With the Fitbit Inspire 3, Fitbit Versa 4 and Fitbit Sense 2, the brand introduces new wearables. It is striking that Fitbit does not actually change course, even after the acquisition by Google and the fierce competition from Garmin, among others.
Buy the Fitbit Inspire 3 at Bol.com
Buy the Fitbit Versa 4 at Bol.com
Buy the Fitbit Sense 2 at Bol.com
The three products introduced are an affordable fitness bracelet (Fitbit Inspire 3) and two smartwatches (Fitbit Versa 4 and Fitbit Sense 2).
The Inspire 3 is the most accessible of the three, in terms of price and size. This bracelet should especially compete with Xiaomi Mi Bands. The biggest innovation for those bands: the color screen with always-on functionality underlines that.
Continuous stress measurement
The new watches in the Versa and Sense series are not very different. The former is more aimed at athletes, while the Fitbit Sense 2 expands on that with more health options. The Fitbit Sense 2 has been expanded with a sensor that measures the normal heart rate, heart rate variability and skin temperature to give an indication of your stress level. The previous Fitbit watches could also measure this, but this had to be started manually. This way, the watch can help you calm down in time.
What is special is that Fitbit continues to focus on measuring skin temperature. After all, this is different from body temperature, which is used, among other things, to measure fever, stress or other problems. It appeared earlier that skin temperature measurement mainly measures external factors, for example when you are in a cool room.
No Wear OS
Most notably, Fitbit has actually innovated virtually nothing with the latest generation of wearables, which makes it seem a bit perfunctory. Even the design is indistinguishable from its predecessors and the Apple Watch-esque design is a keeper. The acquisition by Google creates expectations and it seems only a matter of time before Google’s Wear OS comes on Fitbit watches. But despite the claims that the OS has been rebuilt from scratch, it’s been scrupulously quiet around Wear OS.
Fitbit did state that Google services are finding their way to Fitbit. For example, there will be the possibility to navigate with Google Maps and pay with Google Wallet. The company also remains silent for support for voice assistance or music control.
wicked way
It is also quiet around the integration with other health and sports apps. Your own data may only be used by Fitbit. That doesn’t seem like a future-proof path: Competitors like Garmin score well with recent products, because of their more extensive measurements and integration with other apps like Strava via Garmin IQ. Rules within the European Union are also tightening thumbscrews with, for example, the DMA and DSA to give users more control over their data and the export of it.
But none of this at Fitbit. In fact. The company is increasingly betting on the unpopular Fitbit Premium payment service, which places many new features and analytics behind a paywall. In light of European legislation, competition and the integration with Google, that doesn’t seem like a future-proof course, with the Fitbit Inspire 3, Fitbit Versa 4 and Fitbit Sense 2 appearing to mark some sort of strange in-between stage for Fitbit.
Availability Fitbit Inspire, Fitbit Versa, Fitbit Sense
The Fitbit Inspire 3 (99 euros), Fitbit Versa 4 (229 euros) and Fitbit Sense 2 (299 euros) are available from September in different colors. Other straps (for a higher price) are also available.
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