Fitbit Charge 6 Review: What you Need to Know Before you Buy!
Some of the reasons for reviewing a device are usually the price, its closest competitor, remarkable features, or the brand. The reason for reviewing this device is the brand. The all-new Google’s Fitbit Charge 6 is here. I did have great expectations because of all the technology that Google is creating. The smart band has succeeded in keeping me happy at some things and disappointed a bit for others.
So, Let’s Inspect! If the Fitbit Charge 6 is fully charged with awesome features or sort of behind the competition.
Summary
Pros
- Good build quality
- Precise health sensors
- NFC for online payment
- Well-structured and fluid software
Cons
- Low Brightness
- Small screen
- Moderate battery endurance
Fitbit Charge 6 – Price
The Fitbit Charger 6 comes at a steep price of 160$, which is enough to buy two Xiaomi Smart Band 7 Pro or even an Amazfit GTR smartwatch. Whether Google has packed a whole bunch of features that cannot be matched by the competitors or just lousy pricing. I think this is the case because the smartwatch has a 40% black Friday discount.
Fitbit Charge 6 – Unboxing
The unboxing feels good, and the box has a stunning design, which is a great presentation of the tracker. The contents inside are also well-packed. I like that Google has included a longer strap for people with big wrists, which is an excellent addition.
Appearance and Build Quality
The smart band has a beautiful design, and the first thing you will notice is that it sits flush with the band. It perfectly aligns with the strap thickness, which feels quite nice. The medium-sized band fits perfectly on my wrist, but having a large band is beneficial for many.
The display size, watch size, and sensor size are identical to the previous generation. One unusual thing about the Fitbit Charge 6 is the button placement. The button is placed on the right side.
A thing that should be improved compared to the previous generation is the screen. It is tiny, and the peak brightness is only 450 nits, making it almost invisible during the day walk. For comparison, the Xiaomi Smart Band 8 and Huawei Band 8 have 600 and 500 nits of brightness. Moreover, their screen sizes are almost 50% bigger.
It’s not what we see that often, so it will take some time to get used to, but left-handers will surely be happy with the button placement. Other than that, the build quality seems nice and reliable, and there is nothing flashy about the design.
Technical Specifications
- Body: Aluminium bezels, glass top
- Screen: 1.04-inch AMOLED Display
- Weight: 37.6 grams
- Strap: Silicon strap
- Battery: Up to 7 days battery life
- Connectivity: Bluetooth, NFC
- Sensors: Optical heart rate Sensor, 3-axis accelerometer, GPS + GLONASS, SpO2 sensor, temperature sensor, and Ambient light sensor
- Waterproof: 5 ATM
Fitbit Charge 6 – Features
The specs are good but not great. Once again, Google has not disclosed the exact battery and processor specs. But overall, the specs feel alright. One of the standout features of Fitbit Charge is the NFC. Google Wallet works perfectly fine, and you can use it to make transactions at the stores. It is a handy feature that most of the fitness bands don’t have.
Similarly, GPS is also a good addition; Charge 6 also has a Google Maps integration. The path tracking could be better, as I was not able to track the exact routes; they are a little off. It will be good if you just use them for some jogging and running sessions. Getting a good smartwatch will be a great idea if you want to fetch more data.
The navigation is pretty much the same. Swipe down to access quick toggles, and swipe up to access health summary. Swipe left and right from the main screen to check the apps. The button acts as a home button; it will take you to the home screen with one click.
Google Fitbit Charge 6 also has YouTube Music, but the sad thing is you can only control the music from the smartphone app. So, basically, it is useless.
Overall, the software is functional, fluid, well-designed, and structured but has limited customization options.
Fitness Tracking
The fitness tracking, SpO2 HR, sleep, distance, steps, etc., are on par. Google Fitbit Charge 6 delivers exceptional results in every category. But one downside is you don’t get a lot of information on the smart band, probably because of the small screen. So, you will have to use a smartphone to analyze data. Another good feature is that the smart band will email you your previous health tracking when the battery falls below 20%, which is handy and motivational.
Related: Fitbit Inspire 3
Battery Endurance
Google does not disclose the size of the battery, but overall, it can give you a good 7 days with moderate usage. And if you turn on always on display, it decreases down to 2 to 3 days. It is worse than the closest competitors like Mi and Huawei Band 8. Moreover, it takes a whopping 2 hours to get fully charged, which is quite annoying if you are traveling.
Fitbit App
Fitbit is one of the best features of Fitbit Charge 6. It comes with a free six-month premium; after that, it’s $10 a month. Yes, it offers tons of extra features, but you can live to use the smart band without many of the features.
It has all the charts, and the data is well presented. They did a splendid job with the app and the sensors’ information. Moreover, it has a lot of configuration options like watch faces and app lists, and you can fine-tune some of the smartwatch settings from your phone.
Overall, it is a great app and offers exceptional performance and data presentation.
Drawbacks
- Small screen
- Low brightness
- Very slow charging
- Cannot control music through the band
- Inaccurate GPS
- Limited watch faces
- A small number of supported workouts.
Conclusion
In the end, the Google Fitbit Charge 6 is good but not perfect. It can be a good choice if you need NFC payment, an excellent GPS, and some smartwatch features. But I still think Chinese fitness trackers offer better features and value for money than Fitbit Charge 6.
So, what would you prefer, a Mi Band 8 for 30$ or a Google Fitbit Charge 6 for $160?
