Fitbit ventured into the smartwatch space in 2014 with the Fitbit Surge and followed it up with the Fitbit Blaze. However, it was with the Fitbit Ionic in 2017 that the brand matched up to the competitors with the Fitbit OS and the ability to load new apps. After the Ionic came the Versa in 2018 and Versa Lite in early 2019, our favourite smartwatches from Fitbit – these were with square dials similar to the Apple Watch and came with a plethora of features.
We highly recommended the smartwatches for users who did not mind paying for a fitness focussed smartwatch. Towards the end of 2019, Fitbit announced the Versa 2 – a successor to the original Versa smartwatch, and it comes with improvements all around.
Design and look
Versa 2 continues with a square dial like the original Versa, but the screen is now AMOLED. The use of AMOLED gives you deep blacks, vibrant colours that pop-out, and also helps improve battery life. The AMOLED panel also solves one of our biggest complaint about the original Versa – an always-on display mode.
Versa 2 offers an always-on display mode that works great, but you will have to sacrifice battery life for it. Keeping it on reduces the battery life of the Versa 2 to under three days, whereas if you switch it off, it lasts 5-6 days - equal to most other premium smartwatches available today.
Moreover, the AMOLED screen makes the overall watch face appear larger by blending with the bezels – this makes the Versa 2 look way better than its predecessor. Also, the watch is protected by Gorilla Glass 3.
In terms of design as well, the Versa 2 comes with a few improvements. The watch is sleeker in design and also lighter in weight, which will help attract more interested consumers. On the rear, it has a new unified sensor and charging pins while on the front, the Versa 2 only has one button to interact and navigate.
All of these would be identifiable to someone who has been using the older Versa; otherwise, these small changes in design are not outright visible to the users. Our review unit came with the standard silicon straps, and they fit comfortably without any issue.
The good thing is that the straps are similar to the existing versa/versa lite, so you can use any existing belt that you already own. Overall, we like the premium design and feel of the Versa 2.
Features
What makes the Versa 2 great is its software feature set. The Fitbit OS is tweaked to deliver the best possible performance and comes loaded with features beneficial for the users. You get all the standard features, including floors climbed, swim tracking, heart rate tracking, exercise tracking as well as sleep tracking.
The significant addition is of Alexa integration – with this, you can use your Fitbit Versa to access the voice assistant for queries, control your connected home as well as set alarms.
Keep in mind that you would need your phone nearby and connected to the Internet to access the Alexa feature. We loved the fact that all the data is also available on your smartwatch now to analyze it quickly without the need to open the app everytime on your phone.
One issue with the watch is that there is no built-in GPS so you have to be dependent on the connected phone’s GPS for accurate reading.
Performance
Performance from Versa 2 lived up to our expectations. It matched the steps accurately as we walked around, plus it gives 15 exercise tracking options too. Fitbit has added an upgraded processor to Versa 2, and it shows – its interface is smoother and apps open faster.
Battery life is another upgrade from the predecessor – Fitbit claims over 6 days of battery, while we got over five days of backup with always-on screen feature, switched off, which is impressive. One thing still needs to be fixed by Fitbit if of the use of a proprietary charger. It would be helpful if the option were of USB Type-C or Apple lightning cable for charging.
In our opinion, the Fitbit Versa 2 is the best option available today for anyone who wants a smartwatch with fitness at its core. At its selling price, Versa 2 might seem steeply-priced, but its feature set, performance, screen, and battery life justify the cost. If you have been thinking of getting a fitness focussed smartwatch, then you should opt for the Fitbit Versa 2 without a second thought.
Price: Rs 20,999
Rating: 4.5/5
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