Now that Google owns Fitbit, it’s buying something like this Payment 6 it officially places you in the company’s ecosystem. But that doesn’t mean the Fitbit Charge 6 is the same Pixel 2 watch. In fact, the feeling you will get from both these wearables will be completely different. If you find yourself stuck choosing between some of Google’s latest wearables, it’s important to know the differences so you can make the best decision for you.
Details and pricing
I The Fitbit Charge 6 currently lists for $159.95 on Amazonwhile i The Pixel Watch 2 is more expensive at $399.99. That might make the Fitbit more attractive right away, but that price difference also comes with some pretty cool differences:
Fitbit Charge 6 Specifications:
- Dimensions: 1.52″ x 0.73″ x 0.46″
- Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.0
- Compatibility: Android 9.0 or newer, iOS 15 or newer
- Display: 1.04-inch AMOLED
- Battery: Up to 7 days
- Sensors: Visual heart rate monitor, 3-axis accelerometer, red and infrared sensors for oxygen saturation monitoring (SpO2), device temperature sensor, vibration motor, ambient light sensor, multi-purpose electronic sensors compatible with the app -ECG and EDA Scan app, AFib monitoring, sleep tracking
Google Pixel Watch 2 Specifications:
- Dimensions: 41 mm x 12.3 mm
- Weight: 31 grams (without band)
- Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.0, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n 2.4 GHz, NFC, LTE
- GPS: GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou, Galileo, Quasi-Zenith Satellite
- Compatibility: Android 9.0 or newer
- Display: 320 ppi AMOLED display with DCI-P3 color
- Battery: Up to 24 hours with the display always on
- Sensors: Compass, altimeter, red and infrared sensors, multi-functional electrical sensors, multi-path optical heart rate sensor, 3-axis accelerometer, gyroscope, ambient light sensor, temperature sensor leather, barometer, magnetometer
Battery life
This is one area where the Fitbit Charge 6 shines, especially when compared to the Pixel Watch 2. The Charge 6 may not have many smartwatch features, but that simplicity helps it catch up. seven days of battery life per charge. You can rely on it to keep up with your fitness goals, while tracking sleep, monitoring AFib, etc., all without charging it every day.
The Pixel Watch 2, unfortunately, tops out at 24 hours of battery life when using an always-on smartwatch. It’s one of the things I’ve talked about the most in my life Pixel Watch 2 reviewand while it’s a huge improvement over the battery life of the original Pixel Watch, it still means you’ll be charging your smartwatch every day.
Software and features
I’ve spent a lot of time with both the Pixel Watch 2 and the Fitbit Charge 6, and the experience they offer is very different, especially when it comes to their operating systems, feel, and architecture.
While the Fitbit Charge 6 offers more parts of the Google ecosystem than any Fitbit before it, those additions are mostly tied to YouTube Music, Google Pay, Google’s Find My Phone program, and Google integration. Maps. However, these aren’t as easily integrated into the Charge 6 as they are into the Pixel Watch 2. For example, the Charge 6 won’t let you activate Google Maps on the device. It requires you to open it on your phone first, then it will transfer to the wearable. That’s fine, but it removes the validity of accessing Maps from your hand. While testing the Charge 6, I found it inconvenient to need my smartphone with me all the time to access all the features Fitbit offers here.
Other Google services, such as YouTube Music and Google Pay, both work well on the Charge 6, and don’t require any kind of external connection to your phone to use. But that’s where the smartwatch features on the Charge 6 pretty much end. Sure, it will tell you the time and notify you of things, but other than that, you won’t be able to use other apps like Spotify.
That’s why it’s hard to recommend the Fitbit Charge 6 as the perfect tracker for those who want the feel of a true smartwatch. The Pixel Watch 2, on the other hand, is a dedicated smartwatch, offering full access to various features of your smartphone, including messages, phone calls, and more. It does all that, and integrates into many of Fitbit’s fitness tracking features and options, too (benefits of Google owning Fitbit, I guess). Also, because it runs the latest version of WearOS, you can expect a very fast and responsive system.
Fit and build
When it comes to fitness tracking, Fitbit has been in the game for a long time, and the company is well known for providing solid fitness tracking products. The Charge 6 offers a simpler fitness tracking experience, and comes with longer battery life, making it easier to take advantage of tasks like sleep tracking. Other than that, however, both wearables are equally good. (It helps that Google baked a lot of Fitbit stuff into the Pixel Watch 2.)
Both of these devices are great at keeping up with your daily activity, and I’ve never had a problem getting either of them to track my workouts using the default workout tracking setting. I could leave the app on and just walk or run, and I didn’t sweat that my watch wouldn’t pick things up.
Fitbit says the sensors in the Charge 6 are the most accurate the company has ever offered, and that claim definitely stands up. The Pixel Watch 2 comes close, too, though I noticed a slight deviation between how many steps my Pixel Watch 2 counted one day compared to the Charge 6. That could have been tied to how these devices track steps, so it’s unlikely. say what caused the disagreement. Either way, both will give you accurate and accessible fitness tracking.
Both of these devices rely heavily on the Fitbit app to do most of the heavy lifting, so you’ll need to get Fitbit Premium if you want access to the most important and useful levels. That’s weird for both accounts, but you can stay logged in and use the free version if you don’t want to pay. You’ll still get basic tracking features either way.
Both the Pixel Watch 2 and the Charge 6 offer solid builds, though the Charge 6 feels like it can take more of a beating since you don’t have to worry about the display like you do on the Pixel Watch 2. Either device feels cheap or flimsy, though, and that’s fine. given how expensive the Pixel Watch 2 can be.
Smartwatch or fitness tracker?
Ultimately, it comes down to this: Do you want a smartwatch or a fitness tracker?
If you’re looking for a smartwatch that offers more features, as well as the option to use Fitbit’s various tracking options, the Pixel Watch 2 is a clear winner. But for a fitness-focused device that offers some smart features, the Fitbit Charge 6 is still a great choice. It removes the extra complexity that comes with most smartwatches, and stands out among other fitness trackers released in recent months. A lot of that also comes down to how well it integrates the Google ecosystem into Fitbit’s framework, which I discussed in detail in mine. Review of Charge 6.
Regardless of which device you choose, both offer excellent fitness tracking capabilities, as well as access to basic smartwatch functions like music control, GPS, and messaging. But if you want more than that, I suggest you spend more on the Pixel Watch 2.
