Google May Be Working on a New Fitbit Fitness Tracker.
Google may be preparing to release a new wearable device, and leaked images suggest it could be a fitness tracker with a display, a successor to the Fitbit Charge 6. According to Android Headlines, the new device will be called the Fitbit Edge.
Earlier this year, Google posted an ad on Reddit that appeared to show a new fitness tracker alongside watches and Pixel phones. In a post titled “Um, so what is this??” Reddit users debated whether this unfamiliar wearable was a random leak about a yet-to-be-released device or simply a hallucination of artificial intelligence. After all, if you asked an AI to create a hybrid of a Fitbit and a Pixel Watch, it would look something like this image.
What do the rumors say about the new Fitbit Edge?
Leaked photos posted on Android Headlines appear to be the device from the ad. It has an oval screen, roughly the same width as the band and taller than it is wide. The rounded edges and band style are aesthetically consistent with the Pixel Watch, and the overall form factor—a tall screen embedded in a thin band—echoes the design of the older Fitbit Charge 6 .
According to the specifications reportedly included in the leak, the device will feature GPS, an altimeter, and up to seven days of battery life. This is the same battery life as the Charge 6, which had GPS but lacked an altimeter. The new device will reportedly support both iOS and Android, like the Fitbit Air, rather than Android-only, like the Pixel Watch. The rumors don’t include information on price, release date, or a full list of features.
What does this mean if it is true?
If it weren’t for the previous ad—the one that many dismissed as hallucination—I probably wouldn’t have expected Google to release such a device. The last fitness tracker with a screen was the Fitbit Charge 6 in 2023. The Fitbit Air makes perfect sense, as smartbands are trending right now, and the Fitbit Air is really well-made. But I wasn’t sure whether Google was interested in continuing the Fitbit line beyond this device.
I think it’s a great idea. Small trackers are easy to wear (and you might even forget you’re wearing them), but sometimes you just want to see the time on your wrist. If Google is smart, they could allow you to seamlessly switch between the new device and the Fitbit Air without the screen. (Currently, you can connect one Pixel Watch and one Fitbit to your phone, but you can’t connect two different Fitbit models.)
I’m curious to see what Google has in store for the new device if the rumors about its size, shape, and capabilities are true. I was disappointed by what the Charge 6 couldn’t do, and I hope the new Fitbit doesn’t repeat those mistakes. For example, the Charge 6 can control music playing on your phone, but only if you subscribe to YouTube Music. Most fitness watches—including the Garmin, Coros, and Suunto watches I’ve tested—simply let you control what’s playing on your phone, regardless of which app it’s from.
If it’s true that the new device also includes its own GPS and altimeter, that’s also very interesting, but I doubt Google will be able to fit high-quality versions of these components into the available space. I found the Charge 6 had trouble getting good GPS and heart rate readings simultaneously. But the Fitbit Air is surprisingly small and functional for its size, so I’m looking forward to seeing what the new device can do.