Fitbit Versa 2: Packed With Features And Looks

The Fitbit Versa remains one of the most functional and friendly Android-compatible smartwatches we’ve seen.

- Will Greenwald

It’s packed with features, looks and feels attractive, and costs much less than the iOSonly Apple Watch. Fitbit also offers the even less expensive (though still quite appealing) Versa Lite, and now the original is getting its first major update in the form of the Versa 2. It includes everything we love about the original and adds an AMOLED screen with an always-on option, includes a microphone with Amazon Alexa, and makes Fitbit Pay a standard feature (and not just limited to the Special Edition model), all while keeping its price of $199.95. The Versa 2 is easily our new favorite Android-compatible smartwatch, as well as our Editors’ Choice.

DESIGN AND STYLE

The Versa 2 is slightly more rounded than the Versa, with an AMOLED face that curves smoothly into the aluminum case instead of the original’s flat face and angular edges. The underside is similarly curved, giving the smartwatch a slightly thicker but smoother and friendlier profile. The optical heart rate sensor and charging contacts are almost identical to those of the original Versa’s, though the four charging points are now located near the top rather than the bottom of the back of the watch case.

The right edge of the Versa 2 shows the biggest physical change from its predecessor. The two command buttons are replaced by a pinhole microphone for using Amazon Alexa directly on the watch. Your tastes may vary, but I find this a welcome change; I rarely use the two buttons on the right edge of the original Versa, and when I lean on my hand or bend my wrist back, the buttons sometimes trigger an activity mode when I don’t want them to. The single menu button on the left edge and the touch screen are enough direct controls.