Thoughts on the Versa 3 and Sense

[JoelnCheryl]

Hello community! I currently have the versa 2, and have been pretty happy with it. I am however looking to upgrade to the Versa 3 or the Sense. If you have the V3 or the Sense I would love your thoughts of pro's/cons. 

I love the thought of having the Google Assistant on my wrist!  So if you could help I'd appreciate the good, bad, and ugly on these watches. Thank you so much!!

[JohnnyRow]

The biggest difference between Versa 3 and Sense is the Sense has the ECG app to detect AFib, provided you live in a country where it is approved (it is in U.S.).  Whether worth the difference depends on if you are concerned about AFib.

[Walian21]

For everyday use, the biggest difference is the ability to use GPS for you activities like walking and hiking. Also, you have the ability to have a full phone and message answering supoort. You can voice dictate messages for your replies, and you can have phone conversation without touching your phone.  And add to it voice assistants like Alexa and Google assistant. I would say these are big differences.

Sense, adds few more sensors for ECG, skin temps etc...but they are manual sensor probably not useful for most people.  

Sadly, the big miss  in the new lineup is removed offline mp3 storage. You can only listen to music via paid subscription services like Deezer and Spotify.

[SunsetRunner]

I have the versa 3, and it is a terrible tracker. It's going back tomorrow. The heart rate monitor is wildly inaccurate which is a bit of a deal breaker for me.

[Nanah35]

Well God bless your Versa 2! I have (soon to be “had”) a Versa 3; and while having the onboard GPS is lovely, it’s also pointless to leave your phone at home since you will now need to have it in order to listen to your personal library. Google assistant is a nice option, but there’s no audio when you interact with it; however, there is with the Alexa assistant. I came from owning a different Fitbit and never owned the Versa 2, but after living with this Versa 3, I am convinced that if I had a Versa 2, I would just stick with it (the no I board music is a real deal breaker for me). If you truly want to upgrade, I would go with the Garmin square; moving from a Versa 2 to a Versa 3 is really no upgrade at all.

[tlitchy]

I had my Versa 3 for 4 days and the screen cracked. (I had a charge 3 for years and had no problems) I also have seen quite a few others with the same issue. I would get an Apple or a Garmin. 

[Alphamom]

Thank you for sharing your experience. This makes me sad. I want to love Fitbit. There seems to be many issues and shortsighted customer service. They want you to spend hours troubleshooting and still get nowhere.

[CKanapkey]

I just shipped back the Sense because the heart rate monitor was very inconsistent and inaccurate. I could be pushing my limits and it said my heart rate was 120, then on the flip side sitting with a 100 heart rate. 

I had the first Versa and it was great. After reading reviews on the other options I think I will switching to a different brand. I’m sad because I love the way the Versa and Sense look. I just want more consistent and reliable tracking. 

[SunsetRunner]

Hi, I have been using the ionic for around 2 and a half years and looked to upgrade.  Looking at the sense, I just thought it was just over the top so I opted for the Versa 3 which was around 3 months ago.  As I write this I am wearing the ionic again. In my personal view, the Versa 3 is a huge mistake.  The none button is tricky and difficult to master whilst running. 1 push, does this, two pushes does that. and I really you are just trying to pause the ****ahem**** thing whilst waiting to cross the road and it cant be done.  The heart rate on mine is 30% higher than the ionic and according to Fitbit my cardio fitness score dropped 6 points in just two days using the Versa.  I cannot in the life of me understand why anyone would want an Alexia or google assistant on a watch with a mobile phone just feet away, so I have disabled those features.  But the main reason that I don't use the versa is that the band brings me out in an awful painful rash within days of putting it on.  Stay well clear is my advice.  Fitbit has lost its way.

[JoelnCheryl]

I want to thank everybody who shared their thoughts on the Versa 3. I gotta tell you, I'm so disappointed in your reviews. I was really hoping that the responses would be more positive for the new Versa 3 and I could upgrade. But now, with the research I've done, and your responses I'm afraid I'll stick to my tried and true Versa 2. Thank you for honesty, I appreciate it alot. Merry Christmas, be safe!!

[PRT940]

I was in the same boat as you. I had a Versa 2 and I wanted to upgrade to the Sense. But the much higher price kept me from biting, and then when they announced that they were doing a quiet recall of some of them due to faulty ECG hardware, that was all I needed to know to set my sights solely on the Versa 3. So I bought the Versa 3 about 2 weeks ago @ $200. Here are my comparisons on the Versa 2 and 3 so far:

- Battery life seems to be roughly the same, although I haven't used GPS yet

- The Versa 3 setup/update was the best experience I've ever had with a Fitbit device. Quick and painless, unlike some past bad experiences with various Fitbit devices. Must be due to the newer Bluetooth hw/sw.

- Synching/notifications work fine. Vibrations feel the same.

- I love that Alexa now talks to me instead of just displaying text answers to my questions.

- I struggle at times to find/press the new left haptic "button." I miss the old physical button.

- Learning the new UI was relatively painless. It's not that much different from the Versa 2, IMO.

- It's so much easier to change bands now. No more messing with those stupid pins and little holes.

- The size of the Versa 3 is roughly the same as the Versa 2. You won't notice much difference.

- The display seems to be higher quality. Not sure if it is higher-res or not, but text seems clearer.

- I haven't noticed any difference in my step counts or resting heart rate compared to the Versa 2. I think that's a good thing.

- Haven't tried answering the phone with it yet. Haven't tried Google Assistant yet.

Overall I would've preferred the Sense, but I'm happy with the Versa 3. I would've been upset if I had spent around $300 on the Sense only to have the new ECG hardware fail at some future point.

[Newtripley]

Hi 

I upgraded from the Versa 2 to the 3 about 3 months ago and I love it! I did debate getting the sense but to me the only difference was the ECG app and I wasn't really that keen to spend £100 more on something that wasn't that important to me 

As I said I'm really impressed with the Versa 3 better HR results, more accurate sleep score great battery life and a beautiful screen 

The one niggle I had when I first got it was the new design strap at first I found it fiddly to fasten but now am used to it and find it really comfortable 

It's great it also now has the option of Google Assist although I don't use it as I use Alexa as I have Alexa home devices

I really recommend the Versa 3

[Planetem]

Wish I had done like you - stuck with a Sense now and gave my old versa to my son.

[abdul2961]

I've been using the versa 3 for about 1yr

As a fitness tracker you'll get the information you need and it has definitely motivated me. I actually love the look of the watch and while the button is finiky I can see why they did it this way.

In terms of glass breaking I have slammed it a fees and luckily not a scratch after one year. I'm coming from a charge 2 and the GPS is a wonderful addition.

The screen and general software is simple and easy to use

Coming to the cons.the fact they took out music if definitely a bad move.the heart rate tracker can also be hit and miss sometimes.

Overall as a fitness tracker  that is sturdy and dosent need regular charging it will exceed expectations

If you need other features like music assistant etc....there are better options. Also I would recommend you only buy it on special so you can get more value