Fitbit Sense 2 evaluation: it doesn’t make a lot sense

When I reviewed the Fitbit Sense two years in the past, it was an ambitious smartwatch. Its successor, the Sense 2? Eh, not a lot. It’s hyperbole to say the Sense 2 is a whole downgrade, however I don’t assume you’ll be able to really name it a smartwatch, both. This, my associates, is what I’d name a premium health tracker — and when you view it from that lens, it’s a very good one. But is it actually $300 price of health tracker, particularly for the reason that Pixel Watch is barely $50 extra, has practically all the identical well being options, and is a lot smarter?

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Before I get into why the Sense 2 isn’t a smartwatch, we have to set the stage. In 2020, the Sense was a lot good. It had a novel stress-tracking electrodermal exercise (EDA) sensor, FDA-cleared electrocardiogram (EKG) sensors, blood oxygen saturation (SpO2) sensors, temperature sensor, contactless funds, and the selection between Alexa and Google Assistant. It was a viable various to the Apple Watch Series 6 and the Samsung Galaxy Watch 3 — even when it didn’t have mobile connectivity and its third-party app ecosystem was meh.

Lots can occur in two years. Since then, the Series 8 and Galaxy Watch 5 have caught as much as nearly all of the Sense 2’s well being options whereas widening the hole when it comes to smarts. There’s additionally now the Apple Watch Ultra and Galaxy Watch 5 Pro to cope with. The Sense 2’s primary benefit is weeklong battery life, however that every one however disappears when you allow the always-on show. In my testing, enabling the AOD meant three days on a single cost at most.

And then there’s the Pixel Watch. It’s clear that Google, Fitbit’s mum or dad firm, sees that as the way forward for its wearable lineup. The Pixel Watch makes use of Fitbit’s platform for its well being and health options; Fitbit CEO James Park even launched the Pixel Watch on the Made by Google occasion. And it has all of the options you’d count on from a smartwatch, together with a voice assistant, emergency calling, and good dwelling management. If you learn between the strains, all of it appears like a dying knell for the Fitbit as a smartwatch.

Fitbit spokesperson Jonathan Moll advised The Verge that the Sense 2 was designed to “prioritize the most important features our users care about and use the most, including heart rate tracking, sleep tracking, and stress management.” It is sensible that Google would take steps to distinguish the Sense 2 from the Pixel Watch. There’s no motive for one firm to have two competing smartwatch platforms, and it is sensible for Fitbit to to slim its focus to health. But it appears like Google nerfed the Sense 2 a bit an excessive amount of.

For instance, you’ll be able to’t use Google Assistant on the Sense 2. This is bizarre. On the unique Sense and the Versa 3, you’ll be able to choose between Alexa or Google Assistant. Now, your solely possibility is Alexa. Fitbit spokesperson Jonathan Moll advised me, “At this time there are no plans to deploy Google Assistant on Sense 2 or Versa 4. We look forward to bringing this feature to future devices.”

Regardless of whether or not you want digital assistants, their presence on smartwatches is a given as of late. Sure, there’s Alexa — however that’s an entire different good dwelling ecosystem. Why wouldn’t you place Google Assistant on a Google smartwatch? The entire theme of the Made by Google occasion was that every one these gadgets work collectively! If not, what’s the purpose precisely? I’m really misplaced on the thought course of right here.

Previously accessible third-party apps like Starbucks and Spotify don’t appear to be an possibility anymore. At least, they weren’t listed as suitable with the Sense 2 once I tried to obtain them from the Fitbit App Gallery. Fitbit’s third-party ecosystem was already paltry, so that is one more baffling determination.

The addition of Google Maps and Google Wallet takes a few of the sting out. Except, I can’t inform you how properly both app works as a result of they’re not accessible but. It’s not extraordinary for corporations to launch options after a product hits cabinets. But while you mix this with Google taking away earlier third-party apps, it certain is a head-scratcher. 

The Sense 2 has a mixture Bluetooth / Wi-Fi radio, as did the Sense, however the Wi-Fi is deactivated, per Fitbit’s official spec sheet. Moll advised The Verge, “Historically, Wi-Fi was used for updating firmware and music storage. Sense 2 and Versa 4 now use Bluetooth to update firmware, and do not have music storage capabilities.” Add offline music — which the Sense supported for Deezer and Pandora — to the casualty checklist.

All that is odd. The Sense 2’s redesigned UI actually makes you are feeling prefer it’s meant to be a smartwatch. The refreshed design is spiffier than earlier variations of Fitbit OS. It appears precisely the identical as Wear OS on the Pixel Watch. For instance, swiping left and proper will allow you to view widgets. Pressing the button brings up an app checklist. Swiping up brings up notifications, and swiping down will get you to the fast menu. It’s an amazing enchancment, efficiency doesn’t lag, and all the things appears a lot nicer as properly.

Despite its UI, the Sense 2 isn’t actually a smartwatch by 2022 requirements. It’s a health tracker masquerading as one. 

The Sense 2’s software program feels prefer it’s been intentionally restricted — or targeted, when you favor — however the bodily {hardware} has been improved throughout. You can inform Fitbit’s put a whole lot of effort into streamlining the design in order that it’s extra comfy for on a regular basis put on. 

The Sense 2 is lighter than its predecessor, although it’s possible you’ll not discover the change in weight. I didn’t once I in contrast them one after one other. I did, nevertheless, discover the Sense 2 is a lot thinner. The Sense had this tapered, trapezoidal form on the aspect the place the sensor bump dug into your pores and skin. It was a way of masking the thickness when truly in your wrist. The Sense 2 doesn’t want to do this. And so far as numbers go, the Sense 2 is 11.2mm thick, whereas the Sense is 12.4mm. The distinction in thickness is roughly that of a penny.

It was refreshing to put on such a light-weight system after testing the Apple Watch Ultra. It didn’t catch on any sleeves or jacket cuffs, even once I was sporting a number of layers whereas climbing. It was additionally comfortable for sleep monitoring and all-day put on. I hardly seen it whereas operating or understanding, which is a pleasant change of tempo from the chonkers I’ve been testing as of late. 

The new design additionally means fully totally different sensor arrays — each on the underside of the watch and within the show. Where the Sense had a steel high ring for EKG and EDA readings, the Sense 2 builds that functionality immediately into the show’s bezels. The result’s it appears much more just like the Apple Watch. And whereas I want these bezels have been thinner, I’m glad Fitbit is making use of the “wasted” area. 

But the very best change is that Fitbit changed the Sense’s infuriating inductive groove with an precise bodily button. That groove was a confounding design selection. Not solely was it susceptible to unintended presses, however the haptics additionally weren’t robust sufficient when you have been attempting to make use of the long-press shortcut. I usually sat there urgent, confused why my shortcut wasn’t launching. I ultimately bought the grasp of it, however peruse any Fitbit discussion board or subreddit, and also you’ll discover loads of pissed off customers. 

I had none of those points with the bodily button. Plus, it’s a lot extra satisfying to press one thing and know it’s registered. The button, whereas raised, doesn’t protrude too far. I haven’t skilled any unintended presses thus far — even whereas sporting a number of layers and a winter coat.

Fitbit clearly put a whole lot of effort into stress monitoring. With the Sense 2, Fitbit’s made some significant enhancements to the lineup’s most unusual characteristic.

Quick refresher: The Sense watches measure stress through an EDA sensor. EDA sensors detect minuscule modifications in your pores and skin’s sweat ranges. That, together with different metrics like coronary heart fee variation, can be utilized as an indicator of stress. Or, as Fitbit dubs it, “body responses.” Previously, the EDA options labored extra like spot-checks that customers needed to provoke. The Sense 2 upgrades the unique’s EDA sensor to a cEDA sensor. The “c” stands for steady, which means now you can get computerized alerts in actual time. 

Basically, if the Sense 2 detects a physique response, you’ll get a nudge to log your temper. You’ll additionally see prompts to take just a few stress-relieving actions like a guided meditation, a two-minute EDA scan, or happening a brief stroll. 

It works! Mostly. In my expertise, the alerts lagged a bit and infrequently got here at inopportune instances. For instance, I had a little bit of a automotive rental snafu once I visited Iceland final week. It was 4:30AM ET at Keflavik International Airport, I hadn’t slept on the flight, my telephone was malfunctioning, and the automotive rental company was so new none of its info was on Google but. It labored out, however I used to be one misfortune away from hyperventilating right into a paper bag. You’d assume the Sense 2 would’ve been buzzing incessantly on my wrist. Instead, it solely notified me about half-hour after all the things was sorted. When prompted to log my temper, I hit the “Frustrated” emoticon.

By that point, I wasn’t in a position to do a guided meditation session, go on a stroll, or sit nonetheless sufficient for a two-minute EDA studying to alleviate my stress. I used to be in a automotive, giving my husband instructions to our subsequent vacation spot. Another time, I bought a physique response alert whereas trekking up Seljalandsfoss waterfall within the freezing rain and wind. I logged my temper as “excited,” however I wasn’t fascinated with something however being current within the second. It turned a recurring theme. Whenever I had highly effective physique responses, I used to be too preoccupied to do greater than observe how I used to be feeling. And that’s if I even seen the alerts, to start with.

The execution is perhaps a bit clunky, however Fitbit’s stress administration characteristic remains to be the very best I’ve ever examined. I didn’t all the time reply to alerts as supposed, however general, it is good to take a step again and acknowledge how you are feeling in a high-stress second. I appreciated that Fitbit acknowledges that bodily stress will be optimistic or adverse and that it might not all the time align together with your temper. 

The stress knowledge can also be offered thoughtfully. For occasion, you get each a Stress Management rating and a weekly abstract. The former appears at your physique responses, exertion degree, and sleep patterns to provide you an concept of how your cumulative stress might affect you on a given day. The weekly abstract visualizes what number of physique responses you bought every day within the earlier week, in addition to your most typical moods. 

Stress administration will be difficult, particularly when you’re somebody who tends to disregard bodily indicators till burnout kicks in. (It me.) The mixture of quantified knowledge and logging is a useful visualization instrument, and I appreciated it wasn’t linked to athletic efficiency. 

Fitbit’s all the time had a few of the finest general sleep monitoring options. It’s not too long ago added profiles, which categorize you as a sort of animal primarily based in your sleep patterns and provide you with sleep hygiene insights primarily based on these patterns. (It’s much like what Samsung does with its Galaxy Watches.) You get a brand new profile on the first of each month. I’d like to inform you the way it works, however there’s a catch. You’ve bought to put on it for 14 nights out of the month so as to get a sleep profile for the subsequent month, and it solely affords profiles on the primary of the calendar month. In September, due to my evaluation queue, I solely bought 12, which meant I didn’t get a profile for October and gained’t get one till November 1st, six weeks after I began utilizing the Sense 2.

I acknowledge that I’m an edge case. This reviewer life has me always rotating between gadgets, and I’ve solely bought two wrists. Customers sticking to one Fitbit could have much less of a problem, however there’s no good motive to tie sleep profiles to the primary of the calendar month quite than updating them on a rolling foundation.

I’ll be blunt. If you need a sturdy tracker that may face up to excessive parts or one with hyper-accurate GPS knowledge, this ain’t it. The Sense 2 has built-in GPS, however when you actually care about correct route maps, you’re higher off with a Garmin or one other health watch with multiband GPS. Case in level, you solely have to have a look at these screenshots of a current hike to see that Fitbit’s GPS isn’t the best. The identical goes when you’re on the lookout for in-depth coaching plans and extra uncooked knowledge. 

Then once more, Fitbit’s all the time been a platform for basic customers. Its best power is that it has all the time offered uncooked knowledge in a digestible format. That’s what makes the Sense 2 — and different Fitbit gadgets — nice for constructing more healthy habits in a mild, holistic approach. It’s bought nice restoration instruments in its Sleep Score, Daily Readiness Score, and, now, stress administration options, in addition to easy however handy instruments for logging energy, weight, and water consumption. Its Active Zone Minutes metric is great for serving to inexperienced persons visualize whether or not they’re getting an sufficient quantity of train per week.

So the Sense 2 is an effective general well being tracker however a not-so-great smartwatch. Compared to dirt-cheap health bands, you’re getting a prettier design and a novel tackle stress monitoring. I’m simply unsure why anybody would pay $299.95 for a fancier health tracker with fewer general options when you may get an entry-level smartwatch for much less. I can perceive wanting a health tracker and not a smartwatch, however in that occasion, there are additionally extra inexpensive choices. 

For iPhone customers, the Apple Watch SE prices $249. For Android customers, the 40mm Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 is $279.99. I imply, come on, the Google Pixel Watch prices solely $50 greater than the Sense 2 at $349.

Fitbit’s different trackers muddy the water much more. The $229.95 Versa 4 has the overwhelming majority of the Sense 2’s options, and even the $179.95 Charge 5 has an EKG sensor. If you simply need a primary tracker, the Inspire 3 is out right here for $99.95. Unless you discover the Sense 2 on sale for underneath $200 or actually need stress monitoring, this isn’t a very good deal.

Somebody at Fitbit (or Google) didn’t do the maths proper. It would’ve been a better transfer to retire the Versa line and let the Sense 2 take the place of the Versa 4, particularly when you have been going to nerf the smarter options on each gadgets. But that’s not what occurred, and even when it had, it’d simply be delaying the inevitable. The Sense 2 is a casualty of Google’s ambitions for the Pixel Watch. And it’s potential that we’re solely a Pixel Band away from all Fitbit trackers sharing the same destiny.

Photography by Victoria Song / The Verge