Fitbit hosted a virtual press conference in early fall 2020. It announced updates to its Versa, Inspire and introduced a Fitbit Sense holistic fitness watch. Android Central was quick to review the new devices and to write our opinions about them. However, it took us a while to come to terms with the old watch. When I attempted to write the Versa 3 review at a later date, I was not sure it would surprise me. We had been calling the Versa 2 its predecessor, our favorite fitness tracker, for quite some time prior to the launch. The new device is even better! Although the Versa 3 started off a bit rough for some reviewers (including myself), I have really enjoyed wearing it on my wrist ever since. It is stylish, comfortable, and does everything I need a smartwatch for. It can also be connected to the Fitbit ecosystem and app, where my most recent fitness data and friends who are fit have lived for over four years. After the EU approved Google's Fitbit purchase, it is clear that the already excellent integration with Google Assistant will continue to improve. Although the watch isn’t perfect, Fitbit OS can sometimes be slow and the hardware can be fragile. The Versa 3 is an affordable smartwatch that costs around $230. (Shots taken at the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4!) .
Fitbit Versa 3 Summary: The Fitbit Versa 3 continues the success of its predecessor by adding premium features such as NFC and GPS, as well new and improved health sensors. It looks great and offers voice assistants, on-device texting, calling and texting. The Good It's stylish and comfortable.
You get premium features such as NFC and GPS built-in
Sensors for skin temperature and SpO2
Google Assistant AND Amazon Alexa On-Device The Bad Finicky haptic button
SpO2 tracking is only possible with a particular watch face
Amazon still waiting for audible responses from the Google assistant
Walmart: $229
Best Buy: $230
Fitbit Versa 3: Prices and availability
Source: Fitbit
The Fitbit Versa 3 was unveiled at a virtual event held in August 2020. It began shipping the following month. The retail price for the device was $230 at its debut. It has fallen several times below $200 since then. Regular sales have been conducted by Amazon and other retailers on the device. I recommend that you keep your eyes open for good deals. What's new with the Versa 2 Fitbit Versa 3. What I like
Source: Jeramy Johnson / Android Central
I like to start my reviews with a section about the feel, fit, and finish of any new smartwatch, fitness tracker, or other wearable. The Versa 3 is a beautiful smartwatch. The Versa 3 continues to follow the Apple Watch's "squircle", but it literally flips that look upside down with a horizontal orientation. This is the same orientation as the Versa 2 and 3. It is available in either a Black or Soft Gold color. The aluminum alloy casing is attractive and strong. The silicone band included is very soft and comfortable. There are also a variety of first-party and second-party bands. The Versa 3 will also work with the Sense bands, which is a great bonus. Additionally, the attachment design is easier than the Versa 2. They are comfortable and easy to adjust. You can also switch between the Versa 3 or Sense by using these bands. The charging mechanism has also been improved with this generation. The charging mechanism is still proprietary and the Versa 3 did not get Qi or wireless charging. The new magnetic charger fits right onto the watch's back and is much more user-friendly that the old clamps or cradle chargers. The Versa 3's battery life is quite impressive, even though it can only do so much. You can get over six days of normal use from a single charge. However, this number drops dramatically if GPS is used (12 hours) or you have the watch face set on (two days). Versa 2 had some major improvements, while the Versa 3 has many new features. NFC for contactless payments has returned to the Versa 3. This is a great feature in these times of pandemics when no one wants to touch payment terminals in public. Fitbit added on-device GPS to its Versa 3; this feature was previously available only for the Charge 4 fitness band, and the now defunct Ionic smartwatch. The Sense has similar features.
Source: Jeramy Johnson / Android Central
The Versa 3 can monitor your SpO2 (blood oxygen variation) while you sleep, and display the results in the app in an attractive watch face on your wrist. With a single tap, you can change from SpO2 or step count to heart rate to Active Zone minutes to floors climbed. It's very cool and easy to read. The Versa 3 can also measure your skin temperature and SpO2 just like the more expensive Sense smartwatch. Before I tested the Versa 3, I didn't know that it could measure my skin temperature like the Sense. This data is available under the Health Metrics section of Fitbit Premium. It can alert you to any possible illness or condition that may be coming up. The Versa 3 includes six months of Fitbit Premium. This service provides guided fitness programs, health tips, and detailed metrics that will help you understand and take action on the data your Versa 3 gathers. The Versa 3 also features sleep stages and monitoring as well as guided breathing sessions, heart rate variability, menstrual tracking, automatic workout detection and music storage with Pandora or Deezer. The watch can also be waterproof to 50 meters.
It's not something I expected to say, but my favorite feature about the Versa 3 is its integration with Google Assistant. Versa 3 users can now use Alexa as an on-the-spot voice assistant. While I love Amazon's voice assistant, which I have on both my Echo and Alexa devices, the Versa 3's experience with the Google Assistant is a lot more user-friendly and responsive than Alexa. Although I don't know why, 9to5Google's Ben Schoon pointed it out. Although I wish we could hear the responses from Google Assistant, there is still hope for a future update. Hands-on: Google Assistant works better on Fitbit than most Wear OS watches https://t.co/xvcXKvinMZ by @nexusben pic.twitter.com/wSghJVfKGs 9to5Google.com (@9to5Google) November 25, 2020 I also appreciate how Fitbit has been regularly updating its devices post-launch. September 2021 saw Fitbit add noise and snore detection capabilities to its Versa 3 smartwatches and Sense watches as part of their Fitbit Premium subscription. Fitbit Premium subscribers now have access to selected Calm mindfulness content, which can be paired up with the EDA Scan app. These features add value to the device and will be of great benefit to many people.
Updates Fitbit Versa3: What I don’t like
Source: Jeramy Johnson / Android Central
The Fitbit Versa 3 is a good product. I haven't found too many faults. The Fitbit Versa shares a lot with the Sense. It is therefore not surprising that many of the Sense's drawbacks are also applicable here. Joe is right that I think the SpO2 sensor, watch face and watch face are wonderful additions. It's my favorite watch face yet. But it's a bit disappointing that you can't access the information from the watch face or take a reading on demand. Although the haptic button on the side of the device is a smart solution to simplify and waterproof it, it can sometimes be difficult to use in daily life. Joe also pointed out the watch's finicky side button in his Sense review. Others have also noted this. The capacitive button was a bit inconsistent for me, at least the first few days. It's strange to me that I have used a similar faux button on my Charge 3 for more than two years and found it to be just as reliable and rock-solid as the Charge 2's physical button. After receiving a firmware upgrade (Version 36.128.417) the responsiveness of both the side "button" and touchscreen UI gestures seemed to have improved. It was nearly impossible to use before the update. Versa 3 and Sense users now have the option to use the speaker and microphone built into the watch to answer calls or dictate text responses on Android. Alexa can also speak back to you thanks to a recent update. Unfortunately, although we have Google Assistant integration, audible responses are still not available. We expect an update soon to bring this feature parity.
Fitbit Versa 3: Competition
Source: Android Central
Fitbit is the only company that can compete with the Versa 3. The Fitbit Sense is a premium smart watch that tracks ECG and EDA (electrodermal activities). The Versa 3 is $100 less than this device. It is still possible to find it, but the Versa 3 might not be the best option. The Versa 2 is still our top choice for fitness trackers in 2021. You can also get the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 for roughly the same price as the Versa 3. Garmin Venu Sq is another great option. The new Garmin Venu Sq has many of the same health sensors that the Versa 3. Many users agree that it is the best fitness ecosystem. It's also a bit cheaper than the Versa 3. The Venu 2 is an alternative, and it costs more than the Versa 3. The Apple Watch SE is also mentioned on this Android website. It's hard to recommend the Versa 3 over the Versa 3 if you own an iPhone or are thinking of buying one for someone else. Fitbit Versa 3: Should You Buy
Source: Jeramy Johnson / Android Central
This smartwatch should be purchased if... you are already investing in the Fitbit ecosystem. Fitbit's app and social network is fantastic, so this smartwatch will help you stay connected. To see your friend's standings in real time, add the Leaderboard app. A smartwatch that is affordable and capable. This smartwatch is for Android users. It's $50-$100 cheaper than the Apple Watch SE, which is available for iPhone users. Want the best Google Assistant experience? The Versa 3 is more responsive than other smartwatches. You don't have to look at WearOS devices if you combine that with the superior fitness suite. This watch and Fitbit OS should not be purchased if you rely on many third-party apps. There are many apps that have been popularized by Spotify, Strava, Starbucks, Spotify and Spotify. You don't want more data from Google. Although Google has stated that it will not share or monetize Fitbit users' data, many people still find it a bit odd that Google could have access to this information. You may be more at ease looking elsewhere than Samsung if that is you. A basic fitness tracker is all you need. If you only care about tracking your steps, calories and sometimes checking the time, a basic fitness tracker will suffice. With the Inspire 2, you can do all of this while still being part of the Fitbit family. 4 out of 5. I'm a huge fitness tracker enthusiast and I don't know if I will be able keep a smartwatch around my wrist long-term. After using the Fitbit Versa 3 for some time, I am now considering buying it for the first time since a while. I was satisfied with the price and features of my smartwatch. I love the six-plus day battery, the ability to make calls and reply to text messages on my wrist, as well as the smart assistant access, fitness tracking, ecosystem, additional health insights, and smart assistant accessibility. It's hard to believe anyone would choose this device over a WearOS device.
Fitbit Versa 3 Summary: The Fitbit Versa 3 continues the success of its predecessor by adding premium features such as NFC and GPS, as well new and improved health sensors. It looks great and offers voice assistants, on-device texting, phone calling, and texting. Amazon: Starting at $229
Walmart: $229
Best Buy: $230
Review Changelog, September 2021. This article was first published in December 2020. The following modifications were made to the article in September 2021. In competition section, Swapped Galaxy Watch Active 2 to Galaxy Watch 4
Information about Calm meditation sessions, snore detection and noise detection has been added. The following modifications were made to the May 2021 edition. Pricing updated.
Section on availability and price
Section on competitions has been updated.
Changelog added
