- [Narrator] When the first Fitbit Versa came out last year,
I told you how well it worked
as a fitness tracker in the gym,
and how much promise I thought it had as a smart watch,
if only Fitbit would make a few changes.
Enter the Fitbit Versa 2,
a sequel with a better screen,
fewer buttons and more features.
But does any of that make it a better smart watch?
(upbeat music)
The reason I phrase it that way thanks
to a conversation I had at IFA 2019 in Berlin
with Windows Central's Zac Bowden.
Look, I know "fit" is right in the brand name
but some people like Zac and me,
buy Fitbits to use mainly as smart watches.
So, this video is really for them
or for folks who want to know about the
smart watch side of this wearable.
Let's start by callings out the bits
of this fit that are objective great improvements.
Switching the display technology to Amoled
from last years LCD means the colors are more vibrant
and black pixels are truly black.
That means graphics really pop beneath the Gorilla glass,
as you can see with this Nixie Tube watch face.
Somewhere under that Amoled panel
sits a more powerful processor than last year, too.
Which matters to more than just spec geeks.
It means the interface really zips along now.
That's impressive, because the Versa 2
also has more features.
NFC for Wallet payments, which work well and
Amazon Alexa.
Just hold down that side button
and use the built in microphone to set reminders,
ask questions and dictate messages.
In other big names, Spotify is here too,
alongside Uber, Starbucks and a handful of others
in the Fitbit App store.
For me, the best bit about the Versa 2 is that
it improves on something Versa 1
was already great at, battery life.
Where a typical Apple or Galaxy watch needs
to be charged every other night at best,
the Versa 2 got me through six full days on a single charge.
And that's not vacation days, but trade show days where
my wrist never stopped buzzing from notifications.
And then it didn't even get a break over night, because
it was tracking my sleep too, I'll come back to that in a
second for now let's just give Fitbit props
for all work week endurance, well done.
But, it was Allen Watts who said "That doing
things you don't like doing in order to go on
doing things you don't like doing, is stupid."
In other words, it doesn't matter if something
lasts a long time if you don't enjoy using it and
as a smart watch the Versa 2 doesn't address
a lot of my complaints from last year.
First, you still need to manage an awful
lot through the app, I'm talking basic things.
If you want to change the watch
face, that happens on the phone.
And pushing a new one to the Versa 2 takes roughly a decade.
I'll leave this real time footage up to prove my point
as I complain about another thing.
As a frequent traveler, I like to be able to change
the clock manually on the plane when I'm flying through
time zones, but you need to do that on the app.
Which means you need to take your phone out of airplane
mode and you can only change the time zone, not the time.
Watch face, still not done yet.
So okay, let's just move on you get the point.
There are other limitations.
One, while Alexa is pretty good at the basics like
reminders, the voice reply feature when your
sending a message is hit or miss.
And thanks to the iPhone lockdown
eco-system it only works on Android.
Two, as I always say on my Wear OS reviews, watches
should force you onto those tiny
touch screens less often, not more.
I don't like the Fitbit removed the two
additional side buttons from the Versa 1.
Whether you're running or just trying to get
through life it's a lot easier to feel out
a button than to focus on a touch screen.
Three, while I'm glad that the interior
space is filled up with more battery.
It seems weird that something with a fitness
focus doesn't have GPS on board.
You still need to carry your phone
if you want to map your runs.
Four, ditto if you want to bring your
Spotify play lists along. You can control it
from your wrist, but you can't actually put
your playlists on there, and you
need a premium account to do even that.
Yes, you can manually move Mp3's over,
but that is not fun.
And five, there's an Always-On Display now.
Great, but using it locks you into just two
ugly options and cuts your battery life in half.
Finally, lets talk about the two things I
think most people will use this for, steps and sleep.
For the former, well it still gives me credit
all the time for steps it thinks I'm taking
while riding in a car or typing at a keyboard.
It feels like to dumb of a problem to still
be dealing with in 2019, but as Russell Holly
points out in an editorial I agree with that
it's not unique to Fitbit, that
happens to most fitness trackers.
And with the possible exception of the Apple
watch, Fitbit has the most friendly
breakdown of health data out there.
With an app that sorts the information so it's
accessible and a huge community of users, if
the thing that gets you to go to the gym
is competing against your friends or strangers.
And Fitbits new premium service
only adds to those advantages.
As for sleep tracking, well here's an editorial
from Russell Holly I don't agree with.
I think sleep tracking is actually pretty useful,
as long as you understand that he's right.
The data isn't perfect but being able to
breakdown results over days and weeks and
see the amount of rest you get effects
how you feel, it's compelling stuff.
I visited my family right after EFA, and my Aunt
worried that her guest bed wouldn't be
comfortable enough for me to crash on.
But according to my sleep score, it was just delightful.
The Fitbit Versa 2 is available
September 15th for the starting price of $199.
It's still not a great smart watch,
so if you're looking for right messaging and plentiful apps
check out the Apple watch if you have an iPhone
or the Galaxy watch from Samsung or
the Wear OS devices from the Fossil group.
If instead you want to health focused wearable
that does a little more and looks a little better
than you typical fitness band, well then
the Versa 2 just might be for you.
Fitbit owners and wearable wearers in
general, I want to hear from you.
What are you wearing on your wrist or
what are you wanting to put there?
Sound off in the comments below and
subscribe to THEMRMOBILE on YouTube, so you don't
miss a bunch of wrist watch reviews coming very soon.
And follow me on the same handle on Instagram
if you want to see those new Fossil group watches
announced while I was in Berlin.
This review made possible by a
Fitbit Versa 2 sample from Fitbit.
I don't take money for reviews and Fitbit
was not offered copy approval, that means
that they're seeing this video at the same time you are.
Until next time, thanks for watching and
stay mobile my friends.