All I want for fitness is 2

Fitbit's second-gen Sense has new tricks to keep those moments of stress in check. So is this a healthy smartwatch buy?

- Michael Sawh

Waiting on Goo

Some Google apps will be added in the future, with Google Maps and Google Wallet tagged as 'coming soon' to the Sense 2.

Fitbit has gone properly radical with the Sense 2: it’s got a button! The haptic controls have been dumped for something more traditional, familiar and all-round useful. But it does stick with the same rectangular 1.58in 336x336 AMOLED display, which is bright and delivers really rich colours.

The button is baked onto a 40.5mm-sized aluminium case with soft curves to give this square smartwatch an elegant feel. You’ve got your pick of three colours and a wide range of straps. If you want to take the Sense 2 for a dip, it’ll take water up to 50m deep.

Unlike the cheaper Versa 4, you’re getting the full package as far as health and stress are concerned: it will still count steps, monitor sleep and track heart rate with a pleasing level of accuracy, but it also has an ECG sensor. And there’s an optical and IR sensor array for tracking SpO2 levels and skin temperature during sleep, plus a stress management app.

It offers pretty much the same fitness skills as the first Sense… but Fitbit’s sports-tracking prowess doesn’t rival what a similarly priced Garmin, Polar or Coros watch can deliver in accuracy and level of analysis.

Like the first Sense, it promises to last a week between charges… as long as you don’t keep that display on 24/7. If you stick the screen into always-on mode, you’ll be looking at more like 2-3 days.

Tech specs

Screen 1.58in 336x336 AMOLED OS Fitbit OS