Google's Fitbit Edge brings back the screen and a replaceable battery

Google puts the Edge between two products it already sells. On one side is the Pixel Watch, a full smartwatch. On the other is the Fitbit Air, a screenless band that is meant to disappear on your wrist.

The Edge has a screen, but it is not trying to be a watch. Engadget describes it as more advanced than the Air while keeping a slim profile and a minimalistic OLED display.

Here is what Google lists for the hardware:

• Size: 11.5 mm thin, in a recycled aluminum case.
• Weight: a case that Google says is 45% lighter than the Apple Watch Series 12.
• Display: a Hybrid OLED screen with 46% more viewing area than Google's previous trackers.
• Control: a redesigned physical side button, so you can pause a workout without poking at glass.
• Water: water resistant up to 50 meters.

In real life Picture a mid-run moment with sweaty fingers. You press the side button, the workout pauses, and you never have to hit a wet touchscreen.

Google calls the Edge its first repairable fitness tracker. It has an internal modular design and a battery you can replace, which is meant to extend the life of the device.

Why it matters: Batteries are usually what kills a tracker first. After a couple of years of daily charging, the battery fades, and the usual answer is to buy a new device.

Wired calls the replaceable battery a Fitbit first and says it lines up with Google's effort to make the Pixel Watch more repairable. Wired also suggests new battery rules in the European Union, due next year, are a likely reason. Google did not say that itself.

Wired adds that repair options will vary by region and availability. So check what your country offers before you count on a screwdriver.

Google says the Edge runs up to seven days on one charge. It calls this "weekend-to-weekend" battery life.

Charging is quick too. Google says five minutes on the magnetic charger gives you a full day of battery.

Engadget adds some detail from Google: a full charge takes about 90 minutes, and the battery is 65 mAh. Wired says the seven-day figure is unchanged from the older Charge 6 and is one of the Edge's biggest advantages over the Pixel Watch.

The Edge is built for workouts first. Google lists these features:

• Exercise modes: more than 50, started right on the wrist, with real-time guidance such as pace targets and heart rate zones.
• GPS: built-in GPS that Google says improves tracking accuracy by up to 40% over previous generations, even without your phone.
• Elevation: an altimeter for hill sprints, outdoor runs and stair workouts.
• Sleep and recovery: a skin temperature sensor, sleep stage analysis and heart rate variability, combined into a recovery score each morning.
• Heart: an ECG app for heart rhythm checks, plus continuous optical heart rate monitoring.

Engadget reports that Google claims 15% more accurate sleep stage detection than earlier Fitbit generations.

Wired notes the Edge brings back things the screenless Air lacks, such as built-in GPS and the electrical sensors that work with the ECG app. Google Maps turn-by-turn directions will arrive later this year, according to Wired.

Google also announced a bigger upgrade to automatic activity detection. It is rolling out later this month to the Fitbit Air, the Fitbit Edge and the Pixel Watch 3, 4 and 5.

By the numbers: Google says the number of activities the tracker can detect grows from 10 to more than 100. It also says detections are nearly twice as accurate and missed workouts are cut by more than half.

The feature uses context, such as your usual routines, your past data, your manual edits and, with permission, your location. Wired says Google credits Gemini Intelligence for this.

Here is how it behaves, according to Google:

• Minimum length: workouts of 15 minutes by default, with a sustained elevated heart rate.
• Summary: sent to your phone, typically within 30 minutes.
• Learning: when you confirm or edit an activity, the feature learns your patterns.

Health Guardian is Google's new set of health and safety tools. It watches for subtle changes in your health over time. It reaches the Fitbit Air and Fitbit Edge later this month, for people with a Google Health Premium subscription.

Two features lead the list:

• Blood pressure trends: tracked in the background, without manual calibration, according to Wired.
• Insulin resistance trends: tracked without a blood draw, according to Wired.

If you meet the monthly wear requirements, you get a report at the start of each month. Google says the point is to help you adjust your habits early.

The catch: These are trends, not medical diagnoses. Google frames them as context to share with your doctor, and the Premium coach turns the patterns into lifestyle guidance. Engadget says that coach is powered by Gemini.

Wired flags one odd omission. The Edge has no NFC chip, so it cannot do contactless payments through Google Wallet. That is a step back from the Charge 6, which Wired says has not been updated in three years.

The Edge works with both Android phones and iPhones through the Google Health app, Wired reports. That is an advantage over the Pixel Watch.

If you want a larger screen than the Charge 6, Wired says the Edge goes from a 1.04-inch display to 1.34 inches.

Alongside the Edge, Google shared a few more updates for its Google Health app and the Fitbit Air:

• Metal Mesh bands: a stainless steel weave for the Fitbit Air in Champagne Gold or Polished Silver, $69.99. A Champagne Gold band with an Obsidian Fitbit Air costs $149.99 at Target and the Google Store.
• Flo Health: syncing cycle data with Google Health, beginning early next year.
• Abbott: connecting the Lingo over-the-counter glucose monitor in the US, soon.
• MyFitnessPal: more detailed food logs for MyFitnessPal Premium users.
• Function Health: importing clinical lab results in the US, starting later this fall.

The Fitbit Edge costs $179.99. It comes in four finishes: Obsidian, Fog, Olive and Canyon, paired with soft Active Bands.

You can swap in other bands: a breathable Active Sport band, a Performance Loop band, a Magnet band or a Metal Links band.

A Stephen Curry Special Edition costs $219.99. Google made it with the four-time NBA champion and Google Performance Advisor. It has his signature rye tones and game day orange.

Pre-orders are open on the Google Store and through retail partners. The Edge reaches shelves on October 27, and Google includes three months of Google Health Premium with each purchase.

• Shopping: if you wanted a screen on your tracker without paying for a full smartwatch, this is the new price to compare at $179.99.
• Phone choice: it works with Android and iPhone, so you do not need to switch ecosystems.
• Subscription: the deepest features, like coaching and the new trends, need Google Health Premium. The first three months are free.
• Repairs: a replaceable battery could keep it useful for longer, depending on where you live. Our earlier story on the Fitbit Air launch in India shows how Google prices its trackers by region.