Fitbit just expanded its smartwatch lineup, unveiling its most advanced and, by the same token, most expensive model the Sense.
On one hand, Fitbit users will have more options to upgrade soon. On the other hand, others can expect deals on the Versa 2 to start rolling out. In that case, is the older wearable still worth getting? We compare the two to help you decide whether you should preorder the Sense now or wait for the inevitable Versa 2 discounts.
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Fitbit Sense vs Versa 2 Comparison Chart
| Model | Fitbit Sense | |
 |  | |
| Price | Check Price | Check Price |
| Display | AMOLED | AMOLED |
| Material | Aluminum, stainless steel | Aluminum |
| Water Resistance | Up to 50 meters | Up to 50 meters |
| Built-in GPS | Yes | No |
| Voice Assistant | Google Assistant, Alexa | Google Assistant (rumored to be coming soon), Alexa |
| Music | Spotify playback controls, Deezer, Pandora | Spotify playback controls, Deezer, Pandora |
| Notifications | Replies (Android only), calls, texts, calendar events, Gmail, Facebook | Replies (Android only), calls, texts, calendar events |
| Fitbit Pay | Yes | Yes |
| ECG | Yes | No |
| EDA | Yes | No |
| SpO2 | Yes | Yes |
| Skin Temperature Sensing | Yes | No |
| Stress Tracking | Yes | No |
| Sleep Tracking | Yes | Yes |
| Menstrual Cycle Tracking | Yes | Yes |
| Battery Life | Over 6 days or up to 12 hours with GPS on | Over 6 days |
| Fast Charging | Yes, 12 minutes for one full day’s worth of battery | No |
| Colors | Carbon/Graphite, Lunar White/Soft Gold | Black/Carbon, Stone/Mist Gray, Petal/Copper Rose, Bordeaux/Copper Rose, Smoke (woven)/Mist Gray (special edition), Navy and Pink (woven)/Copper Rose (special edition) |
Design and Specs
The Sense has a more polished look than the Versa 2.
Fitbit gave the Sense a sleek and unisex design with a curved square face, making it appealing to a wide audience. It comes in two colors to boot: Carbon/Graphite or Lunar White/Soft Gold. In contrast, the Versa 2 looks relatively “outdated” with slightly sharper corners, but it still has that polished vibe to it. It’s also available in six colors, two of which are special editions with woven bands. Both have AMOLED touch screens with always-on mode, for the record.
Under the hood is where the differences become clearer in which the “newness” of the Sense is emphasized. To start things off, one of the biggest pain points of the Versa 2 is it didn’t have built-in GPS, which is crucial for outdoor workouts. Needless to say, that isn’t an issue with the new top dog.
Battery life is the same on either one, though. According to Fitbit, you should get more than six days’ worth of juice on a single charge. The Sense is also rated to last up to 12 hours with GPS on, which doesn’t apply to the Versa 2 for obvious reasons. Moreover, it’s the only one of the two that supports fast charging, giving you enough battery for one whole day in just 12 minutes.
In addition, the Sense has plenty of new sensors. In fact, it’s set to be one of the most feature-packed health smartwatches in the market.
Health Features
The Sense can keep track of your health better.
The Versa 2 has the basic health features any wearable in this category worth its salt should have. It can track your sleep, calories burned, heart rate, and menstrual cycles, as well as provide scores on your fitness and sleep.
It goes without saying that the Sense has all that too, but it builds on the Versa 2 with stress tracking, an ECG (electrocardiogram), an EDA (electrodermal activity) sensor, and skin temperature sensing capabilities. It also notifies you when your resting heart rate is too high or too low.
Speaking of, the Sense is going to come with Fitbit’s PurePulse 2.0. Supposedly, it’ll provide more accurate readings on your health than the Versa 2.
Activity Features
The Sense should provide better accuracy when it comes to recording data.
In terms of activity tracking, the Versa 2 isn’t getting left behind by the Sense. For starters, both are swimproof with a water resistance of up to 50 meters, over 20 exercise modes preloaded, and automatic workout detection via SmartTrack.
However, the Sense still has clear advantages on this front. As mentioned earlier, it has onboard GPS, meaning you don’t have to bring your phone along during runs and such. On top of that, it has the aforementioned PurePulse 2.0 technology, so you’ll be getting more precise data on your overall fitness.
Smart Features
The Versa 2 can somewhat keep up with the Sense in terms of smartwatch features.
Both smartwatches are pretty much equally smart. In other words, you can store songs and podcasts from Pandora or Deezer, control Spotify, get notifications for calls and texts, and things like that. You can also use Fitbit Pay on either one.
Thing is, the Versa 2 launched only with Alexa integration, but it’s rumored to get Google Assistant sometime in the future. Meanwhile, the Sense was officially announced to have support for both voice assistants.
Verdict
The Sense has a lot more to offer, but the Versa 2 is still serviceable.
The Sense is the more advanced smartwatch between the two with a focus on health features. It also addresses issues of the Versa 2 such as the lack of a built-in GPS, but beyond those, the older wearable isn’t too different. To sum up, the Sense is the better pick if the new health sensors matter to you, but the Versa 2 can still get the job done if you don’t mind a few drawbacks here and there.
Regarding the availability of the Versa 2, it’ll disappear from Fitbit’s website with the arrival of the Sense along with the new Versa 3 and Inspire 2. However, it’ll likely remain on third-party retailers such as Amazon with discounted prices.
FAQs
The Sense has a built-in GPS, ECG (electrocardiogram), EDA (electrodermal activity) sensor, skin temperature sensor, and PurePulse 2.0, none of which are available on the Versa 2.
The Sense is better than the Versa 2 because it has more health-focused features and onboard GPS, which is important for runners and cyclists.
Yes, the Sense is Fitbit’s most advanced smartwatch to date, and it can provide a wide breadth of data on your fitness and health.
Yes. Deals on the Versa 2 are expected to roll out once the new models hit the shelves, making for one affordable yet capable health-focused smartwatch. However, it doesn’t have built-in GPS, which could be a deal breaker for runners and cyclists.
Last update on 2020-12-23 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API