7 things you need to know about Fitbit’s new Versa smartwatch

7 things you need to know about Fitbit’s new Versa smartwatch

Grown bored of your fitness band’s limitations but not ready to shell out 329 big ones on an Apple Watch? Fitbit reckons it has the answer to your quandary with the new Versa. It’s the Ionic’s cheaper, more handsome FitbitOS brother and is (theoretically) a perfect upgrade from all those fitness bands that now feel a little bit 2014. But what exactly is the Versa bringing to the gang of fitness-mad smartwatches currently dominated by the beefcake Apple Watch? Here’s the highlight reel.

1) IT LOOKS LIKE A REBORN PEBBLE TIME STEEL

The Ionic was a bold design statement, perhaps a bit too bold for some – so Fitbit has played it a bit safer with the Pebble-inspired Versa. Its rounded corners, lighter body and squarer face mean it’s more backing singer than attention-grabbing frontman. Still, Fitbit now has a pretty big wardrobe of bands to choose from and, like the Ionic, you get three hardware buttons for controlling it when your inspired session treadmill session takes you into extreme sweat territory.

2) IT DIPS UNDER THE £200/$200 BARRIER

Bulging biceps doesn’t necessarily mean bulging wallets – which is why the Versa’s price tag is good news: it starts at just £199/$199. A Special Edition with leather straps will also be available for another £30/$30. Okay, that’s still a bit more than the bargain Ticwatch E, but it looks like very good value when you consider it has (almost) every feature you could want in a fitness-focused smartwatch…

3) IT TICKS EVERY FEATURE BOX – EXCEPT GPS

Wondering why the Versa is so reasonably priced? It doesn’t have built-in GPS. Instead, you get ‘Connected GPS’, meaning it piggybacks your phone’s connection for route tracking. While this means it’s probably not for budding athletes, it’s still well-versed in every other form of tracking: you get a built-in HR sensor with continuous heart-rate tracking, 50m waterproofing, and Fitbit’s excellent sleep-tracking. There’s also built-in music storage for up to 300 offline songs from Deezer and NFC for Fitbit Pay.

4) YOU SHOULD GET A FEW DAYS BETWEEN CHARGES

The Versa promises a ‘4+ day battery life’. That’s the same claim as the Ionic, which in reality (at least in our tests) was more like three days max. Still, that was mainly because we used the Ionic’s built-in GPS, which is something the Versa lacks. Without the distraction of hunting for satellites, it seems possible that the Versa will get nearer its claimed battery life and trounce the Apple Watch’s 18-hour life.

5) FITBITOS HAS LEARNT SOME HANDY NEW TRICKS

When the Ionic first arrived, we described FitbitOS as offering ‘smartwatch scaffolding’ – but with version 2.0 on the Versa, it’s definitely starting to look more like the finished article. Swipe up on the touchscreen and you’ll now be taken into a health dashboard, which shows you most of your vital health-tracking stats. There’s also a potentially massive new feature called ‘female health tracking’, which lets women track their monthly cycles to look out for variations and changes.

6) IT COMES WITH A FANCY WARDROBE

When it comes to watch bands, the Apple Watch has one of those ludicrous walk-in wardrobes that used to be on every episode of MTV Cribs. But with the Versa Fitbit at least now has a Globetrotter suitcase of extra watch band options. There are now five different colours of the classic silicone band, four different leather straps and some stainless steel and metal mesh bands that could let the Versa meld into posher surroundings than its usual gym habitat.

7) YOU CAN PRE-ORDER IT TODAY

Ready to make a cathartic purchase to back your Spring fitness project (formerly known as the New Year’s fitness resolution)? Good news – you can pre-order the Versa from today. It won’t actually be hitting shops till April 2018, though, so until then you’re well within your rights to rustle up some Marmite-and-cheese bites and slump in front of Annihilation on Netflix.