Should I Buy a Versa?

[Andrew_Nelson]

Should I buy the fitbit versa? I am impressed with it and very interested in buying the special edition one. From your experience, would you buy one? What are the pros and cons that you have experienced? If I buy one, should I buy a third party screen protector?

[Doc18]

I bumped up from my HR 2 to the Versa and I really like it. Bigger screen, apps, holds a little bit of music. I did buy a third-party screen protector and put on there just to be on the safe side. Amazon has a gazillion of them. Still have a slight sink issue just like I did with you but I guess they're working on that. Price wasn't that bad either. I did purchase to Best Buy and get the 2-year warranty. They'll even cover it if you scratch it.

[AryaSpark]

Honestly my suggestion would be no.  Not yet.  I think as with any newly released device there are kinks that need to be worked out to create a better, more seamless user experience.

I have the Versa and I'm about to take it back.  I LOVE this device, in spite of the long struggle to install the firmware.  Here's what I'd tell myself if I could go back in time before the purchase:

If you live somewhere where you use public wi-fi, you can't download the firmware.  The Bluetooth "option" B is terrible.  I tried updating overnight and half of the next day via Bluetooth and it failed multiple times.

Fitbit suggested using my work wi-fi, but it isn't the right kind of wi-fi, so that didn't work either.

This surprised me - the specific wi-fi requirements - as my Amazon Echo is able to work with public wi-fi through their app.  So I assume a fix is possible if Fitbit is interested in implementing one.

The only way I could get my firmware loaded was by logging in to a friend's phone-created hotspot.  This did NOT work with my own phone's hotspot.  The one nice thing about the multiple failed updates is my watch never forgot where it was in the update.  I was 70% loaded on the final Bluetooth attempt after 19 hours of trying before my friend said we should try his phone's hotspot.  From there it took about 2 minutes to complete step 2 and another 5 for step 3.

So now I have a functional watch.  And a clockface I really like.  But I cannot download any music or try anything in fitbit labs without relying on a friend's help. 

Additionally, fitbit's features and benefits page specified the period tracker would be coming soon. Not a dealbreaker.  However, it did not specify that replying to text messages is not an active function yet.  There's a third-party app you can download for quick replies, but it only works if everyone texting you has the same app.

The watch has wonderful features - my favorite being tracking stages of sleep that you can compare to a benchmark.  I love the heart rate tracking, the stairs tracking.  There's so much I truly love about this watch.  But I am unable to use the music download, which is one of the biggest reasons I made this purchase.

To be honest, when I return this I'm picking up the device you currently have. 

Bottom line:  it's a pretty cool watch, but don't spend your money on it until the kinks are worked out.

[Jamaicangirl81]

Short answer: YES!

Long answer: with all brand new devices with relatively new OS' there will be some bugs to work through as the above poster said. So if you think you may get frustrated while fitbit does work the bugs out, then wait, watch for updates in the forums.... but then get it for sure 🙂

It's a wonderful upgrade, especially coming from the Charge 2 you have. 

[Warrie]

Yes!

I got the Versa since a few days. Had a Charge 2 before it.

My experiences so far:

-Initial setup took about 30mins (made connection to home wifi)

-Great screen. Sharp and bright. 

-Heartrate / stepcounting seems solid and comparable to the Charge 2 I had.

-First 24 hours, the battery went down to 80%. The 4+ days claim seems legit.

-Love the watchfaces

-Notifications work perfectly fine. WhatsApp messages readability is much better than on the Charge 2.

-Got the black case/black strap and really like the clean look of the watch.

Btw, I use the Fitbit app on a Motorola Moto G4 (Android 7, latest security patch). 

[Stollalong]

Yes, but depends what you want the smart watch for.

For me my main criteria was that it would last more than 1 day. Already hate having to charge my phone every night and 2nd that it was water proof. I've damaged way too many watches and want to have a watch when swimming in the ocean. 

Other than that the fitness stuff are a bonus, I like the sleep tracking and heart rate monitoring. The apps are few but will increase over time. I found apple watches to be around 2-3 times more expensive and honestly I have my phone with me all the time so apps weren't such a big deal.

I like the fact that you can store music and play without going through the phone but wish spotify could be used on the versa and I like getting all my notifications from fb, whatsapp, text, email on my watch. That is a very a cool feature.

[Jujube289]

Absolutely. I had the Charge, Charge HR and Blaze, but the Versa is the best yet. Waterproof, long lasting battery up to 4 days and more, sleek and light, plus so much fun playing with new apps and clock faces. Minor issues like misreading steps/stairs occasionally but that's what my Blaze did too. After two restarts, the issues seem to have gone away too.

[RobMaeda]

No.  So far, my experience with the Versa I purchased has been horrible.  I bought it in Los Angeles and thought it worked well.  Little did I know that upon returning to my home in France, that the Versa can only tell time in Los Angeles.  Every time I change the time zone, it reverts to Los Angeles.  I have tried manually inputing the time zone, using the iPhone automatic time function, reset the device to factory settings, turned on and off the device multiple times, etc.  I have also asked for help here on the community site and asked Fitbit directly via email and twitter.  There has been no response except from someone who is experiencing the same problem.  If you look at the community site, you see many people experiencing problems with the Versa.  Maybe they will be solved, but as of today, I can't recommend you buy this device (I can't call it a watch since it doesn't tell  the correct time).