Is Fitbit Still Relevant in 2025?
In 2025, you might wonder if Fitbit is still relevant. Despite getting acquired by Google, Fitbit remains one of the most recognizable names in the industry. Fitbit trackers aren’t meant for the most hardcore of athletes, but they’re still excellent devices for tracking overall activity as well as monitoring certain health and wellness metrics, like EKGs and blood oxygen levels.
The Transition Phase
That said, we’re still in the transitional period from the Fitbit of old to whatever Fitbit will be in the future. We’re further away from 2023, which was a particularly messy year. There were multiple Fitbit server outages, and I wasn’t impressed with the decision to sunset legacy community features — including challenges — or the fact that all Fitbit accounts will require you to log in via Google beginning in February.
The Fitbit-to-Google Transition
Speaking of which, the Fitbit-to-Google account migration started in 2023 and is required if you buy the Fitbit Charge 6 or the Google Pixel Watch 4. The Fitbit app also got a more Google-like makeover, which didn’t go over well with many users. (Google has since made adjustments based on feedback.) And last year, much of Fitbit’s leadership, including co-founders James Park and Eric Friedman, left the company as roughly a thousand Google employees were laid off. Now, in 2025, most of Google’s focus seems to be on its own smartwatches.
What I’m Looking For
How We Test Fitbits
Fitness trackers allow you to track your health and activity. We conduct a mix of real-life testing, including napping and sleeping with them, taking them out on runs, walks, and hikes, and working out at the gym. We also evaluate how easy fitness trackers pair with iPhones and Android devices, their durability, accuracy, battery life, and performance. In cases where we test models designed for children, we test them on our own children and incorporate their feedback.
Battery Life
Fitbits tend to have longer battery life than more advanced smartwatches. Most are estimated to last around five days, but we’ve found that some features like an always-on display can drastically impact the time between charges. So I’m looking to see what you can realistically expect with “average” use.
Feature Set
Most Fitbits share the same basic feature set like steps, timers, and notifications. However, not every model is capable of EKG or real-time stress tracking. The same goes for built-in GPS. Does the feature set make sense given the price? Is it missing something that it shouldn’t be?
Price
Fitbit has often been a more affordable alternative to smartwatches, but this space has changed quite a bit in the last few years. There are more options than ever, so does this device offer good value?
Who Is It For?
This encompasses a lot, but especially in terms of the overall form factor. If it’s for a casual user, is the design versatile enough for a variety of occasions? If it’s aimed at kids or athletes, are the straps durable enough?
Reasons to Stick with Fitbit
The Googlefication of Fitbit will continue, but there are reasons to stick with its trackers in the meantime. Fitbit trackers are relatively affordable, especially since they often go on sale. All the devices also come with a free trial to Fitbit Premium, the company’s subscription service that provides guided workouts, meditations, and access to more in-depth metrics. The service costs $9.99 per month, or $79.88 per year. And with the launch of the Google Pixel Watch 4 in October, it’s clear that Google is taking its wearables seriously, too. The new smartwatch has a longer-lasting battery, a more repairable design, and compatibility with Fitbit’s AI-powered fitness coach. You just have to go in with eyes wide open.
Fitbit Devices Overview
Fitbit Charge 6
$350
The Good
- All-around better battery and fast-charging
- Material 3 Expressive design refresh is smart
- Better auto activity tracking
- Raise-to-Talk is quite natural
- Domed display looks quite nice
- Repairability!
- Satellite SOS
The Bad
- Third proprietary charger in four years
- Gemini is still hit or miss
- GPS maps are better, but still a bit wonky
The Pixel Watch 4 doesn’t have “Fitbit” in its title, but it falls under the same umbrella because of Google’s acquisition of Fitbit. The fourth-gen watch is a significant update over its predecessors, with a handsome domed display and thinner bezels that increase screen real estate. The watch’s updated design allows you to swap out the display or battery if necessary. We were able to eke out between 36 and 42 hours of battery life in our testing, up from 32 hours on the Pixel Watch 3. We also saw a notable uptick in charging speed, allowing us to take the watch from 14 to 97 percent in just 44 minutes using Google’s new proprietary charger.
Fitbit Inspire 3
$93
The Good
- Good entry-level fitness & sleep tracker
- Bright OLED display
- Lightweight
The Bad
- Huge bezels
- Limited features compared to cheaper Amazfit Band 7
The Inspire line hasn’t always felt, well, inspired. But the $99.95 Inspire 3 is different. With a color OLED display, it’s reminiscent of the Fitbit Luxe of 2021, only with a matte black plastic case instead of a metal one. It’s a great throwback to classic Fitbits for people who only want the basics.
Fitbit Ace LTE
$130
The Good
- Great build quality for a kids’ watch
- Cross platform
- Fun games that require physical activity to unlock
- Voice calls and text messaging with preselected contacts
- Family group chat
The Bad
- You’ll have to charge it every night
- Only two color options (but multiple band options)
The $179.99 Fitbit Ace LTE isn’t really a traditional fitness tracker, though it does track active minutes. Instead, it’s a smartwatch with a mix of kid-friendly games and activities and thoughtful, family-oriented communication features. It’s a walled garden, but an adorable one.
Should You Buy a Fitbit Right Now?
Fitbit officially became part of Google in 2021. Nothing changed overnight, but technically, it’s Fitbit by Google now. The Fitbit-to-Google migration started in the summer of 2023, and account migration will be mandatory — not merely optional — for all users in early 2026. Google angered longtime Fitbit users by shuttering social features like challenges and removing streaks, though the latter returned a few months later. In early 2024, Google laid off roughly a thousand employees from its hardware departments, including people on the Pixel, Fitbit, and Nest teams.
In early 2025, Google released a mandatory software update for Fitbit Versa 3 and Sense users to “reduce the risk of battery overheating,” which had the unfortunate side effect of reducing battery life from as many as six days to as few as one for some users. However, the fact that we’re getting a significantly redesigned Fitbit app and an AI-powered health coach does show that Google is still investing resources in projects under the Fitbit name. The hardware improvements introduced with the Pixel Watch 4 are also a positive sign that Google remains committed to developing compelling wearable hardware.
Stay informed about the latest advancements in the smartwatch space and consider the Fitbit options available for you. Find more details on the best Fitbit devices in our comprehensive guide Here.
Image Credit: www.theverge.com
