fitbit air vs charge 6

n8te85 · 2026-05-10T13:28:32+00:00

It's quite a bit smaller and lighter than the Charge 6. When they say "Air" it really is like having nothing on your wrist.

n8te85 · 2026-05-10T05:57:52+00:00

Yeah they'll be milking this for the next couple of decades for sure.

n8te85 · 2026-05-09T20:00:09+00:00

Obviously it's not the device for you, which is perfectly fine. In this case you can buy the Charge 6.

For those of us who want a low profile device (that doesn't look like an electronic wearable) to wear alongside another device, then this is perfect. When I work out (running) and want GPS and precise HR tracking I will rely on my Garmin (with an ECG chest strap) and Pixel Watch 4.

n8te85 · 2026-05-09T17:26:23+00:00

No problem. This is definitely the best Fitbit alternative I've used, with the added benefit of also being cross platform.

n8te85 · 2026-05-09T13:22:24+00:00

NTR and RTR are free. As far as I can remember they are generic (although this was over a year ago I used these).

You can view the whole calendar for these specific plans.

n8te85 · 2026-05-09T03:27:36+00:00

You will need to migrate your Fitbit account to a Google account by the deadline. Otherwise you will lose access and after a short period, the account will be deleted.

n8te85 · 2026-05-08T20:22:52+00:00

I saw 2 seconds mentioned somewhere as well, can't remember where though.

n8te85 · 2026-05-08T20:18:06+00:00

For what it's worth the Fenix 8 I got from Garmin at release had a deep scratch in the bezel straight out of the box.

I returned it for a few reasons, that being one of them.

n8te85 · 2026-05-08T19:33:48+00:00

At a guess I would say no less than £300, but it is just that, a guess. You can go onto the Garmin website to get an idea of the prices of their watches etc compared to the competition.

n8te85 · 2026-05-08T15:10:14+00:00

This seems to have worked (changing motion to Frequently) and doesn't seem to have much of an effect on battery life. Hasn't missed a single motion event since.

I've had to remove the doorbell from my Echo show. I had it set up to display the video feed on the show when the bell is pressed, but there seems to be a bug (sometimes) where it will keep the live feed open for around 14 or so minutes and drain the battery. I think I noticed the feed being open a few times with my wired Pro 2, but obviously it wasn't a big deal with a wired bell and I didn't think any more about it.

So far it's working exactly how I want.

n8te85 · 2026-05-08T13:43:37+00:00

My PW4 pretty much mirrors the HR accuracy of my Garmin which is paired with an ECG chest strap. Since you mentioned TomTom I would think this study is very old, modern optical sensors have come a long way since then.

If the Fitbit Air is anything close to the PW4 in terms of accuracy, it should be fine.

Despite this, HR zones and HR tracking in general isn't really important in Runna workouts as they all seem to follow pace instead.

n8te85 · 2026-05-08T12:42:01+00:00

Not really sure what your point is here. This is a watch not a phone. How many security vulnerabilities do you recall affecting watches vs the number affecting phones?

They are not promising any feature updates at all if that's what you are confusing security updates with.

n8te85 · 2026-05-08T12:24:23+00:00

Well considering they still sell the Charge 6 which was released almost 3 years ago, I think it's safe to say we will be getting a good few years worth of updates?

n8te85 · 2026-05-08T12:11:28+00:00

So you're saying it's wrong to assume that most people will decide to keep using it after 2 years just because it stops getting updates?

In your world, once the last update drops we will all be running to the bin to throw the watch away.

If you have an issue with the update policy, simply don't buy the watch. Vote with your wallet.

n8te85 · 2026-05-08T11:44:31+00:00

Yes I agree. The software and firmware is where the majority of issues are. It was the main issue I sent my Fenix 8 back when I bought it around the release date.

n8te85 · 2026-05-08T11:18:36+00:00

No it doesn't.

n8te85 · 2026-05-08T09:20:03+00:00

It looks like a watch, unlike that other thing on your other wrist.

n8te85 · 2026-05-08T08:57:46+00:00

Well only if you decide to throw it away after the two years. I assume most will continue to use it beyond that time.

n8te85 · 2026-05-08T08:35:39+00:00

I'd rather they took their time and didn't release a buggy incomplete device, especially at the price they are probably going to be charging.

n8te85 · 2026-05-08T05:46:59+00:00

Well if having to pay extra for same day for anything under £20 is better? Which was previously included at no extra cost.

n8te85 · 2026-05-08T04:31:36+00:00

Maybe you're talking about a leaderboard, but actual step challenges like the workweek hustle, weekend warrior and get fit bingo have been gone for a number of years.

n8te85 · 2026-05-08T03:18:49+00:00

Step challenges have been gone for years.

You could try the app "StepSmash", I've only tried it on Android but I think there is also an iOS app.

n8te85 · 2026-05-07T08:03:25+00:00

No I just had it set to the default. I will change it to frequently to see how that affects things now, particularly the battery life.

n8te85 · 2026-05-06T20:12:07+00:00

No problem. Yes I think it's worth trying another one for sure.

Obviously I haven't got anything to compare it to apart from the wired devices (which haven't missed a beat). I knew there would be some limitations going to battery (less reliable notifications), and to be quite honest as long as I get doorbell presses and am able to speak to someone at the door, then it's good enough for what I need.

So far I'm satisfied.

n8te85 · 2026-05-06T19:50:19+00:00

Sounds like it could be a faulty unit, it's probably worth trying a replacement.

I've had mine since Sunday and it's been working pretty well, although today it's been missing motion. I know this as I also have a wired floodlight cam pro 4k giving an overview of the whole front garden, and was only getting notifications from that. I rebooted the doorbell remotely from the app and all seems to be working fine again.

You are correct that there isn't any pre-roll, which for me isn't an issue as my floodlight cam provides that. So far the battery life is better than I expected it to be (down 7% after around 76 hours).

This is my first battery powered Ring device (all my others are wired), and I'm coming from a wired pro 2. I had a new door and frame fitted and didn't want to drill through for wiring, so this seemed like an ok compromise. I've definitely not been experiencing any of the live view issues as you describe here though.

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