Four Advantages of the Fitbit Edge Over the Charge 6 and Two Disadvantages.
The Fitbit brand has long been associated with fitness trackers with tiny screens, but it’s been three years since the last model was released. Now that the Fitbit Edge has been announced (and pre-orders are open ), long-time Fitbit users are likely wondering how it compares to Fitbit’s latest screen-equipped model, the Charge 6 .
The first obvious difference is the design: the Edge fits perfectly between the screenless Fitbit Air and the sleek, curved screen of the Pixel Watch . It runs the same operating system as the Fitbit Air, which is slightly different from the one used in the Pixel watch. Like other Fitbit devices, the Edge pairs with both iPhone and Android devices. Now let’s look at what Google has added—and what it has removed—since the Charge 6.
The Fitbit Edge has a real side button.
I just unboxed the Fitbit Edge that Google sent me for review, and I can confirm: there’s a physical button on the right side of the device. Pressing it makes a clicking sound, even when the device is off. The Charge 6 has a “button” in the form of a haptic nub—squeeze it, and with luck, it might recognize your touch and vibrate in response. (Unfortunately, I found it often didn’t work.)
The Fitbit Edge fitness tracker features an altimeter and, presumably, a more advanced GPS chipset.
The altimeter is a completely new feature in the Fitbit Edge. To find a Fitbit fitness tracker with an altimeter, you’ll need to go back to the Charge 4. This sensor displays your elevation and lets you measure how many “floors” you’ve climbed in a day. It also allows you to more accurately track ascents and descents during hilly hikes and runs.
Both the Charge 6 and Edge are equipped with GPS, allowing the device to determine your location in the world even if you leave your phone at home. (The Fitbit Air, by contrast, lacks its own GPS and must rely on your phone to find out where you are and how fast you’re running.) The Charge 6’s GPS has serious drawbacks, the main one being that tightening the strap too tightly can overload the GPS antenna, resulting in comically distorted maps, as you can see from my tests . Google claims the Fitbit Edge has better GPS hardware. I believe them, but mostly because it’s unlikely to be worse .
The Fitbit Edge fitness tracker does not support Google Pay or NFC.
This is the most significant downgrade: the Charge 6 allowed you to set up Google Wallet and pay for purchases in stores with your Fitbit. This is a handy feature if you like to run or walk without your phone and still be able to buy a drink at the store. But in the Fitbit Edge, this feature was removed, likely to make room for other internal components. If you loved Google Pay on your old Fitbit, you’ll miss it if you upgrade to the Edge.
The Fitbit Edge fitness tracker will be able to play music from any app, not just YouTube Music.
One of the most annoying aspects of the Charge 6 is its music player. Music playback controls only work with YouTube Music. This is a paid service, meaning you need to pay a monthly subscription to control music playback on your phone, and that subscription must be for YouTube Music—Spotify or Apple Music users are out of luck.
Fortunately, the Fitbit Edge has fixed this issue. Google says the device will be able to control music playback on your phone (like almost all other watches), instead of relying on a specific app.
Google Maps’ directions feature isn’t yet supported on Edge, but is “coming soon.”
At launch, the Fitbit Edge doesn’t support Google Maps navigation, but Google’s specifications indicate this feature is “coming soon.” To be fair, Google Maps navigation has never been particularly useful. It existed in its own small app and only provided turn-by-turn directions, not a map showing your location. This isn’t likely to matter in the long term, as Google plans to add this feature to the Edge. But if you like this feature on your Charge 6, be aware that it won’t be available on the Fitbit Edge right away.