Fitbit Sense Vs Fitbit Versa 2

Fitbit Versa 2 users looking to upgrade may consider Fitbit Sense as the new smartwatch. You could look at a Fitbit Versa 3 as a natural progression. Or, choose the Fitbit Sense as the preferred watch model over the Fitbit Versa 2. Do you really gain anything with a Fitbit Sense? What are the differentiators between a Fitbit Versa 2 and Fitbit Sense? We look at multiple factors of difference between Fitbit Versa 2 and Fitbit Sense smartwatches below.

Topics covered in this post

Screen and Display – Fitbit Versa 2 vs Fitbit Sense

A Fitbit Sense smartwatch has a bigger screen and a better display resolution. This is on the expected lines. Fitbit Sense is a newer smartwatch model, and hence it will have a better display configuration.

Fitbit Sense has a display resolution of 336 pixels x 336 pixels; Fitbit Versa 2 has a display resolution of 300 pixels x 300 pixels. That is a difference of nearly 25% between a Fitbit Versa 2 and a Fitbit Sense.
Fitbit Sense has a bigger screen size of 1.58″; Fitbit Versa has a screen size of 1.3″.

There is not much noticeable difference between the two watches’ weight, thickness, or pixel density.

Given these differences in screen and display, Fitbit Sense does offer incremental benefits. However, you cannot really call these outstanding improvements to warrant an upgrade from Versa 2 to Fitbit Sense.

GPS – Fitbit Versa 2 vs Fitbit Sense

Fitbit Versa 2 does not have in-built GPS. Fitbit Sense has inbuilt GPS with support for the GPS and GLONASS satellite systems. Inbuilt GPS is made possible with the help of the improved chipset on the Fitbit Sense and an augmented Fitbit app. Fitbit Versa 2 users can make use of GPS through the paired smartphone’s GPS connection. Both watches offer GPS, with inbuilt GPS on offer on a Fitbit Sense.

Users of Fitbit Versa 2 have not had any issues in tracking their runs. They just use the phone’s GPS connection and the Fitbit app to collect, and share the exercise or running details.

Health Tracking – Fitbit Sense vs Fitbit Versa 2

Health tracking on a Fitbit Sense is top class. You get all the wellness and other health monitoring features on a Fitbit Sense. There are some very significant differences in health and heart monitoring between a Fitbit Sense and a Fitbit Versa 2 smartwatch.

Fitbit Sense has an ECG app that can help you take an on-demand ECG to know your heart’s condition.
Fitbit Sense can monitor your heartbeat and alert you for irregular heartbeats. Heartbeat is monitored on a perpetual basis.
Fitbit Sense has a wrist based skin temperature sensor that offers decent inputs about the skin temperature of the wearer.

Bluetooth and WIFI support – Fitbit Versa 2 vs Fitbit Sense

Fitbit Versa 2 supports Bluetooth stack with version 4. Fitbit Sense supports Bluetooth version 5.

This will affect the range of Bluetooth on a Fitbit Versa 2, as it will be lower than the Bluetooth 5 range on the device. You will need to be especially careful while pushing updates of firmware to the Fitbit Versa 2 smartwatch.

Battery time – Fitbit Sense vs Fitbit Versa 2

Fitbit Sense has a listed battery life of 6 days, and a Fitbit Versa 2 has a battery life of 4 days. This is based on the use of a watch on the smartwatch mode. If you were to use either watch on GPS, the battery drains out faster and you will be out of battery charge in less than 12 hours.

In terms of theory, a Fitbit Sense has higher battery life. For practical considerations though, there will not be much of a difference in the backup time made available by a Fitbit Sense or a Fitbit Versa 2 smartwatch.

Fitbit Premium – Fitbit Sense vs Fitbit Fitbit Versa 2

Fitbit premium is a subscription service that is available on Fitbit Sense. It is a paid upgrade of the app experience on a Fitbit Sense smartwatch. You can buy Fitbit premium for a monthly recurring fee of $9.99 or an annual payment of $79.99. The main features of Fitbit premium that are available on the Fitbit Sense smartwatches are:

Fitbit Premium calculates your Stress Management score to give you indications of stress levels.
Fitbit Premium shares a Daily Readiness score that lets you know if you are ready for physical activity or if your body needs rest.
Sleep tracking is made available on the Fitbit Sense through Fitbit Premium.
Fitbit Premium shares over 200 physical exercise or workouts with you.
Fitbit Premium can also share over 200 mindful meditation sessions.
All data collected from the Fitbit user is maintained for a period of 90 days.

Fitbit Premium seeks to bridge the gaps in the Fitbit app. Although it is a paid upgrade, there is a good set of benefits that accrue to the users through Fitbit Premium. Unfortunately, Fitbit Versa 2 does not have any integration with the Fitbit Premium app as of now.

Miscellaneous features – Fitbit Sense vs Fitbit Versa 2

Fitbit Versa 2 has tighter integration with the Fitbit app. It achieves most of its functionality through the Fitbit app. This is the precise cause that a Fitbit Versa 2 supports Windows integration. It can also be used to answer calls on smartphones. The availability of a speaker and mic on the Fitbit Versa 2 smartwatch allows you to answer calls through the smartwatch. A Fitbit Sense cannot answer calls received on your phone.

Summary

Fitbit Versa 2 works flawlessly for people with modest expectations of a smartwatch. It does miss some features, that have become an essential part of newer smartwatches. A Fitbit Sense may be considered as the most apt for an upgrade from Fitbit Versa 2 as it offers –

in-built GPS on the watch.
ECG feature.
Fitbit Premium for added health functionality and sleep tracking.
better health and heart monitoring.
outdoor exercise and meditation sessions through the Fitbit Premium services.

Fitbit Sense is better in health tracking. But, you will make the most of it if you subscribe to the Fitbit Premium service. For the fundamental smartwatch functionality, a Fitbit Versa 2 should work fine completely.

You may also like to read the following content related to Fitbit Versa 2 and Fitbit Sense:

Helen Kurt

Helen Kurt is a geeky nerd who loves to cover the wearables space. She has over 5 years of experience in the smartwatch domain. You can reach her on email at [email protected].