Earlier this year, Google Fitbit Air was pitched as a health tracker for people trying to avoid the distractions that come with screens. Now, Google seems to be going in the opposite direction with its next tracker, the Fitbit Edge.
The contradiction is that the tracker allegedly comes with a screen, according to reports from Android Headlines. From leaked images, the Fitbit Edge looks a lot like the Fitbit Charge, which Google last updated in 2023. That suggests that the Edge could be its successor.
It also reportedly has a small display, GPS, notifications, and limited app support.
Ogbonda Chivumnovu
What the Fitbit Edge is
The Fitbit Edge looks like a mid-range fitness tracker that could sit between the $99 Fitbit Air and the $399 Pixel Watch 5. It's rumoured to have a small screen, GPS, an altimeter and limited app support for things like Google Maps, YouTube Music and Find My Phone.
It may also offer up to seven days of battery life, automatic activity detection, and work with both Android and iOS. That last part matters because the Pixel Watch 5 is Android-only.
Why Google is taking a different strategy with the Fitbit Edge
Google's pitch for the Fitbit Air was simple: less screen, fewer distractions. The company positioned it as a screenless tracker that lets people check their health data on their phone while staying notification-free when they want to focus.
The Fitbit Edge, though, does the opposite. It adds a screen, notifications, and even some apps.
But the thing is, Google is still a business. Even though the screenless market is real, it's still quite niche. Whoop and Oura have their audiences, but many people still want to see their stats on their wrist. And the data makes that clear; the IDC expects 159.7 million smartwatches to ship globally in 2026, compared with 40.2 million wristbands. That's roughly four times as many smartwatches as wristbands.
Subscribe for free to continue reading this article
Subscribe SubscribeAlready have an account? Log in
