Joel Chokkattu/Digital Trends
Fitbit has a commanding share of the pricier end of the fitness wearables market with some of the best fitness trackers you can buy. The original Fitbit Versa marked a move into smartwatch territory, with a much larger, squared off screen, and a few extra features beyond health and fitness tracking. The Fitbit Versa 2 promises to improve on its predecessor with a raft of new features including Alexa support, better sleep tracking, and Fitbit Pay in all models. Let’s take a closer look at how these smartwatches compare.
Specs
Fitbit Versa 2
Fitbit Versa
Display size
TBC
1.34 inches
Resolution
TBC
300 x 300 pixels
Touchscreen
AMOLED
1.34-inch LCD
Wireless interface
Bluetooth 5.0, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, NFC
Bluetooth 4.0, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, NFC
Depth
TBC
11.2 mm
Accelerometer
Yes
Yes
Gyroscope
Yes
Yes
Ambient light sensor
Yes
Yes
Heart rate sensor
Yes
Yes
Barometer
Yes
Yes
GPS
No
No
Water resistant
Yes
Yes
Battery life
5-plus days
145mAh 4-plus days
Price
$200
$200
Availability
Fitbit
Fitbit
DT review
First look
4 out of 5 stars
While Fitbit doesn’t go into details on the hardware inside its devices, the Versa 2 does have a new, more powerful processor and redesigned software that should ensure slicker, faster performance compared to the original Versa. We did notice some occasional stuttering when navigating the first Versa so this is a welcome improvement.
Winner: Fitbit Versa 2
Design and display
The Fitbit Versa 2 looks a lot like the original Fitbit Versa with the same square face and rounded, chamfered edges in anodized aluminum. The Versa 2 has just a single button on the left, with a polished finish. These smartwatches are designed to be worn all the time, so they have a style that could fit comfortably with most outfits. Fitbit offers a wide range of different bands to enable you to change the look.
A more tangible improvement in the Fitbit Versa 2 is the screen. Fitbit has gone from LCD to AMOLED and that translates to deeper blacks and more vibrant colors. Both the Versa watches are also water resistant, up to a depth of 50 meters, so you can swim with them on.
Winner: Fitbit Versa 2
Fitness and health-tracking features
Joel Chokkattu/Digital Trends
You’ll find the same comprehensive fitness tracking options from the Versa on the Versa 2. There are more than 15 goal-based exercise modes, you can track workouts, there’s 24/7 heart rate tracking, and you can review your stats right on the Versa’s screen. You can delve into time, distance, calories, and steps with basic information accessible on the watch and the option to dive deeper via the smartphone app. One potential disappointment is that Fitbit has stuck with connected GPS in the Versa 2, which means the watch relies on your phone for GPS tracking.
Fitbit also offers female health tracking, guided breathing, motivation on your wrist, and educational insights about your activity and nutrition, but the headline it’s pushing with the Versa 2 is more in-depth sleep tracking with a smart wake mode that’s supposed to pick the right time to wake you in the morning, a sleep score, and more detailed insights into your sleep stages and overall quality.
For guidance on better sleep hygiene, dynamic workouts, health coaching, and deeper insights you can subscribe to Fitbit Premium which costs $10 per month or $80 per year.
The existing features are the same on both models and the new features should be rolling out to the original Versa too, so there’s nothing to set them apart here.
Winner: Tie
Battery life
Joel Chokkattu/Digital Trends
The Fitbit Versa 2 offers longer battery life than the original. Fitbit suggests you should expect five days and up from a single charge, which is a significant boost over the original Versa’s four days and up estimate. We were able to get four days out of the original Versa’s battery, even with heavy use. There is a new always-on display option, but you can expect it to drain your battery faster if you decide to use it.
Winner: Fitbit Versa 2
Special features
Joel Chokkattu/Digital Trends
The big addition in the Versa 2 is a microphone and Amazon Alexa support. You can ask Alexa questions and get on screen text replies allowing you to check the weather, start recording a workout, get nutritional information, or find the nearest gym simply by asking. It could also prove handy to set reminders, timers during workouts, or even to compile shopping lists while you work out. If you have an Android phone you can also use the microphone to reply to texts and notifications with custom voice replies.
If you got the more expensive, special edition of the original Fitbit Versa then you would have been able to use Fitbit Pay to make payments with your watch. Fitbit has included Fitbit Pay support on all models of the Fitbit Versa 2. Both models support a range of apps, including things like Spotify, and can relay notifications from your phone to your wrist.
Winner: Fitbit Versa 2
Price and availability
The Fitbit Versa 2 starts shipping on September 15 and it costs $200. There is also a special edition at $230 which comes with two bands and includes a 90-day Fitbit Premium trial. That’s the same price that the original Fitbit Versa launched at and it’s still widely available, though you can pick it up for a bit less now and we expect the price to drop further with its successor hitting the market.
Overall winner: Fitbit Versa 2
It’s no surprise to find that the Fitbit Versa 2 is a better overall device than the original Versa. It has a more powerful processor, a better screen, and longer battery life. The feature set is much the same with all the fitness and health tracking and smartphone connectivity you’d expect, but Fitbit has also added Amazon’s Alexa into the mix, which could prove very handy for hands-free commands. Since the Versa 2 is also launching at the same price as the original, the only reason to consider the Versa over its successor is if you see a heavy discount.