Google introduced an updated premium fitness band with a screen, a device that’s a cross between smartwatches and more discreet health gadgets that offer continuous tracking.
The $180 Fitbit Edge, announced Monday, has an oval, 1.34-inch display that makes it look like a smartwatch, even though it’s a purpose-built fitness gadget.
The device has a replaceable battery — a first for Fitbit — that’s rated to last a week at a time and can recharge to a day’s worth of power in five minutes. Other additions include automatic workout detection, an altimeter and wellness features such as proactive health monitoring and the ability to track changes in insulin resistance.
The device comes in four colors — obsidian, canyon, fog and olive green — and is available for preorder now, with shipments starting Oct. 27. A special-edition Stephen Curry version, named for the professional basketball player and Google adviser, is being offered in select countries for $220.
The new device gives Google another way to promote its redesigned health app, which debuted in May and replaced the old Fitbit user experience. While the platform is free to use, upgrading to Google Health Premium for $10 a month or $100 a year unlocks more advanced features, including a conversational AI fitness coach that offers sleep insights and personalized recommendations. Fitbit Edge buyers will get three months of the paid service at no extra charge.
The Edge succeeds the Fitbit Charge 6, which launched in 2023 with a similarly tall screen.
As part of its announcement Monday, Google said it will discontinue the Charge line to focus on the Edge, Pixel Watch and the Fitbit Air, the screenless tracker it introduced in May alongside the overhauled Google Health app. Other companies such as Whoop Inc. and Oura Inc. also offer AI health assistants, but Google stands out as one of a few brands alongside Apple Inc. and Garmin Ltd. offering a meaningful selection of features without requiring a subscription.
In addition to common sports, automatic workout detection on the Edge applies to activities that don’t fit a typical definition of exercise, like chores or pushing a stroller. The device also has several health tools that are standard across most smartwatches and premium fitness trackers, including continuous heart rate tracking and the ability to detect irregular rhythms. It can also send alerts when it logs significant heart-rate changes.
With the Edge, Google also brought over several premium features from the Pixel Watch line, including Health Guardian, which proactively flags shifting vitals and tracks changes in insulin resistance, a marker associated with prediabetes and Type 2 diabetes.
Under the hood, the Edge also includes a skin temperature sensor and an updated GPS chipset that promises 40% better accuracy for outdoor workouts. Google is offering a wide mix of straps for the Fitbit Edge, including Metal Links and a Magnet Band option for dressing it up, and others that are more exercise-friendly.
Although Google’s Gemini AI model powers the in-app Health Coach, the Edge lacks a speaker and microphone for on-device voice interactions, maintaining a clear distinction from the pricier Pixel Watch 5.
Kelly writes for Bloomberg.
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