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Fitbit, the American health wearables firm that was lately acquired by Google, faces a critical problem from Chinese language opponents in India. Whereas Fitbit has been round for lots longer than its rivals, that doesn’t assure success out there. Corporations equivalent to Amazfit have launched a number of merchandise during the last 12 months, most of which provide extra options and value lower than Fitbit merchandise. No product goes to really feel the warmth as a lot because the Fitbit Versa 2, because it is without doubt one of the most costly of the corporate’s wearables in India. Can the Versa 2 tackle the sturdy competitors? Let’s discover out on this overview.
Fitbit Versa 2 design
The Fitbit Versa 2 has a sq. face with rounded corners. The color AMOLED touchscreen appears very nice however its thick bezels make it seem a bit dated. That is not nice for a premium health wearable. We had no complaints with the show itself although — it may possibly get fairly brilliant, and hues look very good on it too. You possibly can set the show to always-on within the Versa 2’s settings, however this has a huge impact on battery life. We’ll discuss that within the efficiency part.
The Versa 2 is kind of comfy to put on. Its aluminium shell feels good, and the band can be fairly comfy general. We have been in a position to put on the Versa 2 for a number of days with out a difficulty, and we took it off solely to cost or to dry off after a exercise or a bathe.
There’s only one button on the Fitbit Versa 2
There’s only one button on the left facet of the Versa 2 — for those who press it as soon as it acts as a again button, and for those who long-press it, it can launch the train app. There is a microphone on the suitable, because the Versa 2 helps Amazon’s Alexa voice assistant. Now that Fitbit has been acquired by Google, we will be moderately sure that future Fitbit merchandise will function Google Assistant as well as or as an alternative.
The Versa 2 is swim-proof, which is a must have function at this value level. It ships with a proprietary charging cradle which is a bit disappointing to see however not totally shocking given Fitbit’s historical past of transport a brand new charger with nearly each new product. The cradle has a clip-like mechanism that you must slot the Versa 2 into. The issue is that there are charging pins on just one facet, however the watch can simply be inserted the incorrect method round by mistake. Until you verify to verify the Versa 2 is within the cradle the suitable method, the system may not cost in any respect.
Fitbit Versa 2 efficiency and battery life
For a premium health watch that helps a number of exercise modes, it is fairly unhappy to see that the Versa 2 doesn’t function in-built GPS. You’ll need to make use of your paired smartphone’s GPS sensors to trace exercises with the Versa 2, which suggests the Fitbit app will all the time want entry your location, whether or not it is energetic or not. This raises privateness issues, and despite the fact that Fitbit is a widely known model, we’re not eager on permitting apps entry to our location knowledge after they’re within the background.
Coronary heart charge monitoring is pretty correct on the Versa 2
Secondly, you may all the time have to hold your smartphone with you if you wish to monitor exercises, which may be inconvenient. Lastly, we’re at the moment utilizing a smartphone that is 3.5 years previous and its battery life is just not that nice anymore. Utilizing GPS always is a large drain on energy.
We nonetheless ran our customary sequence of checks on the Versa 2 to gauge the way it performs. First we walked 1,000 steps whereas counting every one manually to see if the Versa 2’s step tracker is correct. The Versa 2 logged 1,006 steps, which is extraordinarily correct. We additionally walked 1km on a route measured utilizing a automotive’s odometer to verify for GPS accuracy. The Fitbit Versa 2 logged 1.05km right here, nevertheless it’s to be famous that that is the paired cellphone’s GPS accuracy and should not be used to evaluate the wearable itself.
The center charge sensor of the Fitbit Versa 2 is pretty correct. Its readings corresponded with how drained we have been feeling throughout exercises, which is sweet to see. You too can monitor a bunch of different exercises equivalent to swimming, working, elliptical coaching, yoga, and so forth. on the Versa 2, which is sweet to see. We’ll discuss concerning the software program at size in a bit.
We wore the Fitbit Versa 2 by the evening to see if sleep monitoring was dependable, and we have been happy to see that it was. The app assigns a sleep rating to inform you how properly you slept, and we discovered this metric to be useful. Our sleep scores did mirror how we thought we had slept.
The battery life is sweet so long as you do not allow always-on show
The battery lifetime of the Fitbit Versa 2 was superb after we didn’t allow the always-on show choice. The system simply lasted us a full week on a single cost, with notifications enabled and with us carrying the system nearly 24×7. That is good, however for those who do need an always-on show, the battery life drops to 2 days, which is kind of poor. It might be good to have the ability to see essential data such because the time and battery stage at a look, so the drop in battery life is a little bit of a letdown.
Fitbit Versa 2 software program and companion app
The Fitbit Versa 2 is a reasonably succesful smartwatch however there are some issues that try to be conscious of. You possibly can reply or reject incoming cellphone calls on the Versa 2, however you can’t make calls from it. It helps fast replies for notifications, however solely on Android. You too can switch music out of your laptop to the Versa if you wish to retailer songs on-device (as much as round 2.5GB), or you need to use music streaming providers equivalent to Spotify or Deezer on the watch, which is nice to see.
A number of the most essential apps for a wearable, equivalent to Spotify and Strava, can be found within the Fitbit app retailer. Aside from a number of huge names although, there is not a lot to obtain there. This can be a minor grievance to be sincere, as a result of most individuals are going to purchase the Versa 2 for fitness-related options and it has nearly every little thing you may want on that entrance.
Whereas the Versa 2 helps Amazon’s Alexa and means that you can verify the climate, set timers, and management your Echo gadgets, we didn’t discover ourselves utilizing this function a lot. Voice assistant assist is a must have function on watches for some folks, however not everybody.
Fitbit Versa 2’s charging mechanism may very well be higher
The Fitbit companion app is among the many greatest health apps we have used. It is slick and exhibits all the knowledge you want by way of well-designed charts, which is nice. It is also good to have the ability to share Fitbit knowledge with your folks or Fitbit group members by way of the Group tab. There is a Fitbit Premium subscription choice, priced at Rs. 819 per thirty days or Rs. 7,000 per 12 months, that features wellness stories, programmes for inculcating wholesome habits, video exercises, and extra. In order for you an app to educate you, it is a first rate choice, however there are several other apps that could better serve your fitness training needs and you’ll find related options at decrease costs and even free of charge.
Verdict
The Fitbit Versa 2 appears good, feels nice to put on, and has a powerful companion app. These are all good options to have, however the lack of in-built GPS limits its utility lots. For a premium health system, it is a obvious omission.
The Versa 2 was launched at Rs. 20,999 in India however is at the moment out there for round Rs. 15,000 on-line. Even at this lower cost, wearables such because the Amazfit Verge (Review) supply higher worth. This mannequin has an identical function set together with in-built GPS, although not the identical stage of software program polish. Hardcore health fanatics will wish to shell out a bit extra for health watches from Garmin or TomTom, and naturally iPhone customers ought to positively contemplate the Apple Watch Series 3 (Review) at this value stage.
There’s lots to love concerning the Fitbit Versa 2, however the competitors is way stronger now than it was when Fitbit first got here to India. The corporate should elevate its recreation to remain related within the premium health watch house.
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