Fitbit’s future has leaked - and we’re not impressed
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We just got our best look yet atFitbit’s next two fitness-focused smartwatches thanks to some new product images.
The fitness tech brand is apparently set to release an all-newFitbit Versa 4andFitbit Sense 2sometime in the not-too-distant future based on images found by9to5Googlethat were released publicly by a regulatory agency.
The Versa 4, the more mainstream and likely cheaper of the two, doesn’t look all that different from its predecessor. Its design once again it appears to lack an ECG sensor, an electrocardiogram sensor that can detect irregular heart rhythms which has so far been exclusive to Fitbit’s Sense lineup.
The images also suggest it’ll still have GPS, will be waterproof up to 50m, and will have a microphone so you can use voice controls and activate snore detection. Most interestingly though is that rather than gaining new features it’s losing one.
Unless Fitbit has come up with a new method for temperature tracking, then the Fitbit Versa 4 seems to be completely lacking the feature, according to 9to5Google.
The Sense 2 has received a few more changes than the Versa 4 did, though many of them will be fairly minor.
Design-wise it looks fairly similar to the originalFitbit Sense, albeit with a previously-rumored tactile button and sensor placement. The original Sense’s button wasn’t actually a proper button, as when pressed it didn’t push into the watch and instead just vibrated in response to touch – but Fitbit has changed this on the Sense 2. Based on the images it looks like it’ll be an actual moving component this time around.
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Additionally, the ECG sensor built into the watch’s casing also looks to have changed. Rather than being a ring that goes around the watch, it’s now set underneath the outer edges of the display. Hopefully, this won’t impact performance at all, but we’ll have to try it out to know for sure.
Last but not least, as spotted by 9to5Google, the watch’s underside rear sensor array has had an update. It’s not yet clear if the new design facilitates any new functions or just makes it better at doing what the Sense was already capable of. Interestingly, the Versa 4 seems to have had no changes made to its array. Coupled with the loss of temperature tracking, this lack of technology updates could be an attempt to reduce the Versa’s price, to distinguish the Fitbit Sense 2 as the “premium” option.
There’s no word on when Fitbit will say anything more official about the Versa 4 and Sense 2, although some leaks theorize it’ll be September based on previous launches. With these images now out in the open, Fitbit will likely want to make an announcement soon to take back control of the narrative, but we’ll have to wait and see.
Hamish is a Senior Staff Writer for TechRadar and you’ll see his name appearing on articles across nearly every topic on the site from smart home deals to speaker reviews to graphics card news and everything in between. He uses his broad range of knowledge to help explain the latest gadgets and if they’re a must-buy or a fad fueled by hype. Though his specialty is writing about everything going on in the world of virtual reality and augmented reality.
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