Google Announces Fitbit Charge 6

The Fitbit Charge 6 features dramatic improvements to heart rate tracking and is the first of Fitbit’s fitness wearables to offer Google services integration.

“The new Fitbit Charge 6 is available for pre-order today,” Google director TJ Varghese writes in the announcement post. “Charge 6 helps you stay on track with your goals thanks to advanced health sensors that, combined with a new machine learning algorithm, bring you our most accurate heart rate tracking on a Fitbit tracker yet. Plus, it’s helpful when you’re on the go with its new haptic side button and up to 7 days of battery life.”

Here’s what’s new.

Haptic side button. Previous Charge models offered on-screen touch controls only, but the Charge 6 also features a haptic side button for navigation like that found on Fitbit smartwatches.

More accurate heart rate tracking. Charge 6 offers the most accurate heart rate tracking of any Fitbit wearable, with up to 60 percent more accurate readings during activities like high-intensity interval training (HIIT), spinning, and rowing when compared to all other models.

Bluetooth integration with gym equipment. You can now see your heart rate in real time when paired with compatible Bluetooth-capable treadmills, ellipticals, rowers, exercise bikes, and other gym equipment.

Google services integration. Charge 6 is Fitbit’s first tracker to offer integration with Google services. It offers YouTube Music controls, turn-by-turn directions for runs using Google Maps, and support for Google Wallet.

Accessibility. Charge is also Fitbit’s first tracker to offer an accessibility feature, Zoom + Magnification, which helps you magnify small on-screen text with a few taps.

20 new exercise modes. Charge 6 offers over 40 exercise modes, 20 of which are new, including strength training, HIIT, skiing, kayaking, and many more, each with real-time stats including Active Zone Minutes.

And like previous Fitbit Charge models, you get 6 months of Fitbit Premium for free, plus all the Charge features that make this product the most popular Fitbit, like sleep tracking, stress management, blood oxygen saturation (SpO2) tracking, almost of a week of battery life, and so on. And it is accompanied by a new range of active, leather, sport, and woven bands.

The Fitbit Charge costs $159.99 and is available for preorder now. It will be made available later this Fall via the Google Store, Fitbit.com, and various retailers, Google says. You can learn more at the Fitbit website.