The Fitbit Edge has one obvious missing feature, NFC for wireless payments. But Samsung's upcoming Galaxy Fit4 may well have it according to the latest leaks.

As spotted by SamMobile, leaked screenshots of the Samsung Galaxy Fit4's app interface suggest Samsung's next Edge alternative is likely to have it.

The screenshots show an entry for a Wallet feature, implying NFC will be on-board.

It's notable not just because the feature is not present in the Fitbit Edge, but because it is not seen in the Samsung Galaxy Fit3 from 2024 either.

Google's excuse for leaving it out of the Fitbit Edge, when it was present in the Fitbit Charge 6, was that fewer than one per cent of owners actually used it. I see plenty of folks using an Apple Watch for wireless payments or public transport tap-ins, but other wearables? I have very little sense of how often NFC is actually used.

One other interpretation is Google wants to shave every cent it can off the Fitbit Edge's manufacturing cost. But then again it absolutely was not stingy in other areas. An Edge has a barometric altimeter, dual temperature sensors and ECG capability — I would not be surprised if the Samsung Galaxy Fit4 lacks all of these.

Fitbit Edge Versus Galaxy Fit4

Last month Android Authority posted leaked renders of the wearable, which appear to show it's very similar to the Fit3 on sale today. This suggests it's going to be a GPS-free tracker, one likely to sell as a much lower cost than the Fitbit Edge. The Fit3 currently sells for just $57.99 online.

There's a complicating factor here, though. The Fit4 went through FCC certification in August, and that filing made no mention of NFC, just its Bluetooth 5.4 credentials. NFC is by no means confirmed for the tracker, and it could potentially be a feature only seen in some markets, rather than globally.

The next big question: when will the Samsung Galaxy Fit4 arrive? It can't be long given a listing for the device's Manager app — used by Samsung wearables — has appeared on the Galaxy Store already.

Other features you can expect from the Samsung Galaxy Fit4 include an OLED display, long battery life approaching two weeks and 5ATM water resistnace, all of which are found in the Fit3 and are standard for the category. The big question: is the Fitbit Edge worth up to $100 more?