The Fitbit Charge 6 has been Google's only screened fitness band since September 2023, and for three years the question from Charge owners has been the same: when is the Charge 7? The answer appears to be never, and also Monday. Google has confirmed a Fitbit Edge reveal for 12 October 2026, and every leaked spec puts it precisely where a Charge 7 would have gone. This is the comparison for people who own a Charge 6, were about to buy one, or are wondering which of the two will be the bargain by November.
Disclosure: Fitcoin is our product. We are not affiliated with Google, Fitbit or any other hardware brand named here. We do not sell trackers and we take no affiliate commission. Where Fitcoin appears, it is as the rewards and insights app that reads the data these devices write to Google Health, Health Connect or Apple Health. Fitbit Edge specifications are from leaks and are labelled as such; we will update this page after the 12 October reveal. Everything below is a wellness estimate for general fitness, not medical advice.
Verdict: if you own a Charge 6 and it still lasts the week, do nothing until Monday, and probably nothing after. The leaked Edge sensor list is a refinement of the Charge 6's, not a leap: the real upgrades are a 1.34-inch always-on screen in place of a 1.04-inch one, a new metal design, Bluetooth 5.4, and a battery the leak calls user-replaceable. If you were about to buy a Charge 6 at $159.95, wait; it will either be replaced or discounted. If you want the best screened Fitbit for the next three years and $20 to $30 more does not matter, the Edge is the one to buy once Google publishes the price.
Side by side
Charge 6 figures are from Google's product page. Edge figures are from the Dealabs retail listing and Android Headlines renders and are unconfirmed.
| Fitbit Charge 6 | Fitbit Edge (leaked) | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | September 2023 | Reveal 12 October 2026 |
| List price | $159.95, often $120 or less | ~$180 / £159 / €179 |
| Display | 1.04-inch AMOLED, always-on option | 1.34-inch AMOLED, always-on option |
| Case | Aluminium, haptic side button | Aluminium, 39.2 x 25.6 x 11.6 mm, 17.7 g |
| GPS | Built in | Built in |
| ECG app | Yes | Yes |
| EDA stress sensor | Yes | Not listed in leaks |
| SpO2, skin temperature, HRV | Yes | Yes |
| Google Wallet (NFC) | Yes | Not mentioned in leaks |
| Google Maps, YouTube Music | Yes | Yes, per first leak |
| HR broadcast to gym equipment | Yes, Bluetooth | Unknown |
| Exercise modes | 40+ | 40+, Gemini coaching claimed |
| Battery | Up to 7 days, less with always-on | Up to 7 days, about 2 with always-on; described as user-replaceable |
| Bluetooth | 5.0 | 5.4 |
| Water rating | 5 ATM | 5 ATM and IP68 |
| Phones | Android and iOS | Android 11+, iOS 16.4+ |
What is actually new
Put the two sensor lists next to each other and the honest reading is that the Edge is a Charge 6 with three years of refinement. Optical heart rate, SpO2, skin temperature, ECG electrodes, GPS, barometer and gyroscope all appear on both. The Charge 6 has one thing the Edge leaks do not list, the EDA sensor that drives Fitbit's stress management score; it may simply have been left off a retailer's sheet, or Google may have decided that cEDA on the Pixel Watch is the version worth keeping. We cover what that score does in Fitbit stress management score explained.
The screen is the headline upgrade. A 1.34-inch panel against 1.04 inches is about 65 percent more area, which on a band is the difference between pace, distance and heart-rate zone fitting on one screen and having to swipe. Google's renders show a rectangular face with rounded corners rather than the Charge 6's narrow pill, so the Edge will read more like a small Pixel Watch than like a Charge. The metal case appears to run all the way round rather than being a frame on a plastic body, and the leaked pinch-release strap mechanism suggests the Charge 6's bands will not carry over.
Then there is the battery line. The Verge's reading of the leaked sheet describes a user-replaceable lithium-ion cell. The Charge 6's battery is glued in, as every Fitbit's has been, and when it stops holding a week the device is effectively done. If the Edge really can be re-celled, that alone justifies the price gap for anyone who kept a Charge 4 or 5 until the battery gave out. We would not bet on it until Google's page says so.
What might be missing
Two Charge 6 features are conspicuously absent from the Edge leaks. The first is Google Wallet. The Charge 6 has NFC and can pay for a coffee; nothing in the Dealabs sheet or the Android Headlines write-up mentions NFC. Retail sheets often skip it, and Fitbit OS has carried payments for years, so the likeliest explanation is an omission. But if you tap your Charge 6 at the gym turnstile every morning, confirm Wallet before you order an Edge.
The second is heart-rate broadcasting. The Charge 6 can send live heart rate over Bluetooth to a Peloton, a NordicTrack or a Tonal, which is one of the quiet reasons gym users bought it over a Pixel Watch. The Edge leaks say nothing either way. Again, more likely a gap in the leak than in the product, but it is a gap.
Software: where the Edge probably pulls ahead
The leaked sheet mentions three things the Charge 6 does not do: blood pressure trends, insulin resistance trends, and Gemini-driven coaching with personalised programmes. The first two are estimates Google introduced on the Pixel Watch 5 and keeps behind Google Health Premium at $9.99 a month; how they compare to a real cuff is covered in best wearables for blood pressure. Whether they come to the Charge 6 in a software update is unknown, and Google's record with three-year-old Fitbits is not encouraging. If those features matter to you, the Edge is the safer purchase on software support alone, regardless of the hardware.
Price: the discount is the real story
The Charge 6 lists at $159.95 and has spent most of 2026 between $120 and $140 at major retailers. The Edge leaks say €179 and £159, which converts to roughly $180 in the US by the same ratio Google used for the Air. The gap at list is $20. The gap on the street, once the Charge 6 is being cleared, could be $60 or more.
That makes the Charge 6 the value pick for anyone who wants GPS, ECG, Wallet and a Fitbit screen and does not care that the panel is smaller or the design is older. It is a known quantity with three years of firmware behind it. The Edge is the right buy for people who will keep the band for three or more years and want the newest hardware and the longest software runway. Both are cheaper over three years than a single year of Whoop; see best fitness trackers without a subscription.
What to do this week
- Charge 6 owners: wait. If the battery still gets you through a week and the strap is intact, nothing in the leaks is a must-have. Re-read this after Monday when the software story is clear.
- About to buy a Charge 6 at full price: do not. Either the Edge replaces it and the Charge 6 gets cleared, or the Edge sits above it and you lose nothing by waiting two days.
- Want the best screened Fitbit and can stretch to $180: the Edge, once Google's page confirms the price, Wallet and the battery claim.
- Not sure you want a screen at all: the $99 Fitbit Air is the other answer, and Fitbit Edge vs Fitbit Air is the page for that choice.
Whichever band ends up on your wrist, it writes to the same Google Health account. Fitcoin, our app, reads that feed alongside Health Connect on Android and Apple Health on iPhone, scores steps and workouts with FitScore, and turns the result into partner rewards and Sleep, Recovery and Energy coaching. A Charge 6 and an Edge earn the same for the same session. The setup guide for Google Health devices is here.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Fitbit Edge the Charge 7?
Google has not said so, but it occupies the Charge slot exactly: a screened band with built-in GPS and ECG priced between the $99 Air and the Pixel Watch. The Charge 6 is from 2023 and has had no successor. Until Google says otherwise, treat the Edge as the Charge line's replacement under a new name.
Should I upgrade from a Charge 6 to the Fitbit Edge?
Not on the leaked spec sheet alone. The sensor list is close to the Charge 6's, so the upgrade is a bigger always-on screen, a newer design and a possibly replaceable battery, for about $180. Wait for the 12 October reveal to see what is new in the software, then decide. A Charge 6 that still holds its battery is not obsolete.
Does the Fitbit Edge have Google Wallet like the Charge 6?
Unknown. The Charge 6 has NFC payments through Google Wallet. None of the Edge leaks mention NFC or Wallet. It would be odd for Google to drop it, but it is unconfirmed either way.
Which is cheaper, Fitbit Edge or Charge 6?
The Charge 6 lists at $159.95 and is regularly discounted to $120 or less. The leaked Edge price is about $180 in the US, £159 in the UK and €179 in Europe. Expect the Charge 6 to be cleared at a deeper discount once the Edge is on sale.
Do the Fitbit Edge and Charge 6 both work with iPhone?
Yes. The Charge 6 supports iOS, and the leaked Edge sheet lists iOS 16.4 or newer alongside Android 11 or newer. Both use the Google Health app.
Method: Checked October 10, 2026 against Google's Fitbit Charge 6 product page and help documentation, Google Health's official Fitbit Edge teaser, and leaked Edge specifications reported by Dealabs, Android Headlines, The Verge and Droid Life. Leaked figures are labelled. Prices are US list at publication unless noted. Fitcoin has no commercial relationship with the hardware brands named here. Wellness estimates only, not medical advice.
Related reading: Fitbit Edge: release date, price and specs, Fitbit Edge vs Fitbit Air, Charge 6 vs Fitbit Air, Xiaomi Smart Band 10 vs Charge 6, Cheapest Fitbit, Fitness bands with built-in GPS
About the author: Harris Khan is the co-founder and CTO of Fitcoin, a UK fitness-rewards and health-insights app that reads Apple Health and Health Connect.