14 DAY TRIAL // Fitbit has just announced the Sense 2, the company’s flagship device, now at its second generation. Sense 2 obviously comes with several notable improvements, though in terms of looks, there’s little to be excited about.
First and foremost, the Sense 2 is extremely similar to its predecessor as far as the design is concerned. The only big change concerns the side button, which is slightly higher and is provided to offer more feedback when pressed.
However, Fitbit says the Sense 2 is substantially thinner than its predecessor.
“We’ve changed the entire design and made it our thinnest series of smartwatches yet. We have also moved the band attachment so the device fits more comfortably on your wrist and added the button back, with an improved location for easier access during workouts,” Fitbit says.
The big news in terms of features is the added support for measuring stress levels.
Sense 2 comes with a so-called Body Response sensor, whose role is to track the continuous electrodermal activity, also known as cEDA.
“Sense 2 also takes Fitbit’s stress tracking tools even further, with a new Body Response sensor that measures continuous electrodermal activity (cEDA) for all-day stress management right from your wrist. Along with cEDA, it uses metrics like heart rate, heart rate variability, and skin temperature to help you better understand when your body experiences potential signs of stress,” Fitbit says.
Given Fitbit is now a Google-owned company, here comes the obvious news.
Sense 2 will support both Google Wallet and Google Maps, though for now, it doesn’t seem like Google Pay is coming to the smartwatch. There’s no mention of Fitbit Pay being ditched, but I wouldn’t be surprised if this is the long-term plan anyway.
Fitbit Sense 2 also comes with a UI redesign, with the app drawer itself seemingly inspired by Wear OS. Once again, this is something that makes sense given the new owner of the company, though it remains to be seen if the design is eventually expanded to the rest of the operating system as well.
Sense 2 is already available for pre-order today for $299.