Fitbit Versa 2 Special Edition Smartwatch

Own the watch for over 2 years now and still very happy with this purchase

Update again: Fitbit sends the replacement after a short email conversation. Good communication and fast response.

Update: The touch screen is not working anymore after less than 3 months. I tried to restart the watch but still no response. What a shame!

The battery is awesome, you can charge it once a week. And it is easy to connect to both Android and IOS devices.

Love the watch. The size is perfect. The screen/resolution is crystal clear. The selection of bands is great (though changing bands is a bit challenging). The fabric band that comes with the Special Edition version is great. Classes it up a fit. Have also ordered a sport band to wear while playing soccer, swimming, etc. The device includes nearly all desired features needed for a fitness/smart watch. It does not have built-in GPS but rather uses connected GPS. Some may see this as a deal breaker; others will recognize the battery savings that this affords. And so far, the watch performance has been excellent.

There are some reviews that describe Versa failure after getting it wet. I have successfully showered with the watch with no problem. I have not yet had a chance to try it in the pool. Based on the specs it should be fine, but time will tell. The Versa is not recommended to be worn in hot tubs.

As Fitbit has long been a leader in activity tracking, I won’t spend time on those features. Compared to the Samsung watch that I’ve worn … step counting, heart rate info, calories and sleep tracking all seem to be in line with my historical measurements. A big benefit is that the Fitbit app is much more robust then the Samsung health app with significantly more data to analyze.

The watch software and the battery consumption on both watch and linked phone need some attention. I’m still trying to determine the optimal settings to achieve a balance of desired performance versus battery life. With current settings, I can average about 3 days before needing to charge give or take a half day depending on usage. I’m currently using the always on display which is nice. It does consume some battery, but so far has not been too heavy of a drain to make the feature unusable.

If you choose to use the music app to control music playing on the phone, then expect a massive battery hit. This functionality requires linking an additional bluetooth connection called Fitbit classic. It’s my experience that this connection continuously drains the battery on both the watch and the phone — as much as 20% while sleeping. That is with the watch in sleep mode and the phone on do not disturb. I have removed this connection and will control music the old-fashioned way. Note that this applies ONLY to playing music on the phone and not to connecting to bluetooth earphones.

Another setting offered in the Fitbit app is “All-Day Sync.” This feature constantly updates the data — activity, heart rate, etc. — from the watch to the phone. Sounds good, but it also is a battery hog and I have it disabled. As far as I know, syncing can be done one of two ways — either via the all-day setting or manually when you open the app. I’m currently choosing to update manually. The developers need to add an option so the devices can be set to sync on a user-defined interval — hourly, every six hours, daily, etc. A setting like this exists for nearly every other phone app that requires data to be synced. Weather apps are the first that come to mind.

I am a Samsung user — Galaxy S10 and Galaxy Buds (wireless earphones). I can tell you that the Galaxy Buds will not work with the Versa 2 watch (as of 11/26/2019). The Buds will link, but they will not play audio. Something to do with different types of bluetooth used in the devices. The issue is discussed in several online forums, but no word from Fitbit or Samsung if it will ever be addressed or fixed. The watch does pair to the S10 without issue and works perfectly well. All notifications are received timely and the bluetooth connection is much better/stronger than with my previous Samsung watch. It easily stays connected at 30-40 feet.

There are a couple of issues that need to be addressed related to phone notifications on the watch. First, Gmail is the only client that is available as the “default” mail application. Or, at least it is in my Fitbit app. I can select to be notified by other email apps from my phone, but Gmail is the only app that can be set to receive “special” notification treatment according to the Fitbit app. Secondly, alarms on the phone (and I use quite a few) are NOT available to notify on the Versa. This feature would be a big plus to me. You can set 8 alarms on the Versa. However, each alarm uses some battery, and I would simply be duplicating alarms on multiple devices. For example, I would not remove an alarm from my phone as I may need it while the watch is charging or not being worn.

To correct other reviews that I’ve seen, music CAN be uploaded and stored on the watch. The process requires using the desktop app and is a bit slow, but it works. IF I had wireless headphones that connected properly, then I could play music direct from the Versa without the phone.

One other small issue is that weather info does not exist on the clock face by default. Third party clock faces can be installed, but I’ve found that they often require a separate setting for weather updates, which then only work if the All-Day Sync option is enabled. I’m continuing to search for alternatives to see what options exist.

There are quite a few apps available for download and use on the watch. I haven’t found any to be all that relevant or helpful to me. At least not yet. But the platform and functionality are there to use if desired.

Also, I need to mention that the Alexa integration is great. We have a heavy investment in Echo devices in our household, so to have the same functionality on my wrist is a great bonus.

If, like me, you are apple averse, then this is one of the best smart watches available that I have found. And very affordable. At this point, I would rate it 8 out of 10. And I would certainly increase that rating with continued additions to and improvement in the software, connectivity and watch features.

**UPDATE 12/9/2019**

Fitbit released a firmware update a few days ago which added some great features. The Versa now saves your 5 most recently used clock faces and you can change them on the fly without having to go to the app. Though there are tons of clock faces to choose from, one of the drawbacks with Fitbit is that you cannot flag, save or otherwise have access to your favorite faces. You have to keep a manual list of the names or just remember so that you can find them again. There needs to be a way to store a list of favorite faces and apps so that you can access and install them quickly.

Other updates include that you can now customize the action of the side button, the sleep score is displayed on the watch, the list of exercises to choose from has expanded, and by reports the heart rate data has been improved.

So I’ve learned that one of the tricks to manage battery life and connectivity is to restart the watch after making certain changes, such as switching to a new clock face. You may notice that the Versa stops sending notifications or is not syncing to the app. I’ve found that after a quick restart, the watch works perfectly again. Maybe it’s a software glitch, but at least there is an easy workaround. And if you leave the watch alone, then these issues should not occur.

For full functionality of the watch, including some features of many clock faces, I have re-enabled the All-Day Sync setting. The watch and app perform much better with the setting enabled. And unless I receive a ton of notifications or am constantly playing with the settings, I am now getting 4 to 5 days of battery life which is great. This could also very well have something to do with the recent software update. I am not currently using the always on display. I estimate that AOD cuts the battery life by 30 to 50 percent.

Also, before you make a decision with the help of reading these spectacular reviews, you might gauge the quality of the reviews. This watch is by no means perfect and may not be the best choice for you, but you should decide that for yourself. Then return it if you’re not satisfied. This is an electronic device and there can be duds. Some buyers have expressed frustration after receiving a device that was dead on arrival. Completely understandable.

But there are many 1-star reviews that are not from a literate source. A two word review that reads “hate it” is not helpful. One review reads only “no fitbit pay” which is completely untrue. The Versa absolutely has Fitbit Pay. Also, I’m intrigued that apple phone users don’t just pair their phone with an apple watch. Not sure why they are shocked that the Versa does not work as seamlessly for them as a product designed by their phone maker. Bottom line … be your own judge.

As referenced in my original review, I have updated my rating of the Versa 2 to a 9 out of 10, based on performance and recent software updates. Hopefully my positive experience will continue.

I’ve had various Fitbit products over the years, and have really liked them, and Fitbit customer service has been great to me. This is an upgrade from my Charge 2. The other watch I considered was the Apple 4 (or now 5), but it’s twice the price at $399. The Apple had a EKG (really ECG) that I liked, but was not sure it would be too helpful for me. And the Fitbit has sleep tracking a feature that the Apple Watch does not come with. And the battery life on the Fitbit Versa 2 is a lot better with 4-5 days vs. Apple’s less than one day (18 hours).

The screen is beautiful, a HUGE upgrade. Lots of clock choices. There is an always on screen, but I chose to keep it off for now, it uses more power, and it’s a very basic black and white, simple screen. And not sure I always want the screen on, there are times like in a theater or in a dark room where it would be distracting. A big plus is you can turn auto screen off at night, so it does not come one when you move in your sleep. A very useful feature, that should save some battery life too.

I needed to call customer service as I was having problems getting it added on my Fitbit app. Since the watch is brand new (released September 15), it needs the latest Fitbit app for it to work. After that was fixed, there was a bluetooth issue, but after turning it off and on, we were in business.

A wonderful upgrade for me.

EDIT: I want to add, the watch bands are so much better than previous one’s I’ve used on Fitbit watches. I’m guessing they are no different than those on the previous Versa, but they are so much easier to use than those on the Charge 2. (and I think they will last longer, I had problems with my Charge 2 bands breaking.)