Fitbit Sense 2 evaluation: Nice {hardware}, however tough to advocate

Worth When Reviewed

$299.95

Finest Costs Right now: Fitbit Sense 2

$199.95

$199.99

Hybrid smartwatches all the time reside in two worlds. As a part of the Fitbit household, the Sense 2 leans towards health monitoring, with gentle smartwatch options. You’ll be able to’t put one on and anticipate the expertise of an Apple Watch.

However even on condition that design intent, the Sense 2 lacks the fundamentals you’d anticipate of a $300 wearable. Whereas the {hardware} provides good enhancements, its software program goes unexpectedly backward, with options within the unique Sense nowhere to be discovered. The outcome makes the Sense 2 really feel stripped down—and tanks its attraction.

Observe: This evaluation is a part of our ongoing roundup of the very best Fitbits. Go there to study competing merchandise, what to search for in a Fitbit, and shopping for suggestions.

Fitbit Sense 2: The specs

Worth: $299.95 USDDimensions: 1.5 x 1.5 x 0.45 inches (38.1 x 38.1 x 11.43 mm)Display screen measurement: 1.58 inchesWater resistant: Sure (as much as 50 meters)Sensors: AccelerometerAltimeterAmbient lightECGHeart rateSkin conductance (cEDA)SpO2Skin temperatureConnectivity: Wi-Fi 4 (802.11n), Bluetooth 5.0, NFCGPS: YesSpeaker: YesMicrophone: YesBattery life: Six-plus days (as much as 5 hours with steady GPS)Cost time: Two hoursFast cost: 12 minutes for one-day battery lifeData retention: Seven days of detailed movement knowledge (as saved per minute), and the final 30 days of every day totals

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Included with the Sense 2 is the tracker itself, small and huge silicon-like bands, and a charging cable. You’ll be able to select between a number of physique colours (black, silver, and gold); every comes with a distinct default band shade. In a stroke of excellent information, the Sense 2 is suitable with the charger and wrist bands for unique Sense and Versa 3, so in the event you’re upgrading, you possibly can reuse your present equipment—in contrast to with Fitbit’s inexpensive trackers.

The Sense 2 additionally encompasses a bodily button, somewhat than the capacitive one on the primary Sense. As thrilling as that information was throughout the Sense 2’s announcement, the button has a considerably mushy really feel—clicks don’t backside out cleanly. It’s the form of tactile suggestions that makes one marvel if the button will begin jamming towards the tip of its life.

Tempting {hardware}

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Fitbit’s sequel to the Sense needs to be a straightforward advice. As a souped-up health and wellness tracker, there’s a lot to love. It captures a boatload of information mechanically—you get stats on steps, coronary heart fee, and sleep, plus data that may clue you into the potential onset of sickness or normal well being points (pores and skin temperature developments and blood oxygen saturation), potential heart-related well being points (ECG readings), and rising stress ranges (steady pores and skin conductance). And the accuracy is first rate sufficient to maintain most quantity nerds glad, although it’s possible you’ll discover some variation in comparison with the Cost 5 and former Sense. My resting coronary heart fee estimates ran 2 to three bpm increased on common, which involved me at first till I found out it was the tracker, not me.

A number of primary workout routines (together with operating and biking) are additionally recorded mechanically. Moreover, the Sense 2 can manually monitor an expanded set of different actions, with over 20 choices like CrossFit, kickboxing, dance, and cross-country snowboarding. This broader array of choices is a significant enchancment. Fitbit’s auto-tracking is restricted to simply six classes—strolling, operating, biking, swimming, elliptical, sports activities, and cardio exercises—and its trackers (together with the Sense 2) will attempt to apply these classes to no matter exercise you’re really doing. 

For instance, my dance periods had been splintered into irregular fragments labeled as “Sport,” “Cardio Exercise,” and “Swim,” mere minutes aside. Even if you find yourself doing one thing that matches an auto-tracked exercise, like strolling, it’s not all the time as correct as beginning a guide monitoring session. However health trackers have by no means been precision devices; having an expanded array of actions for guide monitoring helps steadiness the scales. You can too enter well being particulars like menstrual cycles and blood sugar readings within the Fitbit app, which is accessible via your smartphone or the online interface.

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The Sense 2 makes having all this knowledge in your wrist way more comfy, too. It shaves each weight and bulk from the unique Sense—sufficient to be tangibly felt, even when the variations appear small on paper. When you have a small construct, you’ll now not take care of slipping or sliding as with the chunkier, heavier unique Sense (or pores and skin irritation since you’ve needed to pull the band extraordinarily tight in compensation). This smartwatch additionally hardly ever will get caught on sleeves when placing on an in depth becoming jacket. I really generally forgot I used to be carrying the Sense 2 till it buzzed with a notification.

Talking of, vibration energy on this watch is excellent. On the Gentle setting, I may already clearly really feel notifications come via, even whereas in movement or driving. With different trackers, together with different Fitbit fashions, that generally isn’t the case.

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Battery life stays the identical as the unique Sense, with a ranking of six-plus days. Whereas not an enchancment, it nonetheless supplies loads of time in comparison with full smartwatches that get a day or so at most. With the display brightness set to regular, I acquired about seven days on common with average train (gentle every day strolling, plus two periods of energy coaching and two to a few periods of dance) and light-weight notifications (common of two to 6 per hour, relying on time of day). You’ll burn via the battery a lot quicker with heavier use, significantly in the event you use GPS to trace your route.

Disappointing software program

Your first interactions with the Sense 2 can be completely clean. Setup is far quicker than with the unique Sense—no extra having to manually configure Wi-Fi for the preliminary spherical of software program updates. It simply occurs seamlessly.

The working system has been revamped and streamlined, too. Whereas the look isn’t dramatically completely different, leaping into modes or settings is much easier. You’ll, nevertheless, to should reorient in the event you’re accustomed to the unique Sense, as the place you swipe to entry notifications and apps have flipped all about.

It makes for a great first impression, and these positives can appear dominant in the event you solely monitor exercises and well being. The crashing disappointment comes once you attempt to lean on the smartwatch features of the machine—as a result of there are barely any.

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Third-party app assist is gone, for starters. You’re restricted to simply Fitbit Pay, Google Pockets, and Google Maps, and the latter two nonetheless have but to launch.

Music assist has additionally swirled down the drain. No extra on-board storage or controls for Spotify and Pandora controls. It’s an enormous downgrade.

Most dumbfounding is the elimination of Google Assistant assist. On the unique Sense, you can use both Google Assistant or Amazon Alexa; now solely Alexa assist stays. How Google-owned Fitbit got here to this resolution is mystifying.

The modifications to notifications are far much less baffling, however nonetheless irritating in the event you hate delayed info. As an alternative of rolling in one after the other (as they did on the primary Sense), a splash display first identifies the app and, if a number of notifications can be found, what number of have been acquired. A brief pause follows, then the newest message or electronic mail is displayed.

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This method is just like that of Google’s brand-new Pixel Watch, however feels a lot slower. The Sense 2’s display additionally fades in because it wakes, so it will possibly really feel like an eternity passes after flipping your wrist to see who or what messaged you. (The primary Sense and the Pixel Watch would not have this transition to full display brightness.) You’ll be able to’t change any of this conduct in settings, both—your solely selections are to love it, endure it, or go on the Sense 2 all collectively. And when requested, a consultant for Fitbit stated that there aren’t any plans to later allow third-party apps or Google Assistant assist.

Ultimate ideas

With none official remark, realizing the rationale for the Sense 2’s kneecapping is inconceivable. However given the timing of the Pixel Watch—simply two weeks after the Sense 2—this end result appears like Google making an attempt to ensure the Pixel Watch’s success.

Regardless, the Sense 2 is an unlucky sufferer of complicated design choices. Regardless of its glorious {hardware}, it’s weak towards the competitors. For a similar $300 price ticket, you can purchase the Garmin Venu Sq Music Version, which has third-party app and music assist, plus a longer-rated battery life (as much as 11 days).

Alaina Yee / IDG

Alternatively, you can pay $50 extra for a Pixel Watch (Wi-Fi mannequin), which has extra strong third-party app assist and a consumer interface that feels quicker. And although its battery life is dramatically shorter, you get cool options in compensation, like having the ability to take calls instantly from the watch.

You can too simply get monetary savings by leaning onerous into the train monitoring and choosing the $230 Fitbit Versa 4, which launched similtaneously the Sense 2. You’ll lose the pores and skin conductance, ECG, and pores and skin temperature sensors, but when the wellness monitoring isn’t vital, it can save you $70.

After all, you possibly can simply keep on with the unique Sense. In the event you don’t have already got one, it’s best to be capable to choose one up at a stable low cost as retailers clear their inventory. The Sense 2 is extra of an incremental replace, and until you deeply yearn for that new cEDA sensor, you’re not lacking a lot. In reality, you’d be gaining options.