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At the tip of August 2020, Fitbit launched a trio of recent wearables. Of them, two had been remarkably related: the flagship Fitbit Sense and the considerably inexpensive Fitbit Versa 3. Both smartwatches look just about equivalent, have lots of the similar options, and even run the identical software program.
From a options perspective, the Sense is the higher system and needs to be on the prime of the heap for any Fitbit fan. However, should you take a look at the value proposition of each the Sense and the Versa 3, there’s a transparent winner. In this Fitbit Versa 3 overview, we’re going to clarify which one wins and why.
Fitbit Versa 3 overview notes: I used the Fitbit Versa 3 for 5 days, operating software program model 36.128.4.17 (aka Fitbit OS 5.1.1). I had the system paired with my OnePlus 7 Pro for the whole overview interval. Since we have now already reviewed the Fitbit Sense (which is basically the identical product however with extra sensors and well being options), we’re going to maintain this overview brief. For lots of the health features, I’ll level you in the direction of our full Sense overview.
Fitbit Versa 3 at-a-glance
Credit: C. Scott Brown / Android Authority
At its core, the Fitbit Versa 3 is a terrific all-around smartwatch. If you might be in search of a strategy to monitor your general well being, see your notifications, hearken to music, and carry out rudimentary duties with no need to the touch your cellphone, the Versa 3 can do all that and extra.
However, the Versa 3 isn’t “the best” from Fitbit. Objectively, the Fitbit Sense is the perfect. In that mindset, you may take a look at the Fitbit Versa 3 in considered one of two methods. The first is pretty apparent: it’s a kneecapped model of the Fitbit Sense. It seems just like the Sense however is lacking a few of the Sense’s largest options, together with the highly-publicized electrocardiogram (ECG) monitoring.
The higher means to take a look at it’s to see the Sense virtually like a “Fitbit Versa 3 Ultra.” The Versa 3 has just about each function a smartwatch purchaser desires: correct well being monitoring, sleep monitoring (together with SpO2 monitoring), built-in GPS with GLONASS, Google Assistant or Amazon Alexa help, battery life that lasts for a number of days, and extra. For the common individual, the Versa 3 has every little thing they want.
In essence, the Fitbit Sense is for individuals who need their smartwatch to be on absolutely the bleeding edge — and are prepared to pay way more for the privilege. The Versa 3 is for everybody else.
Fitbit Versa 3 overview: What’s new because the Versa 2?
Credit: C. Scott Brown / Android Authority
The 2019 Fitbit Versa 2 wasn’t that a lot of a step up over the unique Versa. However, that’s by no means the case with the Fitbit Versa 3. The Versa 3 affords loads of modifications that ought to make Versa 2 (and particularly authentic Versa) homeowners thinking about upgrading.
Below, we’ve listed the variations between the 2 gadgets. Please notice that this isn’t a whole specs desk, that is simply the areas the place the 2 gadgets considerably differ.
Fitbit Versa 3 | Fitbit Versa 2 | |
---|---|---|
Display | 1.58-inch AMOLED 336 x 336 decision |
1.4-inch AMOLED 300 x 300 decision |
Dimensions | 40.48 x 40.48 x 12.35mm | 39.95 x 39.84 x 12.15mm |
Connectivity | Bluetooth 5.0 | Bluetooth 4.0 |
Built-in GPS | Yes, with GLONASS help | None |
Gyroscope | Yes | None |
Speaker | Yes, with cellphone name help | None |
Activity monitoring | Pure Pulse 2.0 Active Zone Minutes monitoring |
Pure Pulse No Active Zone Minutes help |
Voice assistant | Google Assistant Amazon Alexa |
Amazon Alexa |
As you may see above, the Versa 3 affords a ton of options lacking from the Versa 2. For most folk, the built-in GPS is sufficient in itself to warrant an improve. But the addition of Google Assistant and Bluetooth cellphone name help makes it a no brainer resolution.
Readers also needs to notice that the Versa 2 won’t obtain the most recent Fitbit OS 5.1 software program improve. That is reserved completely for the Fitbit Versa 3 and Fitbit Sense. That doesn’t imply the Versa 2 gained’t see any software program updates sooner or later, however it gained’t obtain the most recent UI tweaks and options of the Versa 3.
Unfortunately, should you do resolve to dump your Versa 2 for the Versa 3, you gained’t have the ability to deliver your watch bands with you. The Versa 2 bands are incompatible with the Versa 3.
How are the brand new options?
Credit: C. Scott Brown / Android Authority
Because we’ve already reviewed the Fitbit Sense, we’re not going to spend a lot time on the core options on this Fitbit Versa 3 overview. You can click on right here to take a look at that full Sense overview which covers the accuracy of well being monitoring, the show, GPS high quality, and so forth.
Once you’ve learn via that overview, you need to notice that a number of issues have modified since its authentic publication.
SpO2 monitoring
The limitation of the SpO2 sensor solely working with sure watch faces is gone. As of the most recent software program replace, the Versa 3 will monitor your SpO2 readings when you sleep whatever the watch face you’ve gotten energetic. However, the one means you may see your SpO2 developments on the watch itself is through the use of one of many three (sure, simply three) SpO2 faces Fitbit affords. If you don’t use a kind of faces, you may examine your SpO2 developments solely within the Fitbit app.
Related: The finest sleep trackers you should purchase proper now
On the subject of SpO2 information, you’ll must subscribe to Fitbit Premium to see long-term stats and browse your well being suggestions. However, Versa 3 (and Sense) homeowners can now see a week-long view with out a Premium subscription. 30-day and longer-term views can be off-limits till you pay up, although.
Google Assistant
Google Assistant help wasn’t but energetic throughout our authentic overview interval with the Fitbit Sense. With the most recent software program replace on the Versa 3 (within the US, a minimum of), now you can select between both Google Assistant or Amazon Alexa voice instructions/responses.
Google Assistant was fast and correct on the watch. I used it with primary instructions resembling “What’s the weather?” and “Turn off the bedroom lights.” It may even deal with stacked queries resembling, “Turn off the desk lights and turn on the living room lights” with ease. You can even ship textual content messages with simply your voice and, on Android, reply to texts and emails with your voice.
Unfortunately, regardless that the Versa 3 has a speaker, Google Assistant doesn’t reply by voice. Alexa customers will hear voice responses, however Assistant customers might want to deal with text-only responses. Fitbit tells us that this can change early in 2021 through a software program replace.
Bluetooth calls
That final half concerning the lack of voice responses is attention-grabbing as a result of with the most recent replace additionally comes cellphone name help. Essentially, it turns your Versa 3 right into a Bluetooth-connected speaker. You can speak to your watch throughout the name and listen to the caller’s solutions via the watch’s speaker. Since you can even settle for/finish calls from the watch and provoke calls via Google Assistant, you may feasibly use your watch for all of your voice calls with out ever touching your cellphone. Of course, you’d nonetheless want the cellphone close by for the Bluetooth connection since there’s no LTE model of the Versa 3.
Are there any downsides?
Credit: C. Scott Brown / Android Authority
As far as {hardware} goes, the Fitbit Sense and the Fitbit Versa 3 are equivalent, for all intents and functions. As such, any of the criticisms directed on the Sense in our authentic overview additionally apply to the Versa 3. One of these criticisms is the reliance on a proprietary charging cable with no wi-fi charging help. In different phrases, you’ll want so as to add yet one more distinctive cable to your life (and, ultimately, the landfill).
Probably the largest criticism associated to each watches is the capacitive button on the left facet of the watch. Thankfully, the most recent model of Fitbit OS makes it so that you don’t must depend on the capacitive button as a lot. Instead of utilizing it as a “back” button, you solely want to make use of it for app shortcuts, going again to the principle watch face from wherever you is perhaps, or turning the show on when you’ve got tilt-to-wake off. It can be good for future Fitbit smartwatches to supply {hardware} buttons, however till then, you’re caught with capacitive.
Related: The finest smartwatches you should purchase proper now
If you couldn’t inform already, the most recent model of Fitbit OS solves quite a lot of the early issues we had with the Sense. However, the Versa 3 is lacking a core function of earlier Versas, specifically native music importing. You can obtain playlists from Deezer and Pandora proper to the watch for offline playback (you’ve gotten about 2.5GB of area to work with). Unfortunately, you can’t ship your individual MP3 recordsdata to the Versa 3. You additionally nonetheless can’t obtain Spotify playlists, though you may management your cellphone’s Spotify app out of your watch.
Credit: C. Scott Brown / Android Authority
Another sticking level is battery life. Fitbit advertises six or extra days of battery life with the Versa 3, up from the five-or-more declare for the Versa 2. The downside is that the brand new options (and limitations) of the watch make it most unlikely that you simply’ll see six days of energy. For this Fitbit Versa 3 overview interval, I received about 3.5 days of energy. I took the watch off the charger at 8:00 AM on Monday and it was at 7% by 4:00 PM on Thursday. That’s with monitoring a morning exercise every day, the always-on-display energetic, sleep monitoring energetic, and about an hour of GPS use. It took me one hour to cost the watch again to full.
Related: The finest health trackers you may get proper now
Now, you may assume that you may get extra battery life should you turned the always-on-display function off. While true, this may be ill-advised as a result of Fitbit has a knack for making tilt-to-wake a poor expertise. I’d say roughly 30% of the occasions I raised my wrist to examine the time, the show didn’t activate. I see the identical downside on my Fitbit Charge 4. Having the AOD on solves this problem and, to me, is price shaving some hours off battery life. Of course, it might be very nice if Fitbit simply mounted this oversight throughout its lineup.
Finally, we will’t ignore the elephant within the room that’s Fitbit’s app library. Simply put, the record of apps out there on the Fitbit Versa 3 is so brief you could scroll via all of them in about 30 seconds. There are some primary ones there, resembling a calculator, a maps app, and even some video games. In comparability to different platforms although, the app choice is abysmal. If you bounce into the Fitbit ecosystem, count on to be lacking out on a few of the core app experiences of different platforms.
Fitbit Versa 3 vs Fitbit Sense: Which is the higher purchase?
Credit: C. Scott Brown / Android Authority
Ignoring minor particulars, there are solely three issues the Fitbit Sense affords that the Versa 3 lacks:
- Electrodermal exercise (EDA) monitoring (Basically your stress ranges)
- Electrocardiogram (ECG) monitoring (How wholesome your coronary heart is)
- Skin temperature (Abnormalities right here might be linked to numerous illnesses)
Other than these three checks, there’s nothing the Sense can do this the Fitbit Versa can’t. With that in thoughts, the distinction in worth between the 2 watches is $100. In essence, your selection between these two gadgets hinges on a single query: are these three metrics above price $100?
See additionally: The finest health trackers for girls you should purchase proper now
My guess is that the common individual would reply “No” to that query. If you end up in that camp, then you understand that the Versa 3 is the higher purchase.
However, don’t fully write off the Fitbit Sense. Fitbit places its gadgets on sale very often, so there’s a really good probability you may seize a Sense for a lot lower than its $329.99 record worth. Obviously, if the Sense is on sale, although, the Versa 3 probably is as nicely. But when you’ve got a strict finances of $300 and also you need to get probably the most smartwatch you may, it’s very probably you may discover a Sense for that worth. If you need to spend as little as doable, although, the Versa 3 will do you simply effective.
Fitbit Versa 3 overview: Is it a good value?
Credit: C. Scott Brown / Android Authority
When you cease evaluating the Fitbit Versa 3 to the Fitbit Sense and begin evaluating it to the competitors, its value turns into very clear. The Versa 3 has an inventory worth of $229.99. For iPhone customers, that makes it cheaper than the Apple Watch SE ($279). While we might finally counsel that iPhone customers get the Watch SE anyway, folks on strict budgets can be completely satisfied to save lots of a little bit money and get a strong expertise with the Versa 3, regardless that the app library can be comparatively tiny.
Fitbit Versa 3 Probably the perfect smartwatch for many Android customers
If you are in search of the perfect all-around smartwatch at a fairly good worth, you are probably in search of the Fitbit Versa 3. While it lacks the bells and whistles of the Fitbit Sense and will not monitor your well being higher than a Garmin, you are going to pay a whole bunch much less for this and nonetheless be fairly completely satisfied.
For Android customers, there’s not a lot available on the market within the Versa 3’s worth vary that may prime its assortment of options. No matter which competitor system you select, you’re going to lose one thing to realize one thing and vice versa. For instance, you will discover a Fossil Gen 5 for across the similar worth as a Versa 3, which is able to afford you a way more strong app library, native music uploads, and Google Assistant voice responses. But the battery lifetime of the Wear OS-powered watch can be downright horrible in comparison with the Versa 3.
Conversely, you may go with the Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2. That will provide you with a barely larger app library and in addition prevent some cash, however you’ll get weaker health monitoring.
If you resolve to go with the Fitbit Versa 3, do keep in mind that you’ll want a Fitbit Premium account to unlock sure options. Honestly, the Premium function set isn’t important, so foregoing it might be effective for most individuals. If you do need it although, you’ll must issue the $9.99-per-month price (or $80 yearly) into your resolution.
The backside line right here is that the Fitbit Versa 3 might be the perfect all-around smartwatch Android customers can get for the worth. You may discover a greater smartwatch from Garmin, however you’d spend much more cash. You may additionally get a health tracker for lots much less money, however lose out on quite a lot of smartwatch options. The Versa 3, although, is correct within the center and might be the perfect bang-for-your-buck watch for most individuals studying this.
(This story has not been edited by Newslivenation workers and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)