It's not a perfect watch, but it's damn close

May 18, 2018 12:32 GMT  ·  By

Fitbit’s new Versa smartwatch is the company’s response to a market that wanted something a little bit cheaper but with pretty much the same features as Ionic. The initial prognosis is that they managed to pull it off, but the customers will be the ultimate judges.

While having multiple options when buying a product is a good thing, sometimes too many choices can be a problem in itself. The same can be said about smartwatches, and it’s easy to observe that the market is more than just a little overcrowded. Finding the right watch is daunting, even for someone who's up to date with all the latest technologies and fads.

So, what’s left for the regular users that simply want a smartwatch? Well, despite the vast assortment of devices, customers can be separated into a couple of groups. For the most part, people either get something that looks nice and has a few fitness features or something that’s aimed at users that need a fitness tracker and don’t really care about how it looks.

Fitbit Versa charging
Fitbit Versa Classic and Special Edition
Fitbit Versa Classic and Special Edition
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Getting to that middle ground proves to be quite difficult for most smartwatches, meaning that hardware makers have a hard time finding a balance between function and beauty. To be fair, beauty is oftentimes in the eyes of the beholder, and it usually means that users might choose to use their fitness watches on a daily basis, not just during workouts.

At this point, you are wondering where does the new Fitbit Versa fits into this picture, and you would be right to ask. Fitbit also has another watch on the market, called Ionic, which is aimed more at the fitness aspect. One of the criticisms towards that particular model was that it wasn’t pretty enough. It’s not ugly, by any stretch, but it’s not beautiful either.

Function over beauty is not a choice

What Fitbit has learned, apparently, is that you can have the cake and eat it too. It took them a while, and it came at a cost, but the company finally realized that building a watch for mass market, that’s nice and functional at the same time, is not a futile attempt.

This brings us to the latest Fitbit Versa, which fits this category like a glove. If you want something beautiful that goes really well with an elegant costume, the Versa will do the job. If you want a watch with some of the most accurate tracking available, then Versa can accommodate that as well.

The main aspect that you’ll notice when you take the Versa out of the box is that it’s smaller than you think. I knew how it looked in images and on other people’s hand, but when I placed it on my hand it seemed small. It’s most likely a matter of perspective because other people are saying that it looks just right.

Fitbit Versa
Fitbit Versa
Fitbit Versa
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The impression that it’s a small watch is also given by the rather narrow strap, although it’s a good compromise. All this talk about size is mostly about weight, and believe me when I tell you that it’s a very light watch, and you’ll soon forget that you’re wearing it.

Also, don’t be fooled by the impression that it’s some sort of hardened plastic, because that’s not the case. In fact, the watch is built from anodized aluminum, a particular alloy used in the aerospace industry, making it very light and durable.

And yes, it comes in peach and rose gold.

And, since Fitbit finally figured out that they need to have a wide variety of colors, straps, and types of materials, users can choose something that right for them. And yes, it comes in peach and rose gold.

Furthermore, all watches come with the classic wristband, which has both small and large measures, ensuring that anyone can wear it. The fact that there is a comprehensive online shop with multiple straps and various colors doesn’t hurt.

The end result is a beautiful and practical watch that can be adapted to any occasion, whether you’re going to attend a party or you’re going to the gym. And that’s not something to be taken lightly.

Specs and other cool stuff

Fitbit Versa looks better than Ionic (sic!), it’s cheaper, and seemingly better. What’s the compromise? As it turns out, there isn’t all that much that sets the two watches apart, and for most people that don’t care about the price difference, it’s going to be a matter of taste.

First off all let’s establish one thing. The Versa doesn’t have integrated GPS, but connected GPS. This is one of the biggest differences between Versa and Ionic, and I’m here to tell you that it doesn’t matter. I’ve been using the watch for a while now, and I have yet to be anywhere where I don’t have my phone.

To be clear, you can still track your GPS coordinates, for bike rides for example, but you’ll be using your phone. The absence of a GPS tracker, included in the watch, shouldn’t bother the vast majority of users, with the exception of a few isolated cases.

The casing, as I was saying earlier, is made out of a very strong and light aluminum alloy, and the default strap made from silicon. You can change it with other types of straps, but I will have to recommend that you stay with the silicone one, especially if you’re using the watch for fitness. Getting sweat under the leather strap is not fun, and it will ruin it in the long run.

Fitbit Versa
Fitbit Versa
Fitbit Versa
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And this takes us to the sensors, which includes a 3-axis accelerometer, a 3-axis gyroscope, an optical heart rate monitor, an altimeter, an ambient light sensor, a vibration motor, Wi-Fi, SpO2, and NFC (only for the special edition.)

The accelerometer and the gyroscope, along with some clever algorithms take care of the monitoring, and they Fitbit seems to be improving them with every generation. It’s also true that there are some differences between activities monitored by Versa and other smartwatches, and it’s all down to the precision of the sensors and the algorithms used. Since there are no independent measurement devices, we can’t really say who’s getting the most accurate readings.

Of course, the watch is monitoring some basic stuff by default, like the number of steps, the cardiac rhythm, the number of building levels, distance, and the calories burned in a day.

Users can also choose to manually monitor the activities, including running, biking, swimming, treadmill, weights, interval timer, and workout. Most of the time, Versa will detect and monitor the activities by itself, but for the most accurate readings, you should start it manually.

Software and apps

Fitbit Ionic was the first to introduce apps, and Versa is built pretty much on the same platform. Unlike the previous iteration, Versa has a few more apps to work with at launch, and it helps. On the other hand, the number of apps is still pretty low, and I’m sure that the developers are constantly being asked about upcoming apps.

By default, there are only two apps, besides the ones provided by Fitbit, on the watch. Those are Deezer, for music, and Strava for activity tracking. While I understand the purpose of Deezer, I can’t, for the life of me, understand why I need Strava and its basic implementation. At best, I can only see sessions tracked by the mobile Strava app, and that’s about it.

In any case, the app store available in the Fitbit app has a number of other apps for news, diet, swimming, and a few others. They’re not many, but the company promises that there are going to be more.

Fitbit stats
Fitbit Versa bike rride
Fitbit Versa bike rride
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Probably, the best feature on the software side is the huge number of watch faces available from the start. Fitbit now allows third-party developers to build watch faces for Versa and Ionic, and it shows. There are hundreds, and new ones are added every day.

Also, on the plus side, we have to mention that users can charge the watch without removing the strap, and it’s now possible to lock the screen behind a PIN.


The Good

I’ve been using Versa mainly for two reasons, to track my sleep and for my biking sessions. Both of those tasks are accomplished beautifully, and I can’t really ask for more. The sleep tracking seems to be very precise, and I’m using the GPS on my phone to track the biking sessions. It gives me various statistics distance and performance, which is always a useful thing to have.

One of the latest updates for the software also added the option to reply to incoming notifications, with a set of prepared responses. Also, you can delete messages or mark them as read. It’s not a perfect system, and it can be improved, but at least it’s finally here.

I’m sure that users will find many more features than that. In fact, it comes with an array of sensors and tracking software that should give provide people with everything that they need. And I’m including in this category the Coach app, which is offering prepared workouts directly from Fitbit. It’s not cheap if you want the Premium experience, but you cancel the subscription at any time.

It works with a suit and a tracksuit. What more could you want?

Also, the Versa can be used for swimming and should work just fine up to a depth of 50 meters (about 160 feet), which is more than enough. It also means that I don’t have to worry about it when I’m biking in the rain when I wash my hands, and so on. In fact, I’m not sure that the community would have accepted a watch that wasn’t water resistant.

And then we’re right back at the beginning because I need to stress it one more time. It’s probably the most beautiful watches made by Fitbit. The fact that it’s cheaper, and that women are part of the niche demographics should also help the company in the long run.

It’s the kind of device that you place on your hand and just forget about it. It’s light, resistant to scratches (Gorilla 3 screen), and it works with a suit and a tracksuit. What more could you want?

The Bad

It might seem that I’m giving the Fitbit Versa 10 out of 10, but that’s not the case. There are a number of issues with the watch, although most of the problems can be repaired with software updates along the way.

The first problem on the list is related to the notifications. It’s true that they have been improved over the years, and we can now even reply or delete messages and emails straight from the watch. Unfortunately, from time to time, the watch stops talking with the phone. I can’t say why and I can’t replicate the problem, but my guess is that it’s related to the updates for the Fitbit app, at least on Android.

The problem always goes away if I reboot the phone and/or the Versa watch, but it’s still annoying. It doesn’t happen all that often, but that doesn’t make it any less of a problem. In fact, if you check the forums you’ll find lots of people complaining about notifications.  It’s most likely linked to the support for individual phones. For example, Fitbit has yet to list Google Pixel 2 and Samsung Galaxy S9 as officially supported.

And speaking of notifications, why doesn’t Fitbit allows users to check the notifications while a tracking application is running? If I’m on a bike and I get a message, I can’t swipe down to check it. It doesn’t make sense, because you can see it when it first arrives.

We move on to the is light sensor. If you keep it on automatic, it works great, most of the time. In the right conditions, if it’s not too bright or too dark, the screen will flicker annoyingly because the sensor can’t make up its mind.

Lastly, the entire performance of the OS is not satisfactory. The interface stutters and there are some lags when starting apps and closing them. It’s not a massive problem, but it feels like it would need a better process. Unfortunately, that would mean that the battery life would be considerably shorter, and that can’t happen. It’s a compromise.

Conclusion

Fitbit Versa is not a perfect watch, but it’s a much better version than the previous generation. And this is what users should typically desire. Wanting perfection always leads to disappointment but striving to be better it much more achievable.

I have to say that despite some of the annoying little problems I had with the watch, I would still choose it any day of the week. I know for a fact that I’m not going to get non-stop pulse monitoring from anywhere else, and the rest of the tracking is pretty much spot on.

If we take into account that Versa is beautiful, I’m not even going to pretend that it’s not one of my favorites. I’m sure that almost everyone will love it, and that it’s a sign that Fitbit is back in business.

Photo Gallery (42 Images)

Fitbit Versa Classic and Special Edition
Fitbit Versa chargingFitbit Versa Classic and Special Edition
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