected automatically and heart rate can be broadcast to compatible gym equipment.

Google have gone some way over to the Xiaomi side and now support over 50 sports: Run, Treadmill run,Walk, Treadmill walk, Track workout, Bike, Mountain bike, Spinning, Rollerblading, Pool swim, Open swim, Kayaking, Canoeing, Surfing, Paddleboarding, Snorkeling/Sailing (etc.), Badminton, Baseball, Basketball, Cricket, Field hockey, Football (Soccer), Golf, Padel, Pickleball, Rugby, Tennis, Elliptical, Rowing machine, Stair climber, Ski erg, HIIT, Bootcamp, Core training, Strength training, Weightlifting, Weights, Powerlifting, Circuit training, Yoga, Pilates, Stretching, Dancing, Aerobics, Boxing, Kickboxing, Martial arts, Hiking, Indoor climbing, Cross-country ski, Skiing, Snowboarding and Skating.

Workout screen (and yes it can get wet)

The new health features come under Health Guardian. High and low heart rate alerts are included, while blood pressure trends and insulin resistance trends need a subscription. Google are careful to say these are wellness features and not for diagnosis and they're not available in all countries.

Everything syncs to the Google Health app (Android 11+ or iOS 16.4+) over BLE 4.2, where the Gemini powered Health Coach turns the numbers into advice. As an existing user of Google Health with the Charge 6, there is little to change with the Edge.

The Edge still doesn't run Wear OS so there's no app store. Inside there's an Ambiq AP5 MCU and 64MB of NOR flash memory, which can store 7 days worth of data and 30 days worth of totals. The interface looks very Google though, with tiles and complications that can be tapped. Swipe left or right for tiles, up for notifications and down for quick settings (find my phone, torch, bedtime mode, water lock etc.). Covering the screen with a palm turns it off.

Watch face with complications

Google Maps turn-by-turn directions are mirrored from the phone, which is properly useful on a bike or on foot. Call, text and app notifications come through from the phone, though you can't interact with them (Google say there are preset quick replies on Android). There are also media controls, weather, timers and up to 8 silent alarms. 6 watch faces can be stored on the unit and swapped from the wrist.

Now for what's missing. There's no NFC, which is the only aspect where the Charge 6 gets the edge on the Edge (sic). Being able to pay for things while playing sports was useful and linking with Google Pay was trivial. There's no microphone or speaker either, Google talks about "call mirroring" but that just means it tells you the phone is ringing. No offline music (the phone has to come along for the playlists) and the EDA stress sensor has gone too.

Battery life is quoted as up to 7 days, or about 2 with the always-on display enabled. Though not used for exercise in earnest yet, battery life is very good with maybe 5% used while sitting working, sleeping and moderate walking during the day. Lots of GPS workouts will reduce that.

The charger is much nicer than the Charge 6's, it fits with magnets that snap on to the back of the tracker and make positive contact with the charging pins (it's the same charger as the Fitbit Air). 5 minutes gives about a day's use, though that's with a 30W adapter which isn't in the box.

On the magnetic charger

The really good news is that this is the first repairable Fitbit tracker, the insides are modular and the battery can be replaced. Trackers usually end up in a drawer after a couple of years when the battery fades, so if spares really are available that could be the best feature of the lot.

The prices below are from the Google Store. though they are available elsewhere.

The Fitbit Edge is £159.99 (€179.99 / $179.99), which is £20 more than the Charge 6 was at launch.

The Stephen Curry Special Edition is £189.99 ($219.99).

Google Health Premium is included for 3 months and then £7.99 per month.

It's available from the Google Store, Amazon UK and the usual retailers. For comparison the Fitbit Air is £85.

The subscription is the catch as the Health Coach and the blood pressure and insulin resistance trends all sit behind it, so over 2 years that's more than the Edge itself.

It's early days and it still needs some proper exercise, but so far so good. A bigger, brighter screen, a comfortable strap, a much better charger and a battery that can actually be replaced. For anyone with a Charge 6 on its way out it's an easy upgrade. Just a shame about the NFC.

There are still a few issues, recently when trying the Edge watch faces, apps and tiles, they disappeared from Google Health, saying "unavailable". They returned a day later, but annoying at the time.