If you have been waiting patiently for a new Fitbit tracker to hit shelves, you’ve been waiting very patiently indeed. The Google-owned firm has not released a new tracker since the Fitbit Charge 6 in September 2023, while the other devices in its current line up, the Inspire 3, Versa 4 and Sense 2, were released in 2022.
The Fitbit Ace LTE, a smartwatch for children, was released in 2024, but is only available in the US.
Now, Google has confirmed to 9to5Google that it will release “new Fitbit hardware” in 2026.
The famous fitness brand had previously been on a roll of releasing at least one new device for adults every calendar year since 2011, even after Google acquired the company in 2021.
In August 2024, Google said it would no longer release Fitbit-branded smartwatches, implying the Versa 4 and Sense 2 will be the last available. Google has instead integrated the Fitbit app into its Google Pixel Watch smartwatches, with users needing to use the Fitbit app for Android for their fitness and exercise tracking.
Because of this, it’s likely the new 2026 Fitbit will be a slim tracker in the ilk of the Charge or Inspire range. Google has not said how many devices it is intending to launch.
Unlike the Pixel Watch, all Fitbits are compatible with both Android and iPhone handsets.
Google told 9to5Google it is “launching new Fitbit hardware next year” when discussing the new Fitbit Coach software, which is currently entering preview in the US. This means some users will be able to test it before its general release.
Fitbit Coach is an AI-powered assistant that will live in the Fitbit app and is designed to give you a more personalised fitness coach tool that will be able to assess data gathered from wearing your Fitbit and recommend certain actions, from when to exercise and for how long to mining sleep data for deeper insights into how to improve your rest.
Announcing a plan for new Fitbit hardware suggests Google wants a newer low-cost Fitbit with which to push people onto its Fitbit Coach software, which will require a £7.99 per month Fitbit Premium subscription.
I have used and reviewed several Fitbit devices over the last decade, and am glad to hear Google is reportedly not entirely done with Fitbit hardware despite the Google Pixel Watch eating some of Fitbit’s lunch.
The Fitbit Inspire 3 and Charge 6 are accomplished, if simple, trackers in 2025 and have stood up well over time. As they are not smartwatches, the absence of third party apps is not as big an issue as when Google decided not to support the Versa 4 or Sense 2 with them, which left those smartwatches feeling hobbled, especially considering their higher prices.
The Inspire 3 costs £84.99 and is incredibly lightweight with 10 days of battery life, but it has a very small screen and lacks GPS.
The Charge 6 retails for £139.99 but has a larger, better screen, GPS, and access to turn-by-turn directions in Google Maps and Google Wallet support for contactless payments.