Fitbit Charge 6 vs. Charge 5: Should you upgrade?
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04 Jan 2025 02:47:33 am.
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Fitbit Charge 6
Given its popularity, Fitbit and Google didn't see any need to deviate from the Charge 5's design. Instead, it packed in new smarts to make the Charge 6 a Google Pixel Band in everything but name. If having Google Maps or YouTube Music controls on your wrist is appealing, or if you weren't happy with the heart rate accuracy on the Charge 5, you may want to upgrade.
For
- Useful haptic side button
- Better HR data during "vigorous" workouts
- Double the sports modes
- Google Maps/ Wallet & YouTube Music
- Still has 7-day battery life despite extra smarts
Against
- No updates to display, GPS accuracy
- Google account required
- No universal music controls
Fitbit Charge 5
The Charge 5 was ahead of its time. No other petite fitness tracker has given you built-in GPS, an ECG for AFib detection, or skin temperature readings at night. Given that the Charge 5 has the same display and battery life as the Charge 6, you may not feel any need to upgrade just yet. Don't expect it to get any of its successor's new apps or algorithm updates, though.
For
- Same display quality and comfort
- Built-in GPS and tons of health sensors
- Compatible w/ Charge 6 bands
- Still works with Fitbit account (sort of)
Against
- Fully touchscreen reliant
- No Google apps
- No HR broadcasting
- Only six exercise profiles on device
The Fitbit 6 and Charge 5 were launched two years apart. You would think these models would change after the Google Fitbit acquisition, but that is not the case. Both models have the same sensors, look almost identical, and offer the same app experience, making it more challenging to choose between them.
This doesn't mean Fitbit did nothing since it did add new Google apps, redesigned heart rate data, and included a highly useful haptic button. If you're buying a new Fitbit tracker, the Charge 6 is the only logical choice unless you prefer the petiteInspire 3.
If you have a last-gen band, the differences between the Fitbit Charge 6 and Charge 5 may not be enough to convince you to upgrade. Not to worry, though—we'll help you decide!
>>>Replacement battery for Fitbit Charge 5 FB421 Activity Tracker
Fitbit Charge 6 vs. Charge 5: What's the same?
| Display | 1.04-inch AMOLED (326 ppi); 450 nits brightness, Gorilla Glass | 1.04-inch AMOLED (326 ppi); 450 nits brightness, Gorilla Glass |
| Materials | Recycled aluminum case; silicone band with aluminum buckle | Recycled aluminum case; silicone band with aluminum buckle |
| Battery life | 7 days; about 5–6 hours GPS | 7 days; about 5–6 hours GPS |
| Charge time | 2 hours (proprietary cable) | 2 hours (proprietary cable) |
| Sensors and location | HRM, SpO2, ECG, EDA, skin temperature, ambient light, accelerometer, vibration, NFC | HRM, SpO2, ECG, EDA, skin temperature, ambient light, accelerometer, vibration, NFC |
| Connectivity | Bluetooth 5.0; HR broadcast on gym equipment | Bluetooth 5.0 |
| Tap-to-pay | Google Wallet | Fitbit Pay |
| Music playback | YouTube Music only (w/ sub) | None |
| Navigation | Google Maps (w/ connected phone) | None |
| Sports modes | 40 | 20 (only 6 at once) |
| Water resistance | Up to 50 meters | Up to 50 meters |
| Dimensions | 1.52 x 0.73 x 0.46 inches | 1.45 x 0.9 x 0.44 inches |
| Weight | 15g (pebble only); ~30g (pebble + band) | 15g (pebble only); ~30g (pebble + band) |
If you compare a Fitbit Charge 6 and Charge 5 side by side, you'd have trouble telling them apart. The dimensions are slightly different—the Charge 6 is 1.8mm taller, 4.3mm skinnier, and 0.5mm thicker than the Charge 5, according to the official measurements—but they have essentially the same design and feel (with one exception).
That's most obvious in the above Fitbit Charge 6 specs, which are copied and pasted from its predecessor: You get a 1.04-inch AMOLED display with 450 nits of brightness, 7-day battery life, a proprietary charging connector with a two-hour recharge time, 5ATM water resistance, and Gorilla Glass scratch resistance.
Our Charge 6 reviewer noted that he wished the tracker had gotten a bigger or brighter display than the Charge 5, as other brands now offer sizes well above 1 inch. But he also recognized that keeping this size helped Fitbit keep the Charge 6 as light and comfortable as the Charge 5.
Both trackers weigh 15g without the band attached. Each Charge pill uses the same aluminum, glass, and resin materials. They also employ the same proprietary band connector, which means that whichever of the best Fitbit Charge 6 bands you prefer is also backward compatible with the Charge 5.
You'll also find the same techinsidethe Fitbit Charge 6 and Charge 5.
Both models have an antenna for GLONASS or GPS tracking without needing your phone to be close. When your phone is nearby, they use your phone's GPS. If you wear the Charge 6 or Charge 5, you'll experienceissues with its built-in GPSsince it won't connect properly. So, having your phone with you is a good idea.
They each measure continuous heart rate data during the day. They check blood oxygen levels (SpO2), heart rate variance (HRV), passive AFib detection, breathing rate, and skin temperature levels at night. You can also take active EDA stress readings by sitting still for three minutes. We only wish either tracker had the passive cEDA sensor found on the Fitbit Sense 2, which is much more convenient.
On the negative side, neither tracker has an altimeter to judge effort at elevation, something theFitbit Charge 4offered.
>>>Replacement battery for Fitbit Charge 4 FB417 Smart Watch
Fitbit Charge 6 vs. Charge 5: What's different?
We mentioned "one exception" to the Fitbit Charge 6 and 5's twin designs: a haptic button on the Charge 6's left side that you can squeeze to return to the home page, initiate a shortcut, or switch between various views during an activity.
The Charge 5 is touch-only, and our reviewer called the experience "very hit or miss," noting that you need to be "intentional" to trigger actions. In contrast, our Charge 6 reviewer praised the haptic button, saying it "works as it should, without being prone to accidental presses like a physical button." This design offers greater convenience and prevents unintended interactions.
Beyond that one difference, every other Fitbit Charge 6 upgrade lies beneath the surface, possibly due to a new processor that can handle more Google smarts than the Charge 5.
First, Fitbit asserts that the Charge 6 delivers "60 percent more precise readings during energetic activities like HIIT, spinning, and rowing" than the Charge 5. If the Charge 6 doesn't rest properly on your wrist during arm-active sports, Fitbit uses "machine learning" algorithms lifted from the Google Pixel Watch to examine your HR data with less information.
This Charge 6 algorithm requires an "added compute load," but Fitbit and Google ensured this didn't lessen the original one-week battery life estimation from the Charge 5.
The Charge 6's extra smarts manifest in other small but vital ways. The Charge 5 could only keep six sports modes simultaneously out of the 20 available; with the Charge 6, you get all 40 of Fitbit's activities simultaneously, matching the Sense 2 and Versa 4.
Another cool advancement for gym lovers or athletes with at-home equipment is that the Charge 6 can connect via Bluetooth to gym equipment like Nordic, Peloton, Concept2, or Tonal to broadcast your heart rate, which the Charge 5 cannot do.
If you get a Fitbit Charge 6, you can enjoy three new Google apps that the Charge 5 lacks: Google Wallet, Google Maps, and YouTube Music.
Google Walletdoesn't do anything that the Charge 5's Fitbit Pay doesn't; they're both there for tap-to-pay transactions and nothing else. The difference is that you'll pull from your Google Pay cards instead of storing and updating your information in multiple apps. You can also see your transactions in the Google payment history, which you may prefer.
You won't find Bluetooth playback controls on the Fitbit Charge 5, an essential feature on almost every fitness tracker or watch. That's also true on the Charge 6, with one Google-biased exception:YouTube Musicsubscribers get a Play/Pause button, Skip Forward/Back buttons, and Volume Up/Down buttons split across three screens. The Charge 6's small display makes these controls somewhat inconvenient, but Google superusers will still appreciate them.
In our minds, the one Charge 6 update that cannot be missed is Google Maps' turn-by-turn navigation. You can enter your destination on your connected phone, and you should see a time to your destination and a helpful arrow on your watch guiding you in the right direction. You can keep your phone in your pocket and enjoy daily walks or runs.
The downside to all of this Google goodness is that it gave Fitbit a pretense totransition everyone from Fitbit accounts to Google accounts. You have to make a Google account to use the Charge 6, while Charge 5 owners may have managed to evade transitioning from their old Fitbit account. Starting in 2025, Fitbit will require a Google account to use any Fitbit device; if this is a problem, you may want to continue using your Charge 5.
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Fitbit Charge 6 vs. Charge 5: Should you upgrade?
The Fitbit Charge 6 is an iterative update, keeping the formula that made the Charge 5 ourbest fitness trackerpick for two years.
To recap the key Charge 6 upgrades again, this is what you get:
- A haptic button
- More accurate HR data
- HR broadcast on gym equipment
- Google Maps, Google Wallet, and YouTube Music
- 40 on-device exercise modes instead of six
The haptic button, improved health data from workouts, exercise equipment connectivity, and Google Maps support are all very useful. However, we wouldn't recommend buying the Charge 5 today, as the smarter 6 will likely receive support and new software updates in the next few years.
Are these changes enough to justify spending another $160 on the Charge 6? That probably depends on whether you liked the Charge 5 and the modifications enforced during Google's Fitbit ownership, such as the Fitbit app redesign and Google account migration.
If not, there's no point in continuing to invest in Fitbit, as Google's strategy is all about aligning the fitness label with Google and Pixel hardware. You can start the new year with the latest model or stick with what you have. Unfortunately, you must accept Google's approach and look for another option.
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