Fitbit has unveiled its newest lineup of gadgets, and there’s fairly a little bit of shuffling happening. The Ionic has lastly been retired, the Versa 2 is out of the blue in no-man’s land, the Inspire and Inspire HR have been changed by a single mannequin, and there are two new smartwatches on the high of the road: the $329 Versa 3 and the Sense. But with simply $100 separating them, which of Fitbit’s new flagships must you purchase?
Versa 3 vs Sense: Design and show
You’re not going to have the ability to inform aside the Versa 3 and the Sense. That’s as a result of they’ve the very same measurement and form, which is barely bigger than the Versa 2.
Versa 3 and Sense: 40.48 x 40.48 x 12.35mm
Versa 2: 39.95 x 39.84 x 12.15mm
In addition to the identical physique, the Versa 3 and Sense each have 1.58-inch 336×336 OLED shows, a little bit greater than the Versa 2’s 1.39-inch display screen. The Sense is about 5 grams heavier however you shouldn’t discover the additional weight in your wrist. They additionally are available in comparable colours, with each watches that includes a stainless-steel physique in both “soft gold” in addition to a darker choice (graphite for the Sense and black for the Versa 3). And they’ve a haptic button on the left edge reasonably than a bodily one.
- The Fitbit Sense is available in graphite whereas the Versa 3 is available in black.
Like the watches and trackers that got here earlier than, the Versa 3 and Sense have swappable bands that join in a different way than earlier than, so older straps received’t work. But any strap made for the Sense will work with the Vera 3 and vice versa.
Versa 3 vs Sense: Connectivity and sensors
While they may look precisely the identical, the Fitbit Versa 3 and Sense are fairly totally different on the within. First, right here’s what you’re getting regardless of which watch you purchase:
- PurePulse 2.0 coronary heart monitoring
- SP02 sensor
- GPS
- Accelerometer
- Altimeter
- Bluetooth/Wi-Fi
- Microphone
- Speaker
- 50M water resistance
That’s a pleasant set of specs, however the Sense is filled with much more, a few of which we’ve by no means seen in a shopper smartwatch:
- Multi-path optical coronary heart charge sensor
- Multipurpose electrical sensors appropriate with ECG app & EDA app
- Skin temperature sensor
In the following part, we’ll check out what every of these sensors does.
Versa 3 vs Sense: Fitness and well being monitoring
While each watches will do the issues that you just anticipate a Fitbit machine to do—step, elevation, calorie, sleep, and train monitoring—the Sense has a couple of new tips enabled by its next-gen sensors.
FitbitThe Versa 3 tracks your sleep however not your pores and skin temperature.
The Sense will be capable to monitor your stress, observe your physique temperature whilst you sleep, and hold tabs in your coronary heart rhythm all in your wrist. Here’s how they work:
- EDA (stress): Hold your palm over the show
- ECG (coronary heart rhythm): Hold two fingers on the corners of the stainless-steel ring for 30 seconds
- Skin temperature: Automatically whilst you sleep
Additionally, Fitbit Premium (out there for $10 a month or $80 a yr) unlocks much more information about your stress rating. You’ll get detailed breakdowns of how the rating is calculated, together with “exertion balance (impact of activity), responsiveness (heart rate, heart rate variability, and electrodermal activity from the EDA Scan app), and sleep patterns (sleep quality).” A brand new Health Metrics dashboard will amplify the knowledge the Sense’s sensors file, together with “breathing rate (average breaths per minute), resting heart rate (an important indicator of cardiovascular health), heart rate variability (variation of time between each heartbeat), and skin temperature variations.”
Versa 3 vs Sense: Battery and charging
The batteries contained in the Versa 3 and Sense are each rated for a similar 6-plus days of use, however that comes with caveats. If you employ the always-on show, and/or use GPS usually, it received’t final as lengthy. But for essentially the most half, both watch will final far longer than an Apple Watch.
FitbitThe Fitbit Sense and Versa 3 have the identical battery and charger.
For charging, Fitbit lastly has a charger that isn’t a clunky, awkward cradle. Both watches include the identical kind of charger and it helps quick charging. Fitbit claims {that a} 12-minute cost will present a full day of use, and a whole cost takes simply 40 minutes, which is approach quicker than its earlier chargers.
Versa 3 vs Sense: OS, apps, and assistant
The Sense and Versa 3 are a part of Fitbit’s household of smartwatches, in order that they each run the most recent model of Fitbit OS, which has been utterly redesigned to make the most of the bigger shows. It doesn’t have as deep of an app catalog because the Apple Watch, however there are many good ones in addition to quite a lot of clock faces.
There are additionally some new options on board. Fitbit has launched new customizable widgets which are accessible by swiping up from the underside, in addition to redesigned notifications and on-screen apps, whereas additionally providing extra personalization choices. If you’re utilizing an Android cellphone, you’ll be capable to reply calls and reply texts utilizing your voice, and also you now have a alternative of assistants, Alexa or Google.
Versa 3 vs Sense: Conclusion
If you’ve determined to purchase a Fitbit smartwatch, the Versa 3 and the Sense are essentially equivalent apart from the Sense’s three further sensors: EDA, ECG, and pores and skin temperature. Granted, we have to check them to verify they work, however Fitbit’s gadgets are usually rock-solid relating to health and well being monitoring, and the Sense is correct in its wheelhouse. The Versa 3 is a superb health smartwatch at worth, however the additional $100 will probably be nicely spent on the Sense.