What you need to know
- A Google FCC filing spotted by 9to5Google points to a new Fitbit tracker, though details are scant.
- It uses Bluetooth LE but not NFC, which suggests a lower-end Fitbit tracker rather than the Charge 6.
- Fitbit will revamp its app this fall, possibly in preparation for new Fitbit trackers.
It's been nearly a year since Fitbit released any new hardware. With the long-rumored Fitbit Charge 6 still nowhere to be found and Google retracting or redesigning a lot of Fitbit software in recent months, we've been uncertain where, exactly, Fitbit would go next. Now, we have a small hint of what to expect.
9to5Google's Kyle Bradshaw spotted a Google LLC FCC filing with model number G3MP5 corresponding to an unnamed device with Bluetooth LE support.
How do we know it's a new Fitbit? Bradshaw notes that the FCC e-label declaration page states you can find the regulatory info on the device by going to Settings > Device Info > Regulatory Info from the Home screen. These are the exact same steps you follow on a current Fitbit device like the Charge 5 to find this info, and Google, of course, owns Fitbit.
In terms of which Fitbit device it is, we can assume it's a lower-end model because the FCC Exposure report only references Bluetooth. The newest Fitbits have deactivated Wi-Fi antennas, but most high-end models do at least have NFC for tap-to-pay — something that would appear in this report. For instance, the extensive Meta Quest 3 FCC report last month included testing for both Wi-Fi 6E and 5G bands.
Of the Fitbit models currently available, it's likely not an Inspire 4 because the Inspire 3 just arrived last year, nor is it a Charge 6 since the Charge 5 has NFC support. That leaves other trackers like the Fitbit Ace 3 (released March 2021) and Fitbit Luxe (April 2021) as candidates that are overdue for a successor.
Frankly, we just haven't seen that many new fitness trackers this year, with a lot of companies focusing entirely on smartwatches. When the Amazon Halo brand died earlier this year, we wrote that fitness trackers used to make up 50% of wearable sales but had dipped to just 19% throughout 2022.
If this mystery Fitbit tracker just turns out to be a kid-branded Ace 4, with no next-gen Charge in sight, it'll be another bad sign for fans of fitness trackers.
Otherwise, it's theoretically possible that Google could release some kind of Pixel-branded tracker, using Fitbit software but leaving the old Fitbit branding behind entirely. A Pixel Band could be a logical, lower-priced sibling to the Pixel Watch.
We do know that Google will redesign the Fitbit app this fall, possibly alongside the launch of the Pixel Watch 2. Maybe this mystery Fitbit (or Pixel) tracker could arrive at the same time.
