Fitbit Versa 2 Special Edition vs Versa 3 (2021): What’s The Difference?

The Fitbit Versa 3, which is the latest addition to the Versa smartwatch family, boasts of a long-awaited built-in GPS among its plethora of features. Moreover, the new wearable also comes with a faster charging time compared to its predecessors. Interestingly, however, the latest Versa watch doesn’t feature a special edition like last year’s Fitbit Versa 2.

The Fitbit Versa 2 Special Edition includes stylish jacquard woven bands in the box — a unique accessory that’s perfect for both regular days and hours at the gym. Does the Versa 3’s new features more than makeup for missing out on woven hybrid bands? Read our comparison below to find out.

Fitbit Versa 2 Special Edition vs Versa 3 Comparison Chart

Design

The Fitbit Versa 3 has a more streamlined and modern form while the Versa 2 Special Edition largely revels in its neat-looking jacquard woven bands.

If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. This seems to be Fitbit’s approach to its Versa line of smartwatches. A quick glance at the Fitbit Versa 2 SE and the Versa 3 shows no radical overhaul in design. Upon closer inspection, however, one can tell subtle refinements in the form. The Versa 3, for instance, sports more rounded corners compared to the largely squarish Versa 2. This lends the newest Fitbit wearable a more streamlined appearance compared to its predecessors.

But the newest Versa wearable also draws inspiration from other Fitbit devices. Like the Fitbit Charge 4, the Versa 3 no longer sports any physical button. In lieu of the left button found on the Versa and Versa 2 SE watches is a touch-sensitive area that largely carries the same functionality. Again, these little changes give the Versa 3 a modern and seamless aesthetic.

The specs also point out to a minimal size increase from the Versa 2 to the Versa 3. Nonetheless, this little bump in size does translate to a substantially larger 1.58″ AMOLED display of the Fitbit Versa 3 compared to the Versa 2 SE’s 1.39″ screen. This should make the newest Fitbit smartwatch easier to operate, both for nimble fingers and those with larger hands.

Colors and Woven Band

Both the Versa 2 Special Edition and Versa 3 brandish an aluminum casing and are waterproof up to 50 meters. The Versa 3 is available in three colors: black/black, midnight/soft gold, and pink clay/soft cold. Meanwhile, the Versa 2 Special Edition comes in smoke woven/mist grey aluminum and navy pink/copper rose aluminum finishes.

As mentioned earlier, the Versa 2 Special Edition differentiates itself with the inclusion of Jacquard woven bands. These new accessories are made to perfectly complement the aluminum finish of the SE models. On the smoke woven addition, the woven bands lend the watch a clean and a rather minimalist look. The navy pink combination, on the other hand, offers a dressier option.

Health and Fitness Features

The Versa 3 offers more accurate and reliable activity tracking features compared to the Versa 2 Special Edition.

While the Versa 2 Special Edition does offer some really cool woven bands, it doesn’t exactly add anything new in terms of functionality. As such, you get largely the same health and fitness features as the standard Versa 2. In fact, most of them are carried over to the Versa 3 as well. For instance, both devices track calories burned, distance traveled, and steps that are taken. Both wearables also offer female health tracking and blood oxygen monitoring.

The Versa 3, however, boasts PurePulse 2.0 technology, which should make its 24/7 heart rate monitoring more accurate and reliable compared to the Versa 2 SE. Fitbit’s latest wearable also comes with Active Zone Minutes, a new fitness-focused feature that notifies a user once they hit their personalized heart rate zones.

Both the Versa 2 SE and Versa 3 still offer over 20 goal-based exercise modes. You’ll also get alerted for guided breathing sessions throughout the day. Other shared features between the watches include sleep tracking, stress monitoring, and cardio fitness scores.

Smart Features

The Fitbit Versa 3 offers more smart features compared to the Versa 2 SE, including built-in GPS, the addition of Google Assistant, and the ability to receive calls.

Although the Versa 2 Special Edition comes with Amazon Alexa built-in, the watch itself doesn’t have a speaker. Unfortunately, this means looking at your Versa’s screen to see the voice assistant’s response. With the Versa 3, this issue has largely been solved with the addition of a loudspeaker. Fitbit’s newest watch also includes Google Assistant built-in, giving users more preferences when it comes to their smart assistant of choice.

But the loudspeaker not only benefits users who like talking to Alexa or Google. Together with a built-in microphone, the Versa 3 can now be used to receive and answer calls. It’s still limited to Android devices but it does make taking calls more convenient especially if your phone is somewhere else.

Speaking of phones being somewhere else, the Versa 3 finally comes with a built-in GPS as opposed to the Versa 2 SE’s connected GPS. This makes the latest Fitbit watch a better option, especially for those who engage in intensive outdoor activities and prefer not to carry their phones around. Having a GPS on-board should also make the Versa 3’s activity tracking more accurate and reliable.

Battery Life and Other Features

The Versa 2 Special Edition and Versa 3 share the same battery life although the latter comes with fast charging.

Fitbit claims that the Versa 2 Special Edition and the Versa 3 can both last over 6 days on a single charge. However, actual performance will still largely depend on usage. Minimal GPS-use or a watch on standby should give you the most out of both device’s battery life. But the Versa 3 does offer a bit of an upgrade with its faster charging times, with a 12-minute charge enough to power the device for a day.

Both wearables still run on Fitbit OS and are compatible with the iPhone and Android phones. The Versa 3 and Versa 2 SE also include Fitbit Pay for contactless payments, and incorporate standard smartphone notifications.

Verdict

Fitbit’s Versa 3 offers plenty of upgraded features that more than compensates for the absence of the Versa 2 Special Edition’s woven bands.

There’s no doubt that the Versa 2 Special Edition is a solid smartwatch. While it doesn’t add anything new to the standard Versa 2 model, the inclusion of its stylish woven bands should make it a popular choice for those who want a good-looking wearable.

Nonetheless, Versa 3’s inclusion of built-in GPS makes a strong case for it to be your smartwatch of choice. In addition to the GPS onboard, you also get a faster charging time, a loudspeaker and microphone that allows you to receive calls, and a more refined design.

For first-time smartwatch buyers, the Versa 2 Special Edition will save you money. But for a more future-proof device, the Fitbit Versa 3 is a practical choice.

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