The Fitbit Edge combines the best bits of Fitbit Air and Pixel Watch 5. Here’s why I’d pick it over both
Can’t decide between the distraction-free minimalism of a screenless fitness tracker, and the convenience and functionality of a full-blown smartwatch? Google’s new Fitbit Edge walks a tightrope between the two so you don’t have to.
Rather than just bolt a display onto the Fitbit Air or swap the Google Pixel Watch 5‘s circular screen for a rectangular one, the Fitbit Edge takes the best bits of each.
At 11.5mm thick and with a soft, sculpted shape made from recycled aluminium, it should feel almost as comfortable to wear 24/7 as the screenless Air. The touchscreen then lets you swipe between phone notifications, active timers and alarms, weather updates, multimedia playback controls and maps, through an interface that’s been given a ground-up redesign to more closely match the Pixel Watch.
Google says the Edge’s hybrid OLED has 40% more display area than the Charge 6, making it easier to see real-time workout metrics at a glance. It’s also the firm’s brightest tracker screen yet.
A physical button at the side opens the pause menu during workouts or the app tray while at rest. You’ll also be able to start tracking up to 50 exercise types from your wrist, without having to reach for your phone first. It’s also gotten better at automatically recognising certain workout types compared to the Fitbit Air.
Inside it’s packing a similar sensor suite to the Fitbit Air, only with the addition of GPS location tracking and an altimeter for elevation gains. Accuracy is apparently 40% up on the Charge 6. Skin temperature, on-wrist ECG and heart rate variability (HRV) tracking all make the cut too.
Everything feeds into Google’s redesigned Google Health app, which is stuffed full of AI-assisted fitness insights and the Health Coach chatbot I found genuinely useful while testing both the Fitbit Air and Pixel Watch 5. That includes the recently added Health Guardian insights, which use algorithms to estimate blood pressure and insulin resistance trends. Three months of Premium membership comes included with purchase.
With 50m water resistance and battery life rated at up to seven days per charge you could potentially get through an entire week without having to take it off once. The bundled magnetic charging puck should also deliver a full day of wear in five minutes, should you be in a rush. A replaceable battery also makes this Google’s first repairable fitness tracker
Google has taken inspiration from the Pixel smartphone range for the Fitbit Edge’s colour palette, with Obsidian, Olive, Canyon and Fog options at launch. There are also multiple band and strap options, including fabric, metal and an Active Sport band made from sweat-resistant silicone; a new attachment system should make swapping them out a breeze if you like to mix and match.
The Fitbit Edge is available for pre-order right now across 20 global markets including the USA, UK and Europe, with devices shipping from October 27. Prices are set to start at $180/£160/€180. A special Stephen Curry edition will set you back $220.
