The Fitbit Charge 6 is getting more Google-y than ever. Fitbit’s new $160 fitness tracker inherits many of the features we loved on the Pixel Watch, like its heart rate accuracy and Google app support. But it packs them in a smaller design, with a battery that can last up to a week, rather than a single day. The Charge 6 is available for preorder now and launches Oct. 12 in 30 countries.
The Charge 6 shares a similar look to the Charge 5, with a color touchscreen in a slim band design. In my review, I called the Charge 5 the best Fitbit you could buy, and it won a CNET Editors’ Choice award for its sleek integration of health and fitness features.
But there is a new element to the Charge 6’s familiar design: a button. Fitbit listened to user feedback and added a button on the side of the tracker for navigation. The Charge 5 only had a touchscreen, so you’d have to swipe and tap to change settings. I didn’t find the Charge 5 navigation too challenging, but the new button should make it easier.
Google’s first smartwatch leaned heavily on Fitbit’s fitness tracking features and interface. The Charge 6 still runs on Fitbit’s proprietary operating system, unlike the Pixel Watch, which uses Wear OS. But it does support Google Maps for turn-by-turn navigation, Google Wallet for mobile payments and YouTube Music for playback control. Note that you’ll still need to have your phone with you to get turn-by-turn navigation and stream music, as the Charge 6 doesn’t have LTE built in.
Fitbit also optimized the heart rate algorithms from the Pixel Watch for the Charge 6’s lower-power processor and says it now has 60% more-accurate readings during higher intensity exercises like spinning, HIIT and rowing.
Charge 6 has even more fitness features for the gym
This year it feels like the Google-owned Fitbit is solidly positioned as the fitness-first wearable, exemplified by including support for gym equipment on the Charge 6. You’ll be able to see your live heart rate data from the Charge 6 on bikes, treadmills and rowing machines that support Bluetooth Heart Rate Profile. That includes brands like NordicTrack, Peloton and Tonal. You’ll also be able to see that same real-time heart rate when you connect to certain Android and iOS fitness apps like Peloton.
There are also 20 new workout tracking modes, including surfing, skiing, CrossFit and HIIT. That brings the total number of workout types the Charge 6 can track to 40. Recently used workout modes now show at the top of the app, which should save you from scrolling to find your frequently used activities.
Also new on the Charge 6 are four new clock faces and accessibility features like zoom and magnification. The Charge’s case is now made from 100% recycled aluminum, and the Fitbit app has been completely redesigned.
Like the Charge 5, the Charge 6 is compatible with Android and iPhone. It shares the following sensors:
- Built-in GPS.
- EDA, or electrodermal activity, sensor for stress tracking.
- Blood oxygen.
- Skin temperature.
You’ll need Fitbit’s $10-a-month premium subscription to access additional details like the Daily Readiness Score, which takes your sleep and activity data into account and recommends workouts depending on how “ready” you are. The Charge 6 does come with a free six-month trial of Fitbit Premium, as well as a one-month trial of YouTube Music Premium.
Watch this: Wearables Buying Guide: Everything You Need to Know
Battery life is said to last up to seven days, but if the Charge 6 is anything like the Charge 5 and you use the always-on display and GPS, it’s likely you’ll need to charge it more often. I averaged around two full days from the Charge 5 with heavier use.
For now, the future looks uncertain for Fitbit’s Versa and Sense watches, as it feels the company is focusing on its fitness tracker lineup and leaving the smartwatch side to the Pixel Watch. That makes sense, because Fitbit’s strength has always been its trackers and the Pixel Watch borrows so much of Fitbit’s ecosystem anyway. We’ll have to see how things shake out when Google announces the Pixel Watch 2, confirmed to launch alongside the Pixel 8 on Oct. 4.
