Google really wants to sell a health and fitness wearable to every possible consumer. If you want one of the best Android-based smartwatches there is, get a Pixel Watch 5. Don’t want a screen or notifications on your wrist? There’s the Fitbit Air. And now, Google has a hybrid wearable that sits in between those two: the Fitbit Edge.
You may have already seen the Fitbit Edge back when the Fitbit Air launched because Google strangely included it in marketing materials but then stayed tight-lipped on what it was. The $179.99 wearable launches on Oct. 27 (pre-orders start today, Oct. 12) and offers a little of both the Fitbit Air and Pixel Watch. You could also view it as the successor to the Fitbit Charge 6.
So what do you get? Basically all of the fitness and heart tracking that the Fitbit Air has and a few extra features like a clock, GPS, and, of course, a 1.34-inch OLED screen for showing stuff like Google Map routes, notifications, weather, and music controls.
Like the Fitbit Air and Pixel Watch 5, the Fitbit Edge connects to the Google Health app and offers AI-powered Coach guidance and insights personalized to your health and activity tracking. For advanced health and fitness reports, you’ll need to subscribe to Google Health Premium, which is free for the first three months after purchase, but then costs $9.99/month or $99.99/year.
Google says the Fitbit Edge supports “call mirroring,” which sounds like you can take calls relayed from your phone on it, but that’s not possible because there are no microphones or speakers. It can only display an incoming call notification. For messaging, there are “Quick Replies” but no dictation — again, because there are no mics. You also won’t get on-device hands-free Gemini like you do on the Pixel Watch 5. Any Gemini features will be strictly limited to the Google Health app and relayed to the Fitbit Edge’s screen.
Everything is housed inside an oblong aluminum “pebble” that’s 11.5mm thick and has 64GB of storage. The only physical control is the side button that brings up your apps and can be used to play/pause music. Google says the Fitbit Edge is IP68 water and dust resistant, and it’s 45% lighter than an Apple Watch Series 12 with a battery life of up to seven days. The charger is the same one that comes with the Fitbit Air, so if you own one of those, it’ll charge the Fitbit Edge, too. A five-minute charge will provide up to one day of usage. Also nice: the battery is replaceable, unlike 99% of most wearables that basically become e-waste once they stop functioning.
There’s a built-in altimeter for tracking altitude and a GPS that Google says is 40% more accurate for route tracking compared to the Fitbit Charge 6. An ECG is constantly monitoring your heart rhythm for signs of atrial fibrillation (AFib) and menstrual cycle tracking provides better women’s health analysis. Sleep stage tracking is also up to 15% more accurate compared to the Charge 6, according to Google.
The Fitbit Edge also ships with several new features, which are also hitting the Fitbit Air and Pixel Watch 5. That includes the blood pressure and insulin resistance trends that Google promised at the Pixel Watch 5 launch in August. (These two features are also coming to the Fitbit Air and require a Google Health Premium subscription.) Google’s new wearable also has more accurate auto-activity recognition, updated with a new motion model that the company says uses more data points (your location, workout routines, etc.) to provide 2x more accurate activity detections.
As with all of Google’s wearables, the Fitbit Air was designed for personalization. The included “Active” band is made of a soft silicone and comes in several colors, but you can buy separate bands if you want a different style (Performance or Magnet bands) or something less sporty (Metal Links or Metal Mesh bands). And, of course, there’s a $219.99 Stephen Curry special edition with the same sweat-wicking band in signature orange and brown.
If you plan to own all three of Google’s wearables, there’s some good news: you can wear any of them to sleep or for health and fitness tracking, and they’ll all seamlessly sync with the Google Health app. That’s something Apple doesn’t allow if you own multiple Apple Watches, like if you have a regular model and an Ultra version.
We’re planning to have a Fitbit Edge for review soon. Keep it locked to Gizmodo for first impressions and detailed testing in the coming days.
