Fitbit on Tuesday refreshed its wearables lineup with the $329.95 Sense and $229.95 Versa 3 smartwatches and the $99.95 Inspire 2 fitness tracker.
Fitbit Sense
The Sense features an electrodermal activity (EDA) sensor to help measure your stress level, an ECG sensor to assess your heart rhythm for signs of atrial fibrillation, an SpO2 sensor to measure the amount of oxygen in your blood, and a skin temperature sensor.
Fitbit calls the Sense its "most advanced health smartwatch" to date; it's available now in carbon/graphite stainless steel and lunar white/soft gold stainless steel. The Sense comes with a free six-month trial of Fitbit Premium, which includes a new Health Metrics dashboard, workouts from brands like Barre3 and Gaiam's Yoga Studio, and meditation sessions from brands like Aaptiv and Aura.
“Our mission to make everyone in the world healthier has never been more important than it is today," Fitbit CEO and Co-Founder James Park said in a statement. "COVID-19 has shown us all how critical it is to take care of both our physical and mental health and well-being."
Fitbit Sense (Image: Fitbit)
Fitbit says the Sense is the world's first smartwatch with an EDA sensor, which measures small electrical changes in the sweat level of your skin that could be caused by stress. To measure your EDA responses, you'll place your palm over the face of the device. You can pair the scan with a guided meditation session in the Fitbit app to see how your body responds.
Fitbit follows Apple Watch's lead by giving the Sense an ECG sensor, which is currently pending FDA review and will only be available in the US upon clearance. Samsung's new Galaxy Watch3 also has one.
The Sense also features a 24/7 heart rate tracker, and can notify you if your heart rate is unusually high or low.
The new skin temperature sensor can help detect signs of illness and the start of a new menstrual phase. It will even work overnight when you wear Sense to bed, so you can track your skin temperature variation trends over time.
Fitbit says the Sense offers up to six days of battery life. It also features an always-on display (which will reduce battery life when enabled), integrated GPS, more than 20 exercise modes, a speaker and microphone to take calls and reply to texts (on Android), support for Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant, Fitbit Pay, hundreds of clock face designs, and more.
Fitbit Sense (Image: Fitbit)
"We are breaking new ground with our wearables, helping you better understand and manage your stress and heart health, and pulling your key health metrics together in a simple and digestible way to track things like skin temperature, heart rate variability, and SpO2 so you can see how it’s all connected," Park said. "Most importantly, we are making health accessible, surfacing new data that you may only get once or twice a year at the doctor’s office, that you can use to focus on your holistic health and wellness, at a time when it’s needed most."
The new Fitbit Premium Health Metrics dashboard will help you keep tabs on your breathing rate (average breaths per minute), resting heart rate, heart rate variability (the time between each heartbeat), and skin temperature variation. Fitbit smartwatch users will be able to track their SpO2 trends over time, including their nightly average levels. Fitbit Premium costs $9.99 per month or $79.99 per year.
Versa 3
The successor to Fitbit's Versa 2 includes an integrated GPS. It also tracks your Active Zone Minutes, which debuted on the Charge 4 and measures time spent in fat burn, cardio, or peak heart rate zones. Like the Charge 4, the $229.95 Versa 3 also supports in-app workout intensity maps showing your heart rate zone at any point of your route.
Fitbit Versa 3 (Image: Fitbit)
As for smartwatch features, it includes a built-in speaker and microphone, Google Assistant in addition to Amazon Alexa, and Fitbit Pay for contactless payments. It offers curated playlists from Deezer, Pandora, and Spotify.
Fitbit says the third-generation Versa is more comfortable, responsive, and faster than its predecessor. It promises to last more than six days on a charge, and supports quick charging for a full day's worth of battery in just 12 minutes. Get it in black/black aluminum, pink clay/soft gold aluminum, or midnight/soft gold aluminum.
Inspire 2
Fitbit Versa 2 (Image: Fitbit)
The $99.95 Inspire 2 features the longest battery life of any Fitbit device—up to 10 days, Fitbit says—and is designed for those just starting out on or returning to a fitness journey.
It's swim-proof and features continuous heart rate tracking, Active Zone Minutes, more than 20 exercise modes, and sleep tracking. It also offers smartphone notifications and calendar alerts, and features timers and a stopwatch. It's available in black, lunar white, and desert rose, and comes with a free one-year Fitbit Premium trial.
Further Reading
- The Best Fitbit: Which One Is Right for You?
- Fitbit Charge 4 Adds 'Smart Wake' Alarm, Dynamic GPS
- Polar Unite Fitness Watch Offers Guidance for Beginners
- Fitbit Launches Charge 4 Fitness Tracker With GPS, Spotify, Sleep Tracking
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