Google's new Fitbit Edge costs $180, which puts it $20 above the Charge 6 and $80 above the screenless Fitbit Air, and well below the $400 Pixel Watch 5. Wired's reviewer spent 12 days with it and came away recommending it to Fitbit owners looking to upgrade, but not willing to give up a personal Air for it.
The comparison matters because Google hasn't shipped a new screened tracker since 2023. Longtime Charge 6 owners have been stuck choosing between an aging device and a jump to a full smartwatch, and the Edge is pitched as the middle ground.
Fit, screen and battery
The Edge measures 39.2 x 25.5 x 11.5 mm, slightly bigger than the Charge 6's 36.73 x 23.09 x 11.20 mm, but Wired's reviewer said the capsule shape sat more naturally on the wrist than the Charge 6's rectangular build, and felt better for sleep tracking than a Pixel Watch or Apple Watch. It ships with Google's Active Band, with Active Sport, Performance Loop, Magnet and Metal Links bands sold separately. The reviewer flagged that the Performance Loop's fastening mechanism occasionally popped loose and needed fiddling to fix.
The 1.34-inch display is the headline difference from the Air, hitting roughly twice the Charge 6's peak brightness and supporting Google Maps turn-by-turn directions on the wrist. Battery life runs up to seven days, which Wired noted beats the Pixel Watch outright, and the Edge works with both iOS and Android, unlike Google's smartwatch.
Repairable, but subscription-gated
The Edge is, per Wired, Google's first repairable fitness tracker, with a replaceable battery and modular construction matching the Pixel Watch. The review ties that to EU rules taking effect February 18, 2027, requiring removable batteries in smartwatches and similar devices sold there.
Health tracking gets a real bump over the Charge 6: monthly blood pressure and insulin resistance trends, nightly SpO2 averages and ranges, 24/7 heart rate, cardio load metrics, an updated ECG app with AFib detection, and glucose insights for continuous glucose monitor users. Most of that depth sits behind Google Health Premium, at $10 a month or $100 a year, with new buyers getting a three-month trial. Wired's reviewer called the subscription essential to getting the full picture, since the free tier only shows core metrics and scores.
The hardware list rounds out with a barometric altimeter for elevation and floors climbed, and the Edge's first IP68 dust and water rating. A new gyroscope improves automatic activity recognition, though the reviewer found it occasionally too sensitive, auto-pausing workouts on a single slowed step.
One regression stood out: the Charge 6 supports contactless payments, and the Edge doesn't. Wired's reviewer called the missing NFC disappointing for anyone hoping to use the Edge as a standalone smartwatch rather than a phone companion.
For Fitbit owners weighing whether to move up from a Charge 6, Wired's verdict leans yes. For anyone who's already made the jump to a screenless Air, the review gives no strong reason to go back.
RRFiled by The Reviews Roundup Desk
What the reviews are saying: verdicts on new devices from the outlets that tested them, summarised and credited to each. This desk does not test products itself.
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