If Google's screenless health tracker from earlier this year was too stripped-back for your needs, the company's got another wearable for your wrist: the Fitbit Edge. It's got a large display and a few new tricks – but there are also a couple of missteps worth knowing about before you upgrade.

This is essentially the successor to the Fitbit Charge 6 that came out back in 2023. The Edge's 1.34-inch AMOLED display is 45% bigger and 40% brighter than the previous model – but you'll still get the same seven days of use out of a full charge of the battery.

Speaking of which, Google says you'll be able to replace the battery once it starts to wear down – a welcome touch indeed.

In addition to the touchscreen, you've now got a physical button on the side to interact with the revamped interface. That should make it easier to use when it's raining or if your fingers are too sweaty for accurate swipes.

The on-screen interface is more in line with Google's Material 3 Expressive design system – similar to what you'd see on the Pixel Watch 5. That should make it easier to read your fitness data on the Edge.

Next, there's an altimeter for tracking your climbs during outdoor workouts like hikes and hill sprints, and covering flights of stairs. I get by just fine by the panting and wheezing that tells me I've pushed myself too far, but fitter folks might find this useful.

There's also improved women's health tracking on the Edge, so you can see the current stage of your cycle, and understand how that'll impact your fitness and daily routines. This model can also track your cardio load, which is a score that tells you how hard your heart works during physical activity.

The Edge can display in-workout metrics and pace targets, heart rate zones for HIIT intervals, and other live figures to show you how your training is going. It'll also log skin temperature using a newly added sensor, and an upgraded chipset boasts 40% more accurate GPS tracking for your outdoor running routes.

While both the Charge 6 and Edge feature aluminum builds and are water resistant up to 50 meters (making them suitable for swimming), the latter gets IP68 for additional water and dust resistance.

On the software side, the Edge does a couple of useful new things. You can send canned replies to incoming messages, get turn-by-turn directions from Google Maps (a feature usually reserved for more powerful smartwatches), and see monthly insulin resistance and blood pressure trends.

All that makes for a neat new fitness tracker – but Google skipped an NFC chip for this one, so you can't make contactless payments. It also went with a new band attachment mechanism, so you can't use bands from previous Fitbits or universal watch bands. The current range of alternatives from Google cost US$39 and up. The larger screen also misses Gorilla Glass for protection.

Now for the big one: the Fitbit Edge costs $179.99, which is higher than the Charge 6's launch price of $159, and way more than the $132.59 it's listed at on Amazon right now. It goes even lower on sales. And if you go screenless, the Fitbit Air comes in at just $100.

A lot of what makes the Fitbit Edge attractive for long-term use comes from the Google Health companion app, as well as the functionality you get with a premium subscription. That includes proactive AI-powered coaching, advanced sleep tracking, nutrition and metabolic coaching, and adaptive fitness plans.

Virtually all of those are available to Charge 6 owners too, so you're really paying a fair bit more for a larger screen and some nice-to-have features.

So should you consider the Fitbit Edge? Honestly, it seems like a good option on paper if you're getting your first fitness tracker, or upgrading from an outdated one from, say, 2020. But if you've already got a Charge 6, I wouldn't recommend upgrading unless yours is falling apart.

Check out the Fitbit Edge in the Google Store and on Amazon, where you can pre-order the device. Shipments start October 27.

Source: Google

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