For people searching for activity trackers, Fitbit is a popular brand with a long health and fitness pedigree. The Versa series is Fitbit’s very effective effort to cross the line into smartwatch territory, and with an improved screen, longer battery life, and Amazon Alexa support, the Fitbit Versa 2 Fitness or activity tracker builds on its predecessor in a few small ways.
The Fitbit Versa 2 has a vivid, AMOLED screen, accepts mobile purchases and a handful of third-party applications, and delivers reminders of calls and updates on your wrist, but the monitoring of health and wellbeing is really where this system shines. It’s not going to deal with the Apple Watch, but it doesn’t even have to, at $199.95.
For the last week or so, I’ve been using the Fitbit Versa 2, and there have been peaks and downs. Here’s how it got on.
Table of Contents
Design:
Fitbit Versa 2 displays a square with rounded edges. The design is similar to the original Fitbit Versa, but Fitbit has removed two buttons on the right side, so the Fitbit Versa 2 has a button on the left. The Fitbit logo has been dropped from the front, which enhances the overall look, though there is a large bezel around the screen.
Concerning the screen, switching to AMOLED is a major improvement over the LCD technology originally used. The full-color, 1.4-inch display has the same resolution, but the new screen is good in most cases and less appetizing. It is sharp and digestible in low light or under direct sunlight, with a maximum brightness of 1,000 nits.
It’s a comfortable, lightweight smartwatch that you should wear at all times for full functionality and sleep tracking. My Fitbit Versa 2L Coral Sport Band, which is breathable and durable, has a wide range of brands to choose from in non-woven material, leather, or stainless steel.
These things can happen, but they make me a little skeptical about the long-term durability of the Fitbit Versa 2 – especially if they are lifted within just a week of my use.
Pleasantly, it is waterproof up to 50 meters, so you can swim with it and wear it in the shower without any worries.
Fitbit Versa 2 Battery life:
The display is always on, brightness is normal, round-the-clock heartbeat tracking, message notifications are on and I’ve been on average three days between charges, even if it’s at least one task per day.
With Fitbit Versa 2 you get proprietary charging and it takes about two hours to fully charge.
Fitness
The main strength of Fitbit Versa 2 is fitness tracking. This smartwatch keeps track of step-burn steps and everything from distance and distance to ascending planes. Your heart rate is monitored around the clock and averaged during rest and exercise. We especially appreciate the fat-burning calculation. Which tells you whether your heart rate is high enough to burn the extra pounds.
You can select daily goals for steps and active minutes. But as Fitbit Versa 2 breaks down hourly targets into specific hours during the day, you can also optimize.
Fitbit Versa 2 Exercise sessions can be tracked automatically. So it is a good idea to choose from the menu to make sure your workout is recorded correctly. Has a good selection of runs, bikes and yoga, pilates, and tennis. The big flaw here is GPS, so if you want to track a bicycle or drive it properly. You need to keep your phone with you.
Fitbit Versa 2 also offers detailed sleep tracking, light, deep, and REM sleep cover. The app has a chart for the estimated oxygen difference, highlighting breathing problems. It sounds very precise but like most sleep trackers, it explains watching TV while lying in bed.
All of this information is available on your wrist, but if you want fancy charts and long-term forecasts. You need to open the app on your smartphone. Fitbit also offers all kinds of health advice and you can join groups dedicated to a variety of exercises and share your experiences.
Fitbit Versa 2 Application:
There aren’t many apps for Fitbit Versa 2, but there are some easy options. As you might expect, there are plenty of fitness and training apps. You will also find some music apps like Pandora, Dizer, and Spotify, though the latter is the only remote control for the app on your phone. Fitbit Versa 2 has 2.5GB of space for music. This is enough for up to 300 tracks, so if you want to work without your phone. You can upload your training playlist.
Fitbit Pay is the easiest way to pay with your wrist if your bank supports it.
Due to the scarcity of screen real estate, the voice assistant can prove to be very useful in smartwatches. I often use Siri on Wear OS watches on the Apple Watch and Google Assistant. But Fitbit Versa 2 offers Alexa integration. Sadly, this is impressive. You need to hold down the side button to trigger Alexa and slow down a bit to get started, at the same time it will be displayed on the “Thought” screen. There is a microphone, so you can ask your question. But no speaker, so the answers are text on the small screen.
Alexa can set reminders for you and answer common questions about the weather or when your Amazon order arrives. But much slower than Siri or Google Assistant. The fact that you have to press a button or open the Alexa app before you can ask anything denies the benefit of the hands-free voice assistant to some extent.
Conclusion:
The Fitbit Versa 2 is a robust fitness tracking smartwatch that represents good value. This recommendation is easy for anyone who wants to upgrade from an old device that has already invested in Fitbit’s app and community. I enjoyed working with the data he provided and it helps me stay healthy. The downside about fitness is its lack of onboard GPS.
The Fitbit Versa 2 is a smartwatch where the disappointment lies. Third-party apps are limited in number and range. Phone calls are not supported and messaging options are limited, and Alexa is slow. On the other hand, Fitbit Pay is useful if your bank supports it and the battery life is better than most smartwatches.
It is lightweight and comfortable with good performance, comprehensive fitness, and health tracking, and enough smartwatch extras to satisfy most people.
