I have used Fitbits for many years - all the way back to the days of the first Fitbit Flex. I have upgraded over the years to the Charge, the Charge HR, Charge 2, and now the Versa I and finally the II.
LOOKS
Fitbit Versa 2 is significantly better looking than the Fitbit Versa 1. The screen has less bezel, and doesn't have that ugly Fitbit logo at the bottom. Even if the screen size isn't a massive increase, it feels as if it is because of the rounded glass. This gives it a much more premium feel. The screen is also now a AMOLED display which means it will provide an ample amount of brightness and great sharp colours in the great outdoors (compared to the LED model of Versa 1).
BUTTONS
If you were a fan of the three button system the old Versa has, then look away. Now you have to rely more on the swipes and taps on the bigger screen to navigate. I rather like this more polished look as it becomes sleeker in my view but not everyone may have this opinion.
OS
The OS has some new tweaks like a dashboard which enables you to set night mode, do not disturb, brightness and whether you have a screen that wakes on movement or manually. This is quick useful as in the past it took a few more taps and was more clumsy of a process. Overall i have found over the years the Fitbit sleep tracking and exercise tracking to be fun to use and best in class compared to other trackers. The new sleep score system puts all the information together to give you a singular number to compare you sleep on a daily basis.
SPEED
The Fitbit Versa 2 is much snappier thanks to the upgraded internals. Whilst scrolling through, you can tell the touch response to the screen is much quicker than the prior generation.
COMPATIBILITY
The Fitbit Versa 2 has a new charger hub, which means you can't use the old Versa 1 charging cable. Fitbit loves making new products that aren't compatible with old chargers. Whilst this is disappointing, at least the Versa 1 straps are backward compatible with Versa 2. So at least you have that. The watch faces are also compatible vs the older Versa, so there is already a massive existing library for you to customise your experience.
NEW FEATURES
There aren't really that many new features compared to the Fitbit Versa 1. The main addition worth mentioning is really just Alexa capabilities. Unfortunately i found out that you need to keep the Fitbit app open in the background. It seems to have no problem picking up what I am saying. I have found Alexa to be a bit of a gimmick as the connection is not always reliable. It often tells me that there is no internet connection or the app isn't open and therefore Alexa doesn't work.
BATTERY LIFE
According to the specifications the battery life is supposed to last 5 days. This is 1 more than the old model. After a year with the old Versa, it seemed to decrease in battery life, but this is expected with older devices. I will update in this review once I can put it to the full test. However, Fitbit over the years has lived up to the specifications on every device i have owned (except of course if it is defective). I would expect it to last the full 5 days as advertised. This is far longer than many of Fitbits competitors out there.
SHOULD YOU GET IT?
If you already own a Versa, and it still works fine, then no - probably not. But if you have a defective or bashed up old on, then you might consider the upgrade. I think given the unreliability of Alexa and connectivity being required to access these smart features, it loses 2 stars for me. However, this is hopefully a software update away from being far far better. I will update this review should anything change.
If you are a newbie to Fitbit, then I do think this is a good starter to get into the Smartwatch/fitness watch game. It is less smart than some of the competitors out there like Apple Watch and even the Garmins, but it does what it says on the tin, is reliable and at the end of the day a household name ecosystem that many of your friends will be part of.
UPDATE: After 6 days of using, the battery is still at 32%. Fitbit has outdone themselves with the battery life. The connectivity problems with Alexa are still intermittent, but i have found it to be slightly more reliable than when i started. I also found the resting heart rate sensor to be quite different from the Versa 1. I will continue to monitor, as it hasn't changed as much as it usually does in a 1 week period with my Versa 1.
Age range | Youth |
---|---|
Color | Black |
Size | One Size |
Style | Versa 2 Standard Edition |
Compatible with | Smartphones : smartphones|smart phones|android phones |
Display size | 1.34 Inches |
Material type | Synthetic |
Number of items | 1 |
Features | Sleep Monitor, Calendaring, Voice Control, Calorie Tracker, Notifications, Heart Rate Monitor |
Sport | Boxing, Running, Airsoft, Yoga, Football |
Included components | Smart watch |
Batteries included? | Yes |
Brand | Fitbit |
Department | Unisex-Adult |
Manufacturer | Fitbit |
Item model number | FB507BKBK |
Product Dimensions | 3.96 x 4.04 x 1.19 cm; 4.54 Grams |
ASIN | B07TWFVDWT |