Fitbit Charge 6: The Overlooked Gem in Google’s Fall Lineup
Fitbit Charge 6 Surpassed Expectations – A Comprehensive Review by ENBLE
Fitbit Charge 6 review exceeds expectations | ENBLE
This fall, Google launched a flurry of new products, including smartphones, a smartwatch, and a new version of Android. However, amidst all the fanfare, one device that may have slipped under the radar is the Fitbit Charge 6. Don’t make the mistake of overlooking it though. As someone who has been wearing it for over a week, I can confidently say that this $160 fitness tracker is an impressive package.
Why the Fitbit Charge 6 is a Worthy Contender
Before you splurge $350 on the latest Pixel Watch or another smartwatch, let me tell you why the Fitbit Charge 6 should be on your radar. As someone who previously wore the hefty Apple Watch Ultra, switching to the sleek and lightweight Fitbit Charge 6 was a pleasant surprise. Its small, petite design may catch you off guard, but trust me, it’s a curveball worth embracing.
The Fitbit Charge 6 sticks to the traditional fitness band shape with a 1.04-inch AMOLED screen and an aluminum body. It may not push the boundaries of fitness tracker design, but it excels in functionality. The tracker is incredibly comfortable to wear, the screen looks fantastic, and the silicone band feels great on the wrist. In fact, I often forget I’m wearing it, which speaks volumes about its design.
One feature that truly stands out is the side button on the Fitbit Charge 6. While it’s not a physical button, it provides haptic feedback similar to the Home button on the iPhone 7. Pressing it wakes the screen or takes you back to the watch face when you’re navigating through menus or apps. Fitbit brought back this beloved feature after removing it on the Charge 5, and I couldn’t be happier.
Aside from its sleek design, the Fitbit Charge 6 boasts impressive health-tracking capabilities. While it hasn’t introduced any new features, it covers all the bases. The highlight is an upgraded heart rate sensor that Google claims is 60% more accurate than previous models, offering the most precise heart rate monitoring yet.
Whether walking outdoors or running on a treadmill, the Charge 6’s heart rate readings align closely with the heart rate data from my Oura Ring. In some instances, they’re off by just a single beat per minute. Occasionally, there are slight variations between different wearables, but overall, the performance of the Charge 6 has been exceptional.
In addition to heart rate tracking, the Fitbit Charge 6 includes all the essential health and fitness features you’d expect. It monitors your steps, offers over 40 exercise modes, automatically detects select workouts, and provides sleep tracking, SpO2 tracking, heart rate variability, and more. The sleep tracking feature stands out in particular, providing an easy-to-understand sleep score based on factors like sleep stages, movement, and heart rate. While Fitbit’s sleep score may be slightly more generous than other trackers, it remains reliable and valuable.
The general performance of the Fitbit Charge 6 has been seamless. The raise-to-wake gesture works flawlessly, and navigating through the user interface is impressively snappy. Despite initial expectations of sluggishness, this fitness tracker surpasses my speed requirements.
Now, let’s address the elephant in the room: battery life. One of the standout features of the Fitbit Charge 6 is its remarkable battery longevity. I started wearing it with a full charge on a Friday night, and it didn’t hit 16% until the following Thursday night. This was after continuous wear, sleep tracking, and six recorded workouts. Keep in mind, I had the always-on display turned off to extend the battery life. Charging the device is also a breeze, with the proprietary charger fully replenishing the battery in about an hour and 20 minutes.
Good News for Google Fans
Besides its improved heart rate tracking, the Fitbit Charge 6 stands out with its integration of Google services. The device now supports a variety of Google apps, including Google Wallet, Google Maps, and YouTube Music.
Google Wallet replaces Fitbit Pay and enables contactless payments using your credit or debit card. Just swipe down from the top of the Charge 6, tap the Google Wallet icon, and you’re ready to make payments hassle-free. On multiple occasions, I found Google Wallet to work flawlessly.
Google Maps integration on the Charge 6 is equally impressive. When you activate turn-by-turn navigation in Google Maps on your phone, you can easily mirror the directions on your tracker. The Charge 6 vibrates to alert you when it’s time to make a turn or take an exit. While the alerts may be slightly delayed compared to using Apple Maps on an Apple Watch, the feature is a convenient addition.
YouTube Music has also made its way to the Fitbit Charge 6, allowing you to pause, resume, and skip tracks on your phone directly from the device. While offline playback isn’t supported, it’s still a valuable feature for avid YouTube Music users.
The integration of these Google services adds another layer of functionality to the Fitbit Charge 6. Google Wallet supports more cards than its predecessor, Google Maps proves handy, and the inclusion of YouTube Music is a welcome addition. Though it would be even better with offline playback, these advancements make the Fitbit Charge 6 an attractive option for Google enthusiasts.
The Revamped Fitbit App
While the Fitbit Charge 6 offers comprehensive health and fitness stats on the device itself, the Fitbit mobile app remains the primary way to interact with your data. The app underwent a significant redesign earlier this year, refreshing its look and user experience.
The app’s core design remains familiar, with the Today page showcasing your primary and secondary goals, along with key health data. Fitbit now offers customizable “focus” options to tailor the goals to your preferences. You also have the freedom to hide or rearrange other health data on the page, giving you greater control and a more personalized experience.
The Coach and You pages provide additional functionality. The Coach page offers Fitbit Premium’s extensive collection of guided workouts and mindfulness sessions. The library offers a wide range of content, sortable by activity type, duration, and instructor. The You page provides shortcuts to personal health goals, Fitbit friends, and badges.
Overall, the updated Fitbit app boasts a sleek and modern design, marking a significant improvement from its outdated predecessor. While a few pages still adhere to the old design, the majority of the app showcases a fresh, intuitive interface. Now, all we need is a dark mode to complete the package.
A Few Hiccups Along the Way
Although the Fitbit Charge 6 has impressed me overall, it’s not without its flaws. The most notable issue lies with its notifications, which are unpredictably unreliable. Initially, I was puzzled by the absence of notifications from my Google Pixel 8 Pro. It turns out you need to manually enable notifications in the Fitbit app and choose which apps on your phone can send notifications to the tracker. This crucial step is entirely absent from the setup process, resulting in needless confusion. Even after enabling notifications, I’ve experienced intermittent failures. Some days, notifications function flawlessly, while on others, they don’t come through at all. Fitbit’s track record with notifications has always been hit-or-miss, and unfortunately, this pattern continues with the Charge 6.
The absence of local music storage is another drawback. With built-in GPS, the Charge 6 opens up the possibility of leaving your phone behind on runs or walks. However, the inability to store songs on the device diminishes this convenience.
Lastly, several crucial features are locked behind a Fitbit Premium subscription. While the Fitbit Charge 6 doesn’t require the subscription to function, many of its best features, such as the Daily Readiness Score, in-depth sleep and stress tracking, guided workouts, and mindfulness sessions, are exclusively available to Premium subscribers. If you want to maximize the Charge 6’s capabilities, be prepared to invest in Fitbit Premium.
Fitbit Charge 6: Pricing and Availability
The Fitbit Charge 6 is currently available for purchase at $160. You can choose from three stylish options: obsidian band with a black aluminum case, porcelain band with a silver case, or coral band with a champagne gold case. The device is available through the Google Store, Fitbit’s website, and various retailers like Amazon and Best Buy.
Additionally, the Fitbit Charge 6 comes with a six-month free trial of Fitbit Premium, valued at $60. After the trial period, Fitbit Premium costs $10 per month.
How does the Fitbit Charge 6 compare to the competition? The Pixel Watch 2, which also utilizes Fitbit’s health and fitness platform, offers additional sensors like a temperature sensor and a continuous EDA sensor, along with a full-fledged Wear OS smartwatch experience. However, it comes with a heavier price tag of $350 and requires a Fitbit Premium subscription.
If you’re open to alternatives, consider the Garmin Vivomove Trend. This hybrid watch impresses with its classic design, hidden screen for basic health data, and seamless integration with the Garmin Connect app. The best part? No subscription is needed to access a wide range of health tracking features.
Final Verdict: Fitbit Charge 6 is a Worthy Investment
I must admit, I had low expectations for the Fitbit Charge 6. On paper, it seemed the least exciting among Google’s recent hardware releases, and its resemblance to the Charge 5 didn’t help. However, after spending time with this fitness tracker, I’m pleasantly surprised. The Fitbit Charge 6 is an excellent option for those who prefer a fitness tracker over a smartwatch. It excels in comfort, comprehensive health tracking, exceptional battery life, and a user-friendly companion app. At $160, it offers exceptional value, even with the added expense of Fitbit Premium. If you’re in the market for a small, affordable, and reliable activity tracker, the Fitbit Charge 6 should be at the top of your list.
