Google's new Fitbit Edge is a traditional banded fitness tracker — a direct descendant of the Charge 6 — launching just as screenless wearables like the Fitbit Air and smart rings dominate the conversation.

It pairs a 1.34-inch AMOLED display with IP68/5 ATM water resistance, GPS, Bluetooth connectivity, and a body made of 100% recycled aluminum. The Edge starts at $180 (the Stephen Curry Edition runs $220), with bands from a $40 Active Band up to a $150 Metal Links Band.

Android Police scored it 9/10, calling it "the fitness tracker you want if you don't want a smartwatch, but still want a display."

Reviewers weighed it differently, though: Android Police measured 32 grams with the strap, while SlashGear lists it at 17.7 g — both agree it is remarkably light next to the 36 g Pixel Watch 5.

The standout result is battery life that beat Google's own claim. Android Police reports the Edge surpassed the promised seven days, with a low-battery warning arriving on day seven and close to eight days achieved on a single charge — without the always-on display or long workouts.

Turning the always-on display on drops that to roughly two or three days, a figure SlashGear independently confirmed. Automatic workout detection, including dog walks, ran throughout the test week without hurting the battery.

On the wrist, the Edge is fast and responsive, but shallow — Android Police found a huge gulf between on-device stats and what the Google Health app reveals, calling it larger than on any device it had previously used.

The app shows sleep-stage breakdowns, resting heart rate charts, and 30-day averages that the tracker reduces to a single sleep rating.

The real star is Google's AI Coach, which ties the data together: ask it to build a 10K training plan and it adapts daily to poor sleep or rain, and even explains exercises in pictures.

Full access requires Google Health Premium at $10 per month or $100 a year, also bundled with the Google AI Pro plan. SlashGear notes both the Edge and Pixel Watch 5 tap the same Gemini-powered app and Health Guardian insulin and blood pressure tracking.

The Edge lands in a crowded field — the screenless Fitbit Air, the Oura Ring 5, the Samsung Galaxy Fit 3, and Google's own $399.99 Pixel Watch 5 — and reviewers frame it as an Air with a display rather than a cut-down smartwatch.

It has no NFC payments, no Wear OS, no third-party watch faces, and replies limited to Quick Replies presets; Android Police also flags over-reliance on the app and needed improvements in Google Health.

But at roughly $200 less than the Pixel Watch 5, SlashGear concludes the Edge is the smarter buy unless you need calls, third-party apps, or a bigger screen.

The software's limitations give Google room to build, and Android Police says it is excited to see what arrives next on what it calls a solid base.