Yesterday, Fitbit announced a big product refresh with three new products, the Sense 2, Versa 4 and Inspire 3.
Fitbit used to be one of the dominant brands in the world of wearables, with a 38% market share back in 2014, according to Statista. However, that dominance has been decimated in recent years.
You’d think that Google being the new owners, might have the resources to revive the brand, but the launch of these three new watches looks largely underwhelming.
If you thought the Samsung Galaxy Watch5 was an incremental upgrade from the Watch4, I am not sure how you would describe the Fitbit Versa 4.
Fitbit Versa 4 vs Versa 3 Specifications
| Fitbit Versa 4 | Fitbit Versa 3 | |
|---|---|---|
| Physical size | 40.5 x 40.5 x 11.2mm | 40.48 x 40.48 x 12.35 mm |
| Material | Aluminium housing paired with silicone band | Aluminium housing paired with silicone band |
| Display type | AMOLED | AMOLED |
| Display size | 1.58 inch | 1.58 inch |
| Display resolution | 336 x 336 pixels | 336 x 336 pixels |
| Weight | 40 grams | 38 grams |
| Button | Physical | Haptic |
| Sensors | 3-axis accelerometer 3-axis gyroscope Optical heart rate monitor Altimeter Ambient light sensor Vibration motor Relative SpO2 sensor temperature sensor NFC Built-in microphone |
3-axis accelerometer 3-axis gyroscope Optical heart rate monitor Altimeter Ambient light sensor Vibration motor Relative SpO2 sensor temperature sensor NFC Built-in microphone |
| Satellite connectivity | Built-in GPS/GLONASS | Built-in GPS/GLONASS |
| Exercise modes | 40 | 20 |
| Water-resistance | 5 ATM | 5 ATM |
| Battery life | 6+ days. Charge time (0-100%): Two hours. 12 minutes to get one day of battery life. | 6+ days. Charge time (0-100%): Two hours. |
| Colour choice | Black/Graphite, Waterfall Blue / Platinum, Pink Sand / Copper Rose, Beet Juice / Copper Rose | Pink Clay/Soft Gold, Black/Black, Midnight/Soft Gold |
| Launch price | £200 / $230 | £200 / $230 |
| Current Price | £200 | £130 |
Fitbit Versa 4 vs Versa 3 Differences
As far as I can tell, the physical hardware has barely changed. The main difference is a switch to a physical button vs haptic. It is also a touch thinner.
All the sensors remain the same, but the Versa 3 did have a lot of sensors in the first place, so you could argue that there is not much to improve.
The battery remains the same, but unlike fully fledged smartwatches, it already has a good battery life of 6+ days.
Basically, the main differences come down to tweaks with the software. You now have 40-exercise modes, a lazy update that consists of them creating separate sports profiles. Most brands do this, and I don’t see why they can’t just allow you to program your own exercise modes.
Then the underlying OS has been tweaked, which includes better integration with parent company Google.
You have customisable tiles, weather and a variety of other features.
Probably the most important updates are the Google integration which includes maps and Google Wallet. However, neither of these are available at launch and should be available soon.
Google Pay is considerably better than Fitbit Pay because it has much better bank compatibility. Currently, the main ones you would likely use are Santander, Starling Bank, Revolut and Curve.
Fitbit Versa 4 vs Versa 3 Price
The Fitbit Versa 4 has been announced at the same launch price as the predecessor, which is £199.99 / $229.95. It is currently pre-order with shipping from 23rd of September.
However, the Versa 3 has been available for £169.99 for a while now, and Fitbit has discounted it further to £149.99. You can pick it up on Amazon for around £130.
Overall
I have a soft spot for Fitbit because the company was the first piece of fitness tech I used, and it played a big role in my weight loss. So, it is a bit sad to see the decline.
The Fitbit Versa 4 is a mostly unremarkable launch. Google Maps and Google Wallet are a big improvement, but they are not available yet, and you can get the Versa 3 for 35% cheaper at £130.
Last update on 2022-08-25 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
