Google's $180 Fitbit Edge tracker has a button that does very little

Google's new Fitbit Edge costs $180, and a reviewer at Tom's Guide who wore it for two weeks says its one physical button does surprisingly little. It can stop a run, but it cannot start one. You still have to tap the screen first, which is awkward with sweaty fingers.

What it is

The Edge is a slim fitness tracker with a screen and built-in GPS. It costs $80 more than the Fitbit Air, which has neither. The reviewer liked the comfortable fit and the wide range of swappable straps. The Edge is not quite as tiny as the Air, but it still sits quietly on the wrist.

Where it falls short

The button is the most visible gap. It is a real button, and the reviewer says it beats the touch-sensitive buttons on the Fitbit Charge 6. But it does little. On the stopwatch, pressing it sends you back to the home screen instead of starting the clock.

Other things are missing once you start a workout:

• You cannot change or reorder the data fields on the small screen.
• Google Maps directions do not work in workout modes.
• You cannot control your music during a workout.
• Contactless payments are gone. Google says only 1% of Charge 6 users used them.

Battery and GPS

The GPS is set to dynamic by default. That means the Edge switches between your phone's GPS and its own built-in GPS. When it uses the built-in one, the reviewer saw battery drain of around 11% during a one-hour run.

Who it is for

The reviewer says the Edge suits casual fitness fans who want to watch daily health numbers. For that person, it does a good job at a fair price. Endurance athletes and serious runners have better options. For a sports watch, the reviewer points to the Coros Pace 4, which costs about the same.

What happens next

The reviewer thinks a firmware update, meaning a software update for the device, could fix many of these gaps. The material does not say whether Google plans such changes. Shoppers who want the missing features today may prefer to wait and see.