Google Pixel Watch 2 essentially steers the same course as its well-received first version, and that's mostly a good thing.
At a glance, the new smartwatch's design is unchanged. Google did redesign the digital crown a bit to enhance ease of use. Otherwise, the screen and dimensions are the same as they were on the original Google Pixel Watch. However, looks can be a bit deceiving. The cover glass is thinner (Google insists it's just as strong) and the body is now made of lightweight, recycled aluminum. Together, they decrease the weight by what Google insists is a noticeable amount.
More importantly (and maybe more noticeably) this watch has new components and a major platform update. It has a new quad-core processor and Wear OS 4.0, making it probably the best Wear OS watch around right now, if not one of the best smartwatches period.
There are critical new features like the new Personal Safety Check, and, finally, auto-recognition of when you start and stop working out. Google Pixel Watch 2 might also do a better job of recognizing your workout performance thanks to the watch's new multi-path heart rate sensor on the back.
This is just our first impressions of the Google Pixel Watch 2. If you want more from this year's October Made by Google Event, you can check out our early Google Pixel 8 review and our early Google Pixel 8 Pro review.
(Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)
The display still has that too-large black bezel around its bright 320ppi face, but the screen is now running in Always On mode by default, while still maintaining 24-hour battery life (according to Google).
If you're up for sleeping with the watch (remember it's lighter for more bedtime comfort), you may appreciate that it can charge a lot faster now thanks to four physical charging pins on the back, which is a switch from the induction charging found on the last model.
Google claims you can get a 50% charge in less than 30 minutes, which means if you want a quick charge before bedtime and maybe don't want to charge up again when you wake up and head out to work, it's possible with the Pixel Watch 2.
Also, if you're looking for more sleep data, the Pixel Watch 2 has you covered with a new skin temperature sensor. And for when you're awake, the new continuous electrodermal activity (CEDA) sensor could help detect signs of stress
Overall this looks like a smart, albeit safe update. Google didn't attempt a wholesale redesign but they've basically changed almost everything else, from the CPU to most of the key sensors and even the charging methodology. With Wear OS 4.0, safety enhancements, and some new Fitbit capabilities, this may be the smartwatch update to watch.
Google Pixel Watch 2: Specifications
Google Pixel Watch 2: Price and availability
(Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)
Starts from $349 (WiFi) $399 (LTE)
Prices £349 and £399 in the UK, AU$549 and AU$649 in AU
One size: 41mm
Google unveiled the new Google Pixel Watch 2, along with the new Google Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro, on October 4.
The Google Pixel Watch 2 starts at $349 in the US, £349 in the UK and AU$549 in Australia for the WiFi-only model. With LTE connectivity, it costs $399 / £399 / AU$649.
Preorders started on October 4 and the watch ships on Oct. 12. It's available in four color combinations: Polished Silver/Bay, Polished Silver/Porcelain, Matte Black/Obsidian, and Champagne Gold/Hazel.
Google Pixel Watch 2: Design
(Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)
Maintains elegance of original design
Lighter aluminum body
Redesigned digital crown
Google's original Pixel Watch was one of the best-looking smartwatches on the market and its successor, the Google Pixel Watch 2, measures up to that standard.
The newly thinner glass cover and recycled aluminum body still look like they were poured out together. Its gumdrop shape looks and generally feels good. While lowering the overall weight by about 10%, Google didn't touch the dimensions of the one-size-fits-all 41mm watch.
There is one change that does incrementally improve the aesthetic appeal: Google redesigned the digital crown, mostly by changing the stem that leads to it, to give it a more watch-like look and more importantly make it easier to use it.
Google didn't make any changes to the sometimes challenging band attachment system, but there are some new bands, including six fitness bands. I didn't get to wear them but I can report that the material felt nice.
Google Pixel Watch 2: Features
(Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)
New Safety features
Skin temperature sensing
New watch faces and complications
Better heart rate sensor
While I didn't get to spend much time with the new Pixel Watch 2, it's safe to assume that the new quad-core processor should result in smoother operation. However, some of the biggest changes will surely come from the new Wear OS 4.0.
The system change will bring new core apps like Calendar, Gmai, and an updated Google Assistant.
On the Health and Fitness front, the Pixel Watch 2 will match the Apple Watch Series 9 and Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 to automatically recognize when you start and stop working out. it's one of my favorite Apple Watch features and I'm happy to see it here.
There's a new heart rate zone for runners that can help with pace coaching and alert you when you drop in and out of your personal zone.
(Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)
Speaking of heart, the new multi-path heart rate sensor is actually multiple sensors that, according to Google, can much more accurately track your heart rate during more vigorous workouts (Google claims it's up to 40% more accurate than the original Pixel Watch's optical heart rate sensor, just like the Fitbit Charge 6's 60% improvement on the Charge 5). It does this by taking the single-point sensor contact of the original Google Pixel Watch and multiplying it into four points of wrist contact.
There's also a new sweat detector (the CEDA) that the watch can use to measure your stress level.
In addition to all these health and activity adjustments, the Google Pixel Watch 2 now includes Personal Safety features. With Safety Check, you set a timer and if you have not responded by the end of it, the watch can automatically send a message to your emergency contact with your real-time location.
Normally, this feature would require not only an LTE version of the Pixel Watch 2 but a monthly carrier contract, as well. Google will be offering it, though, as a free feature for Fitbit Premium customers. Naturally, Fitbit Premium is not free – it normally costs $9.99 / £7.99 / AU$15.49 a month. However, all new Pixel Watch 2 customers get six months of Fitbit Premium for free.
I got a walkthrough of the new Safety Features and thought they looked clear, concise, and useful.
Google Pixel Watch 2: Early verdict
Having only spent a couple of hours with the new Google Pixel Watch 2, it's way too soon to offer a verdict.
Still, I'm generally pleased with the look, feel, and function of Google's new smartwatch.
While I wish Google had enlarged the display, the new watch faces are packed full of information and much of the interface appeared clean and responsive.
I'm a little surprised that Google chose to swap out inductive charging capability for four physical pins, but the reasoning is sound. Who wouldn't want faster charging so they can get back to bed with their smartwatch for accurate sleep and temperature tracking?
The new quad-core processor and updated Wear OS 4.0 should make it a more responsive and easier-to-use wearable.
Google held the line on pricing though I can't help but think that the Pixel Watch 2 could be a best-seller if it drops the WiFi model price to $299.
The original Apple Watch Ultra was the most radical redesign to the watch that Apple has ever attempted. It was something entirely new, a great innovation, one that was celebrated, and the best Apple Watch we'd ever seen. The Apple Watch Ultra 2 is also very good, because it’s mostly the same watch.
It has a brighter screen (Apple’s brightest screen ever, in fact) but Apple’s new S9 SiP chip and the watchOS 10 operating system are what’s bringing most of the changes. The S9 chip, just like it does on the Apple Watch Series 9, allows for a selection of new features such as the impressive hands-free Double Tap control. This innovative new gesture allows you to start workouts, dismiss timers, answer calls and more, all hands-free.
A smattering of other features, including Siri, no longer needed to connect to the cloud, while a couple of alterations to the Depth app round out the changes. It’s also stepped up its eco credentials, with recycled materials both inside and outside the watch. New bands also share this ethos, with an increased emphasis on sustainability fostering new design.
However, when it comes to the Apple Watch Ultra 2’s core mission - an Apple Watch to take with you into the wilderness and under the sea - very little has changed. There has been no battery life extension, new workout functionalities, or navigation innovations you can’t also get on the original Ultra thanks to watchOS 10. It’s still an amazing Apple Watch - probably the best, in fact, from a specifications perspective, and a definite contender for our best smartwatch guide - but it’s falling into the same cycle of small annual updates as the standard Apple Watch models.
Apple Watch Ultra 2: Specifications
Apple Watch Ultra 2: Price and availability
(Image credit: Future / Matt Evans)
$799 / £799 / AU$1,399
Only one model
Available now
The Apple Watch Ultra 2 is available now. Your purchasing journey is pretty straightforward, this time: while the Apple Watch Series 9 comes with a whole host of choice attached to it (which color? Which size? Which band? GPS or cellular?) there’s just a single Apple Watch Ultra 2 to choose from.
You get one size, 49mm, and one color, its standard Titanium, despite the rumors we’d be seeing a Black or Midnight version this year. It packs LTE cellular connectivity as standard. The only meaningful choice you need to make while buying it is which band it comes with, but we’ll get to those in more detail in the Design section below.
If the $799 / £799 / AU$1,399 price for the Watch Ultra 2 is too high, or you don't need the extra adventure-focused features, you can of course look at the Apple Watch 9 range instead. Read more about that in our hands-on Apple Watch 9 review.
Apple Watch Ultra 2: Design
(Image credit: Future / Matt Evans)
Recycled Titanium casing
3,000 nit Retina Display screen
Otherwise identical
At first glance, just like the Series 9, the Apple Watch Ultra 2 is more or less identical to its predecessor. Both share the same solid titanium body, the protruding casing housing the digital crown and the side button, and the now-iconic orange Action button. Microphone and speaker placement also match the original exactly.
The key differences to look out for concern the screen and the bands. First off, the screen is even more beautiful than on the first version, capable of putting out an impressive 3,000 nits of brightness at full blast. It’s Apple’s brightest screen ever, the refresh rate is like water falling off a duck’s back, and it’s definitely Apple at its peak. It’s probably the best smartwatch screen I’ve ever seen in person from a purely technical standpoint.
This world-beating screen is brought to life with a new customizable Ultra-exclusive watch face, showing the seconds ticking away around the screen in a very clever fashion. Meanwhile, your favorite complications - for instance movement rings, a weather widget, temperature, and a compass setting - can be mixed-and-matched to display on the watch face itself. It’s a smart alternative to the Wayfinder watch face from last year, and looks particularly great in Night Mode - although, if I had to make a choice right now, the Wayfinder still looks better.
(Image credit: Future / Matt Evans)
However, that’s pretty much everything we can say from a software design perspective, as most of the innovations present here are part of watchOS 10, which is also available on other Apple Watches. It’s a shame there’s nothing new or unique about what you can do with watchOS 10 and the Ultra 2’s Action button: it’s still programmable, able to map to different functions, but there’s no exciting new feature using the button this time.
The bands are driven by the same environmentally friendly message that dominated this year’s Apple releases. Like the original, three straps are available for the Ultra 2: Alpine, with a g-hook fastening, a nylon Trail strap, and a flouroelastomer Ocean band for dives.
I got to handle the Trail strap, and the design has been slightly tweaked, with a more rounded, clean end to it. Like the Series 9’s sport loops, the nylon band is made with some recycled wool now. The Alpine and Trail bands are emblazoned with a circle of green leaves on the packaging, signifying they’re part of Apple’s carbon neutral scheme, and this will also be made clear online. The watch’s titanium casing is also made from 95% recycled titanium, an impressive number if nothing else.
Apple Watch Ultra 2: Features
(Image credit: Future / Matt Evans)
Last year's excellent adventuring suite
New Double Tap gesture
Night Mode switches on automatically
The Apple Watch Ultra 2 still has the same stand-out adventuring features its predecessor did, such as next-level GPS tracking, using the Action button to emit a warning siren for assistance, durability in high and low temperatures, and the Oceanic+ app, which turns the watch into a working dive computer. If you want to check that one out, we had a real diving instructor test the Apple Watch Ultra to see how it did.
The Depth app, which is different from the Oceanic+ as it’s Apple’s in-house dive function, allows you to access logs of previous dives more easily on the watch now. It also supports free diving, although I’m unlikely to give that a serious go before I fully review the watch. The original Ultra’s slick, infrared-looking Night Mode had to be switched on manually with the digital crown, but it now turns on automatically thanks to ambient light sensors under the screen.
That’s it for adventuring gear, but in terms of other new features, the Double Tap gesture is the big winner here. Although it’s not available until October and I wasn’t able to try it on the Apple Watch Ultra 2, I was able to have a go with the feature on the Apple Watch Series 9, which uses the same chipset and sensor array.
For those not in the know, by raising the watch as if you’re going to check the time and pinching your fingers twice, you can activate whatever widget or app you have open at any given time. If you’ve got a workout loaded up, you can start or finish it, for example. I tried answering a phone call, dismissing a timer, and scrolling through the new watchOS 10 widget stack using the feature, and it’s very impressive and easy to get to grips with. This could easily have been a useless gimmick, but Apple has made this a feature you’ll probably use daily.
Other new stuff involves the S9’s use of its Ultra Wideband technology to improve the Find Devices functionality. If you use an iPhone 15, which is also equipped with Ultra Wideband, you can see not only the direction of your phone, but also how far away it is from you in feet. My live demonstration was great, but of course at the moment it’s predicated on you having access to both new devices. Ultra Wideband can also be used to control music on your Apple HomePod if you’re nearby, which is useful, I guess - but this isn’t a watch for staying at home. This is a watch for the great outdoors, and I would have liked to see more innovation here.
Apple Watch Ultra 2: Early verdict
(Image credit: Future / Matt Evans)
I've not tested the Apple Watch Ultra 2 in full yet, but from what I've seen of it it's still the best Apple Watch. In fact, it’s still up there with the best smartwatches ever. But while the S9 chip’s new functionalities have made the watch even better, this is ultimately a very iterative update, and it can’t be judged in the same way as its predecessor because it’s no longer a category-breaking shock to the system.
Apple has already got an excellent suite of fitness features, and watchOS 10’s improved cycling metrics means this could be a must-have device for triathletes. It won’t do for all adventurous types, though: I’d have loved to see a bigger battery to solidify it as a top choice for wilderness weekends, but 36 hours of stamina won't be enough for me to pick it over a Garmin if I'm going to be without power for long stretches.
I’ll look forward to testing it extensively to see if that 3,000-nit screen has a big effect on the battery, but for now, we’ll have to leave it at this: the Apple Watch Ultra 2 is technically the best Apple Watch ever, but it’s a small update. And that means it's only for people who don’t have the original model.
After several fairly iterative updates, the Apple Watch Series 9 finally brings a genuinely exciting, use-everyday new feature to the flagship Apple Watch in the form of Double Tap. The gesture is sure to make waves when it’s made available later this year, and I found it a delight to use in my brief time with the watch.
A brighter screen and on-device Siri, ensuring that health queries are processed securely, are welcome changes, too. The Watch 9 may well prove to be the best Apple Watch for most people in the weeks to come.
The watch’s eco-friendly aspirations are admirable, and the move to Ultra Wideband radio technology is something that will pay dividends as subsequent iPhones make use of the tech. The Watch 9 offers a preview of Apple’s ambitions for the next few years, with a carbon-neutral approach to manufacturing (well, driven by marketing) and a growing list of devices linked by Ultra Wideband.
However, innovation can only go so far: the new Apple Watch shares the exact same 18-hour battery life, sizes, operating system, and design as its predecessors, and so – as we tend to say every year – the update is only iterative in many ways. As ever, it’s the iOS watch to get if you're looking for a new wearable, but if you already have the Apple Watch Series 8 or Series 7 you can probably be excused.
Apple Watch Series 9: Specifications
Apple Watch Series 9: Price and availability
(Image credit: Future / Matt Evans)
Starts from $399 / £399 / AU$649 with aluminum case
Two sizes: 41mm and 45mm, with LTE options
Tougher stainless steel case also available
The Apple Watch Series 9 was announced at Apple's September 12 event and is available now, with prices starting from $399 / £399 / AU$649. That’s the price for the cheapest 41mm model with an aluminum case (with color options ofMidnight (black), Starlight (a sort of silver/gold hybrid), Silver, Product Red or the new Pink offering) and GPS connectivity only, without cellular LTE connectivity.
If you get this version you won't be able to connect to the internet without Wi-Fi or your phone handy, although you can still use GPS functions while you work out. For those who want a larger model, LTE connectivity, or a stainless steel case (which comes in a choice of attractive gold, silver and graphite finishes), you’ll pay an additional premium as usual.
For example, a 45mm aluminum watch in Pink, with GPS only, costs $429 / £429 / AU$699, while the GPS and Cellular LTE option costs $529 / £529 / AU$859. If you were to go with the stainless steel option, the price would increase again. This is nothing new in Apple Watch world, but it's worth noting if you’re thinking of picking one up for the first time.
If you want an even more premium option, there's also the Apple Watch Ultra 2. This brings a raft of outdoor-focused features, a more rugged design and a better screen - but for a higher price still. You can read more about that in our hands-on Apple Watch Ultra 2 review.
Apple Watch Series 9: Design
(Image credit: Future / Matt Evans)
Lots of recycled materials
Identical architecture to predecessors
New bands and pink aluminum case option
As you might expect from a flagship Apple Watch at this point, Apple isn’t reinventing the wheel. It got things right early on, and come hell or high water it's stuck to its guns (with the possible exception of the ‘radical’ Apple Watch Ultra design). Same two sizes, same rotating digital crown, same side button, the mic and speaker introduced several generations back are still present and correct… to look at its chassis, it’s virtually the same watch. Series 8 users hoping for a change are better off looking elsewhere.
Fortunately, the new watch is still incredibly simple to set up and use straight away. Using a combination of the digital crown, side button and touchscreen, our early navigation of the new watchOS 10 operating system was smooth and intuitive. Bringing up Settings with the side button feels like a logical move, and I love the new widget stack, which makes it far easier to jump to the one you want.
More than any other feature, the widgets have transformed the Apple Watch experience for me, but this isn’t unique to the Series 9 – any Apple Watch from the Series 5 or above will receive the watchOS 10 update.
What has changed is the composition of materials used in the Series 9. Apple is keen to emphasize the fact that each new Apple Watch produced is now ‘carbon-neutral’, in part thanks to a combination of recycled materials used both inside and outside the watch, such as the cobalt in its batteries and aluminum used in its casings.
Apple is also attempting to offset electricity used during charging and reduce shipping emissions – even the packaging is 25% smaller, so that more units can fit into shipping crates.
(Image credit: Future / Matt Evans)
We’ve covered Apple’s big carbon-neutrality claims extensively elsewhere, so we won’t go into much more detail in this review, but this eco-friendly ethos has also led to some cool redesigned bands. The standard sport loop is now made from 82% recycled yarn, while select versions of the swim-proof silicone-fluoroelastomer band are textured as a result of the recycling process, making each band unique. That’s pretty neat.
A new Pink color, as mentioned, is sure to be snapped up by everyone that saw Barbie this summer, but the Midnight, Silver, Starlight, and Product Red colors all make a welcome return from last year. The premium stainless steel options can also be bought with a metal band matching the watch’s casing.
Apple Watch Series 9: Features
(Image credit: Future / Matt Evans)
Double Tap is an obvious standout
New Ultra Wideband use cases are great
On-watch Siri secures health data
Let’s get into the details. I tried the Double Tap feature, which garnered much of the attention during the announcement event, although it won't actually land on the Apple Watch 9 until October. Double Tap uses the accelerometer and gyroscope to detect intention: you have to raise your watch as if looking at the time before performing the two-pinch gesture with your watch hand, as this prevents it from being triggered accidentally. It can be used to perform any main action on any complication you happen to have open on your watch face, from starting and stopping a timer to snoozing an alarm, to answering a call
I really liked using it, and I firmly believe this is just the start. My nightmares of having to pinch the air over and over again like a crab while trying to get the thing to work were completely unfounded: I was able to stop a timer, answer a call and access other complications very easily, first time.
Other notable new features include the use-cases for the new second-generation Ultra Wideband radio technology. The Find Devices app has changed: as long as you’re connecting to another device with a second-gen Ultra Wideband chip in it (so just an iPhone 15 model for now then), you’ll be able to see exactly how many feet away that device is on your Watch, along with a directional icon. You can then play Marco Polo until you get within a foot of it, at which point the Series 9 will issue a green tick to indicate that you’ve found it.
I was very impressed by the demo, but at the moment it’s limited to just the Series 9, Apple Watch Ultra 2, and iPhone 15 models. As future devices come along with this technology installed, it’s going to become far more widely used (and rightly so, the feature’s great), even if relatively few of us are going to be lucky enough to snap up two new Apple gadgets this year.
On-device Siri is available for the first time, which means it doesn’t have to connect to the cloud in order to process your questions. This is a fairly niche change for most, but a big leap forward for those concerned about privacy is that you can now use Siri to access your health data.
Apple is very keen to emphasize that any data about your health either remains on your device or is encrypted before being shared. Having Siri available to read you your Move ring status or menstrual-cycle tracking data might sound like a minor thing, but it's a long-term win: we’re slowly realizing that, collectively, we’re far too cavalier with our health information these days.
Apple Watch Series 9: Early verdict
(Image credit: Future / Matt Evans)
It’s tough to nail down any other notable changes: most of the really transformative stuff, other than what’s been discussed above, is available on most other Apple Watches via an upgrade to watchOS 10. The Double Tap and improved Find My features won’t be available to the public until later in the year, while the 2,000-nit always-on Retina Display screen looks bright and lovely and can allegedly be read easier in full sunlight, but it’s a gloomy day in London and we’ve had only a few hours or so to test it to its fullest extent.
Nevertheless, for once when discussing an Apple flagship model, it seems like there’s at least one genuinely useful, game-changing new feature here that will be used every day. There was very little learning curve involved in getting the Double Tap feature to work from our end.
The shift towards more environmentally friendly materials is a welcome one, and the option of a brighter screen is always nice, but I’m again frustrated by the lack of any improvement in battery life. Further testing will be needed to see if that beautiful bright screen drains the battery beyond an all-day charge, or whether the improved processing power of the S9 can mitigate it.
However, I feel confident in saying the Apple Watch Series 9 will prove to be a strong contender for the ‘best iOS watch for most people’ crown in the months to come. We'll bring you our final verdict in our in-depth full Apple Watch 9 review soon.
Updated: January 2024: We reviewed the Fitbit Sense 3 in 2022, during which we praised it and called it the best Fitbit watch device overall. Since then, quite a few Fitbit devices have come and gone, including the Fitbit Versa 4: but due to the removal of some community and music features, we didn't rate the Versa 4 as highly as the Versa 3. Therefore, we still think the Versa 3 is a great buy, and although the official price has gone down, you can find deals on the Versa 3 even cheaper with third parties.
The rest of the review remains as previously published.
Two-minute review
The Fitbit Versa 3 has finally fixed our biggest gripe about the Versa line of smartwatches, and we can recommend it as a great buy. Depending on price, we've even ranked it above the Fitbit Sense in our list of the Best Fitbits, earning the top spot. The Versa 3 now comes with integrated GPS to track – in real time – the pace and distance of your walks, runs, bike rides or hikes if you choose to leave your phone behind.
While that’s definitely a step up from the Versa 2, as is the larger and truly gorgeous display, there are still little things about the Versa 3 that make it oh-so-frustratingly-close to being one of the best wearables on the market.
Key stats
Price: $229 / £199 / AU$399 Case size: 40.48mm x 40.48mm Display tech: AMOLED On-board GPS: Yes Max battery life: 6 days
Don’t get us wrong – the Versa 3 is a serious contender to be the best fitness tracker on the market, especially given its relatively affordable price tag and the plethora of fitness tracking capabilities it has, which also includes an SpO2 sensor to measure blood oxygen levels while you sleep. However, a lot more useful information is locked behind the Fitbit Premium paywall, and the redesign of the side button has made it frustrating to use.
Instead of a physical button, like there is on the Versa 2, there’s now an indent on the left side of the chassis that’s similar to the inductive button that debuted on the Fitbit Charge 3. Unfortunately, it’s not as well implemented on the Versa 3, and it takes a few tries to find the exact spot you need to press to bring up apps and sub-menus.
Other than that, though, the Versa 3 is a beautiful wearable that does a lot of what the Fitbit Sense can do, with the exception of stress management and advanced heart monitoring. That means it’s cheaper than the Sense, although it is slightly more expensive than the Versa 2 in some markets (it costs the same £199 in the UK as its predecessor). However, built-in GPS, a larger 1.58-inch AMOLED display (the same as the one on the Sense) and an SpO2 sensor more than justifies the slightly higher launch price of $229 / AU$399.
There’s also a lot more fitness monitoring features on the Versa 3, making the on-device interface a lot busier than what was available on the Versa 2 at launch. There are ways to manage them all, but they do take time to get used to.
Despite that, performance is excellent, as we've come to expect from Fitbit devices. Battery life is about six days on a dim screen setting, but it drops to half that if you have the display set to always-on. GPS isn't as pinpoint accurate as on some other bands we've reviewed, but for the average user that won’t matter very much. The heart rate monitor is now a bit more precise than the Versa 2, but without a chest strap to compare, it’s hard to judge exactly how accurate it is.
Alexa is, of course, on board to help you answer some questions that are displayed on the device, and with Google buying Fitbit, a firmware update some time in the future will add Google Assistant to the wearable as well.
There’s still a dearth of productivity apps for Fitbit’s smartwatches but, as we said in our Versa 2 review, these are first and foremost fitness trackers that have a few smartwatch perks.
One of the Fitbit Versa 3's best features is its high-resolution AMOLED display (Image credit: TechRadar)
Fitbit Versa 3 price and availability
Cheaper than Fitbit Sense
Pricier than Fitbit Versa 2 in some markets
Available in three color options
Fitbit announced the Versa 3, along with the Sense and the Fitbit Inspire 2, at a virtual conference in August 2020. It went up for pre-order the following day and began shipping by late September. The Versa 3 is currently available to buy directly from Fitbit and from major retailers around the world.
Interestingly, in the UK, both the Versa 2 and the Versa 3 are listed for the same price of £199. In the US and Australia, though, the Versa 3 carries a higher price tag than its predecessor, retailing for $229 and AU$399 respectively. That makes the Versa 3 the middle child – it’s no longer the flagship, with the Fitbit Sense taking over that role and costing a lot more at $329 / £299 / AU$499.
Unlike the Versa 2, which had a more expensive Special Edition version available, the Versa 3 comes in just the standard issue in three different colors – two soft gold cases with a Pink Gold and Midnight Blue strap, and a black chassis with a black band.
The Fitbit Versa 3 has essentially the same design as the Fitbit Sense, with a large square display and rounded corners (Image credit: TechRadar)
Design and display
40mm AMOLED display
Easy strap removal mechanism
Redesigned side button
At first glance the Versa 3 looks identical to its predecessors, but a closer look reveals a few design tweaks that make the new device a bit sleeker. In fact, a change in the color of the aluminum chassis makes the Versa 3 look rather elegant. The ‘soft gold’ case is neutral, but a black option keeps the Versa 3’s universal charm.
The change in chassis color isn’t the biggest design change though; it’s the size of the screen. The display is now a larger 40mm AMOLED panel as compared to the 39mm on the Versa 2, with a higher resolution of 336 x 336 pixels (the Versa 2 is 300 x 300). It’s a bright, crisp and very clear display that looks absolutely stunning even at its ‘dim’ setting at pretty much any viewing angle. The bezels, though, still remain quite thick, similar to the Versa 2.
Navigating through the menus and apps via the screen is also a walk in the park – not once did the screen lag during our testing period, and swiping to bring up different functions works remarkably well.
Another design change is the side button, or rather the lack thereof – and it’s perhaps our biggest complaint about the Versa 3. Instead of a physical button, there’s a capacitive indent on the left side of the watch that, when pressed correctly, sends a short vibration to indicate you’ve activated the smartwatch. It’s located below the lip of the chassis, so you need to feel for it, and finding the exact spot to press is not especially easy. We've been using the Versa 3 for over a month now and we still need a few tries to find the exact spot. Thankfully, you don’t always need to use this “inductive” button to interact with the watch – you can set the watch to wake with a tap on the screen, then swipe to bring up whichever menu you need. That said, there are ‘shortcuts’ (like bringing up Alexa) that can be set on the watch, and these require either a tap-and-hold or double-tap-and-hold action to activate them. And they can be frustrating to bring up due to that button inconsistency.
The Fitbit Versa 3 has a redesigned side button that's easier to operate (Image credit: TechRadar)
On the right edge of the watch chassis is a tiny mic and a speaker which, in theory, should allow you to take calls.
Fitbit has also changed the strap mechanism – the same as in the Fitbit Sense – and we think it’s better than the mechanism on the Versa 2. A small button acts as a latch, which when pulled slightly down releases the clasp. It gives the watch a much more streamlined look and makes it remarkably easy to swap out the default sporty strap it comes with.
This silicone strap is also different to the one that comes with the standard edition of the Versa 2. Fitbit calls this new model the "Infinity Band", as it lacks a buckle – it’s the same one that ships with the Sense as well.
Another major difference between the Versa 2 and the new iteration is the charger. Instead of the older box-like USB charger, there’s a small magnetic dock that tops up the juice extremely quickly – we went from 64% battery to 100% in under 15 minutes.
The Versa 3, like its predecessor, is also water resistant to 50m/164ft – meaning you can wear it in the shower or head out for a swim with it on your wrist. It can even survive a dip in salt water, although Fitbit recommends you not wear it in a hot tub or sauna.
The large screen makes menus easy to scroll through (Image credit: TechRadar)
Smartwatch features
Alexa support, with Google Assistant coming in the future
Limited productivity apps
Phone call support
As a smartwatch, the Versa 3 functions exactly the same as its predecessor. It’s still a pared-back, no-frills experience as compared to something like an Apple Watch, but there should still be enough apps to keep many users happy. For example, a Philips Hue app is available to control smart lights, and there's a map app as well. That said, some apps are geo-specific to the US, UK or other regions, so the range of apps available to you will vary depending on your location. Fitbit Pay, though, should be a convenient option for most countries, with many banks around the world now supporting the cashless payment method.
It's worth reiterating that many of the better Fitbit apps are paid, just as they are on Apple Watch or Android Wear OS devices, so you'll need to pony up if you want some of the expanded functionality they provide.
Fitbit has a decent range of clock faces to choose from, so it should be easy to find something you like... although strangely, switching to a new face takes a while to apply. Amazon's Alexa is also on board to help with quick questions and, if you set up the Alexa app on your phone and sync your Amazon account, you can do a lot more, like set reminders and control your smart home devices. With Google set to buy Fitbit, Google Assistant support is also due to be added, but there's no firm timeline on when that is due to occur yet.
As before, there's Deezer and Spotify music-streaming support available, but if you’re leaving your phone behind when on a workout, the only way to get access to your tunes offline is via Deezer. There’s still no offline Spotify feature, which is certainly quite disappointing.
The Fitbit Versa 3 comes with various handy tools, including an alarm that can wake you up without disturbing your partner (Image credit: TechRadar)
With a built-in mic and speaker, you should, in theory, be able to take calls, although at the time of writing we were unable to test this functionality. We were able to answer an incoming call, but it seems Fitbit needs to enable this feature so users can use the device’s Bluetooth connection to their phone to speak to a caller (and hear them) by just raising their wrist close to their mouth. Fitbit lists this feature as "coming soon" on its website, so we’ll update this review when the company rolls out a firmware update to fully enable it.
As before, you’ll get all your phone notifications on your wrist, and you can choose which apps can push notifications to the Versa 3 in the Fitbit app. Most commonly used messaging apps are supported, including Slack and WhatsApp, along with emails and Uber.
Android users can reply to text via the Versa 3 with a handful of preset messages, but iPhone users don’t have that option. If you're an iOS user and keen on more smartphone functionality from a wearable, then you could consider opting for the Apple Watch SE. Unfortunately, having an onboard mic doesn’t mean you’re able to dictate messages and send them on any platform.
The Fitbit Versa 3 has a wide range of tracking modes for indoor and outdoor activities (Image credit: TechRadar)
Fitness and health tracking
SpO2 monitoring
GPS enabled
Several workout options
Like the previous iteration, fitness and health are the areas where the Versa 3 shines. Admittedly, it doesn’t have as many health tracking features as the Sense does, but there’s enough here for the average user to stay on top of things, thanks to 24/7 activity and heart monitoring.
There are guided breathing exercises available now, with ways to track your mindfulness and the ability to listen to meditation tracks on the Fitbit app. You can set up hourly reminders to move around a little, set your fitness goals and keep tabs on your sleep quality. The Versa 3 will also monitor your blood oxygen level while you sleep (provided you wear the device to bed), and this can be important in detecting disorders like sleep apnea.
The Fitbit mobile app is available for both iOS and Android devices (Image credit: TechRadar)
Your daily activities are broken down into step counts, steps taken, calories burned and zone minutes. You can get a pretty good picture on how you’re tracking, but if you want to delve deeper, you’ll need to be a subscriber to the Fitbit Premium service, which costs $9.99/£7.99/AU$15.49 per month. This gives you access to the new Health Metrics dashboard that offers advanced statistics on breathing rate, oxygen saturation and heart rate variability. While you won’t get notifications when your heart rate spikes (like on the Sense), there will be a record of it in case you’re monitoring yourself closely. Like the Sense, the Versa 3 vibrates when you’re moving between heart rate zones – useful when you’re working out and can’t keep looking at the clock face to check your pulse.
There are several workout options to choose from, including circuit training and interval workouts, covering most people’s needs. As mentioned earlier, you can even wear the Versa 3 during a swim, either in the pool or the sea.
The Fitbit Versa 3's on-board GPS means it can track your route on runs and walks even if you leave your phone at home (Image credit: TechRadar)
And now, thanks to the Versa 3’s onboard GPS, all your outdoor activities can be mapped in real time. The GPS isn’t always very precise and does momentarily drop out, but despite that it’s a huge step up from the Versa 2. Keep in mind that the GPS only gets activated when you select a workout mode manually. Fitbit’s SmartTrack feature – which automatically detects and records movement that’s 15 minutes or longer as exercise – will not activate the GPS. Maps are available on the Fitbit app almost immediately after you’ve ended the exercise, with pace, heart rate and calories burnt graphically denoted as well.
The Fitbit Versa 3 features an SpO2 sensor on the rear to track blood oxygen saturation (Image credit: TechRadar)
Battery life
Up to 6 days of battery
2-day battery with always-on display
Charges quickly
Battery life is another thing Fitbit does really well, far better than Apple or Samsung. Like the Versa 2 before it, the Versa 3 offers up to 6 days of juice on a full charge, with the display set at normal brightness and the GPS being used no more than 2-3 times a week. The more you use the GPS, though, the quicker the battery drains; we measured a roughly 8% drop for 30 minutes of GPS use.
Keeping the screen always-on, though, drains the battery significantly, giving you no more than two days on a full charge. And if you use the GPS combined with the always-on display, you’ll need to charge the battery every day.
When the Versa 3’s battery needs some juice, topping it up is thankfully very quick. As we mentioned earlier, a 15-minute stint on the new USB charger gave us 36% more power.
First reviewed October 2020
The Fitbit Versa 3 comes with a handy weather app preinstalled (Image credit: TechRadar)
Current official price: $159.99 / £219.99 / AU$224.95
Updated: January 2024: There are two reasons why we think the Fitbit Sense is worth buying over its successor, the Fitbit Sense 2. For one thing, since its launch, the Fitbit Sense has drastically dropped in price. And for another, the Fitbit Sense 2 has arrived on the heels of Fitbit's gutting of several community and music-related features in its watches going forward. At this very attractive price (and you can get it even cheaper during deals events at third-party stores like Best Buy in the US and Currys in the UK) the Sense remains worthy of inclusion in our best Fitbit list, and a relevant cheap watch for Fitbit enthusiasts.
The rest of this review remains as previously published.
Two-minute review
The Fitbit Sense is one of the best Fitbits, and builds on the success of the Fitbit Versa line with several thoughtful upgrades. It's designed to put you in charge of your wellbeing, helping you understand your body and mind, and make changes to improve your physical and mental health. It succeeds, for the most part – even better than its sequel, the Fitbit Sense 2.
Fitbit Sense: Key specs
Case size: 40mm x 40mm x 12mm Weight with strap: 49.5g Display type: color OLED GPS: yes Sports modes: 20 Operating system: Fitbit OS
Like many of the best smartwatches and best fitness trackers, it includes an ECG sensor to detect signs of atrial fibrillation, but its stress monitoring function is what really stands out, and is something everyone can benefit from and use every day – not just in a health crisis. It's a shame that many of the tools for managing your stress levels (such as meditation sessions and mindfulness tutorials) are only available to Fitbit Premium subscribers, but the Sense comes with a six-month free trial, so you can get a lot of benefit from them even if you choose not to extend the subscription afterwards.
The fitness tracking features offered by the Sense are also impressive, particularly if you're interested in training using heart rate zones. There's a wide range of activity tracking options, and together the watch and Fitbit app provide you with a set of workout appropriate stats once you've finished.
The ECG feature wasn't available at launch, but was activated in October 2020 via a firmware update. In June 2021, Fitbit began rolling out a new firmware update for the Fitbit Sense and Versa 3 that added audible Google Assistant notifications, new goal celebrations, and the ability to more easily change the watch face. Some users also received a new 'snore detection' tool as part of a public beta test.
The Sense isn't perfect though, and we can also see room for improvement within the Fitbit companion app - particularly the menstrual tracking tool, which would benefit from integration with the skin temperature sensor and stress-monitoring functions.
Price and availability
Fitbit Sense: Price and availability
At the time of writing, the Fitbit Sense is available directly from Fitbit and from third-party retailers, and currently costs $159.99 / £219.99 / AU$224.95. It's not available from Fitbit in the US due to the release of the Fitbit Sense 2, so the price above was pulled from Best Buy.
Contrast this with the Sense 2, which costs $299.95 / £269.99 / AU$449.95.
The Fitbit Sense's color OLED display is clearly visible in all lighting conditions, though using always-on mode will drain the battery more rapidly (Image credit: Future)
Fitbit Sense: Design and display
Bright, clear display
Comfortable Infinity Band strap
Wide range of watch faces
The Fitbit Sense is a good-looking smartwatch. It has a very similar, almost identical
screen design to the Fitbit Versa line, with a square face and rounded edges that Fitbit's designers say are inspired by the lines of the human body.
The case is stainless steel, giving the sense a premium look, with a small touch-sensitive button on the left-hand side that can be set up for quick access to your most frequently used apps. A single-press will open one app (this is Alexa by default), and a double-press will display four shortcuts to other apps. We found this particularly useful for accessing our favorite workouts without scrolling through the watch's menus, and for quickly starting an EDA scan (more on that below).
You can adjust the watch's brightness, volume, and other options through the settings menu (Image credit: Future)
The color display (covered with Gorilla Glass) is bright, sharp and responsive. Swiping to the right reveals various settings, including access to sleep mode, which dims the screen and deactivates vibrations, volume, screen brightness, always-on screen, and do-not-disturb mode. Swiping down from any screen will reveal a shade containing your notifications, which can be customized in the Fitbit app.
The Fitbit Sense comes with an Infinity Band strap, which is made from soft silicone with no hard buckles or catches. It’s very similar to the band on the recently released Polar Unite, and has the same issue of being ever so slightly tricky to fasten as you have to feed the end of the band underneath the strap to secure it. However, once you've mastered it, the band is extremely comfortable, and we found we barely felt it, which is particularly useful at night.
Fitbit recommends wearing it a little tighter while you’re working out to ensure an accurate heart rate reading, cleaning the band regularly with soapy water, and taking it off periodically to allow your skin to breathe.
The Fitbit Sense has a smart aluminum case and soft silicone strap (Image credit: Future)
Like most Fitbits, the Sense is supplied with two bands to fit a range of wrist sizes. The smaller band fits wrists 5.5-7.1 inches in circumference, while the larger one fits wrists 7.1-8.7 inches in circumference.
There’s a huge array of watch faces to choose from in the Fitbit app (including the newly released SpO2 face), and you can pick four to save to your Sense for quick access. However, their location on the Sense is a little counterintuitive. Although the watch’s settings menu allows you to change various settings related to its face, including setting the brightness and toggling always-on mode on and off. However, if you want to change the design of the watch face, you need to access a separate menu labelled ‘Clocks’.
Fitbit Sense: Features
Supplied with Alexa voice controls; Google Assistant coming soon
Daily stress tracking and mood logging
Wide range of mindfulness and meditation tools
The Fitbit Sense offers a maximum battery life of six days, but regular use of its various sensors will reduce that time significantly – as will use of the always-on screen. When it's time to top it up, charging is simple; the Sense comes with a small USB charger with a square dock that attaches to the watch’s pack using magnets. It’s very easy to use, and the magnetic connection means it’s impossible to misalign.
It offers all the usual smartwatch features you'd expect from a high-end Fitbit, including voice controls via Alexa (Google Assistant is coming towards the end of 2020) and Fitbit Pay (provided your bank is among those supported).
You will also receive call and SMS notifications from your phone, and can dictate responses to text messages using the Sense's built-in microphone. We'll be testing these features in depth over the coming days and updating this review based on our findings. Bluetooth call-answering is coming later in 2020.
The large display of the Fitbit Sense makes navigation easy (Image credit: Future)
The Sense's standout feature is stress monitoring, which is measured in the form of electrodermal activity (EDA) responses, which are caused by the conductivity of your skin. This is affected by sweat, which is in turn affected by your adrenal glands. It’s worth noting that emotional stress isn’t the only factor that can affect EDA responses – physical stress like exercise and heat can affect it as well.
To run a scan, make sure you have the Sense secured well so that it can record your heart rate accurately, then swipe left, select ‘EDA scan’ and place your free hand over its face for two minutes. You’ll feel a gentle vibration when the scan begins and another when it’s completed. The fewer EDA responses the watch records, the calmer you (probably) are.
Once the scan is done, you’ll also be prompted to enter a quick record of how you’re feeling at that moment – very calm, calm, neutral, stressed or very stressed. You can then review these measurements in the Fitbit app.
Stress monitoring falls under the category of ‘Mindfulness’ within the Fitbit app. Here you can find a record of all past scans, plus a calendar showing your mood variations over time and a set of exercises to help you manage your stress. You can set ‘Mindfulness goals’, which will prompt you to perform an EDA scan, record your mood and practice mindfulness exercising over the course of several days. You can then look back at how your mood fluctuates over time and get an understanding of the factors that affect it.
You can download additional faces for the Sense through the Fitbit mobile app for Android and iOS (Image credit: Future)
There are various tools for managing stress within the Fitbit app, but it’s worth noting that most of these require a subscription to Fitbit Premium. The Sense comes with six-month free trial of Premium, but you may well want to continue subscribing after this expires to get the most out of the device.
The Sense can also measure skin temperature at night, allowing you to monitor it for trends over time. It can’t explicitly tell you whether you’re suffering from an infection, but raised temperatures can be a sign that something is amiss.
After three nights, the Fitbit app will be able to establish a baseline temperature for your skin, and show you how it fluctuates as you sleep (some changes overnight being normal). The graph only shows variation, but this is sensible, as skin temperature on your wrist will be vastly different to core temperature, so the trends are more useful than the specific value and skin temp is better used to inform your overall sleep score than provide accurate core temperature readings.
If you choose to, you can take your core temperature with a thermometer and enter it manually.
The Sense offers advanced sleep tracking, though you'll need a Fitbit Premium subscription to access full insights (Image credit: Fitbit)
The Sense also tracks blood oxygen saturation (SpO2) as you sleep, which can help you spot signs of conditions such as sleep apnea, in which you stop breathing periodically during the night, resulting in disturbed sleep and fatigue in the morning. You will need to activate the sensor manually in your device's settings, and bear in in mind that doing so will cause the battery to drain a little faster.
Menstrual tracking is present in the Fitbit app, and although it's not recommended as a form of contraception, it shows when you're likely to be most fertile and allows you to log symptoms of PMT so you can be better prepared each month. This could be improved by integration with the mood tracking tools, so you can more easily see the impact of monthly hormonal fluctuations. We'd also like to see it incorporate data from the skin temperature sensor, which could be a useful indicator of ovulation.
Fitbit Sense: Performance
Great choice of workout options
Good for heart rate zone training
On-board GPS and Strava support
Workout options for the Fitbit Sense include bike, bootcamp, circuit training, elliptical, golf, hike, interval workout, kickboxing, martial arts, pilates, run, spinning, swim, stair climber, tennis, treadmill, weights, workout and yoga – which should cover pretty much everyone.
Get moving and raise your heart rate to earn Active Zone Minutes, and the Sense will notify you when you achieve your goal (Image credit: Future)
The Sense is water resistant to 50m, making it suitable for swimming in the pool or the sea (though Fitbit advises rinsing the strap with clean water afterwards).
We took the Sense for a pretty intense spin session and noticed no unexpected dips in heart rate that indicate an issue with fitness trackers. Our heart rate shown on the watch face mirrored our efforts on the bike, with only a slight delay as you'd expect from any wrist-mounted heart rate monitor.
The Sense vibrates to indicate when you're moving between heart rate zones, which is a very useful for training. We also liked the fact that the heart rate was displayed prominently on the screen at all times – something not all fitness trackers do.
The Fitbit Sense can alert you if your heart rate is unusually high or low, and the app can track your menstrual cycle (Image credit: Future)
The only issue we encountered was that the Fitbit Sense logged quite a few steps while we were on the static bike, even though we were using the dedicated Spin exercise mode. It seems like it would be wise for cycling modes to temporarily turn off the watch's pedometer, though we're not sure how feasible that would be.
The Sense also features on-board GPS, so you can map out your runs, walks and bike rides without the need to carry a phone. The GPS will only be activated if you select the correct workout mode manually (it won't be activated if the device detects that you've begun exercising by itself), but this makes sense as it conserves battery life.
Once you've finished, your maps are visible in the Fitbit app straight away, and you can connect your Fitbit account to Strava so they are synced automatically.
Physical and mental wellbeing can have a huge effect on one another, and this is the first smartwatch we've seen that puts an equal focus on both. It still has some quirks to be ironed out, but these are mostly on the software side, so we anticipate the Sense will become even more useful over time.
