Why no GPS on the Versa?

[Grumpyswife]

I have read that you need to get the special edition of versa for GPS?  Why the difference?  Why did they just not include it all in one watch?  Also -- what difference does no GPS make?  Just in logging your exercise paths?  

[N8teGee]

It does seem every device has a compromise one way or the other. At this point it really comes down to personal preference and what you value the most out of a device. The good thing is we do have choice, whether it be fitbit or another brand. Hopefully as the tech gets better there will be less compromises in the future. 

[Drsuess]

Bit sad it's got no GPS.  And of course Im an impatient person so I wanted the versa right or wrong when it came to Australia.. .But no GPS and I watch forensic files and they actually were able to track the victim and her murderer by the GPS activity on her Fitbit! Hope I don't get murdered with the versa.......

[Lis88]

I too am disappointed that the versa has no GPS, it would make it the perfect watch and I would buy it in a heartbeat if it did.

I really hope they release a version with built in GPS asap! 

[tonyfatex]

Does that mean we need to carry the phone with us too in order for it to connect to the phone's GPS? 

[N8teGee]

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@tonyfatex wrote:

Does that mean we need to carry the phone with us too in order for it to connect to the phone's GPS? 

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That's correct. 

[michallides]

Yes. It does not have it's own gps. It uses phone's GPS. The same as Charge 2. Only fitbit device with it's own GPS is Ionic. It is the same without music player and made from plastic, Versa is from aluminium. Ionic has OLED display and Versa is LCD. So you pay 100 more euros for Ionic only to get GPS.

[N8teGee]

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@michallides wrote:

Yes. It does not have it's own gps. It uses phone's GPS. The same as Charge 2. Only fitbit device with it's own GPS is Ionic. It is the same without music player and made from plastic, Versa is from aluminium. Ionic has OLED display and Versa is LCD. So you pay 100 more euros for Ionic only to get GPS.

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That's not entirely correct. The Ionic is also made from aluminium and has an LCD display. It also has the ability to store and play music, just like the Versa. 

From the Ionic's specs page.

Also the Surge is another Fitbit device that features its own onboard GPS but I believe it has now been discontinued, although may be available from a 3rd party source.

[DVD1968]

I, for one, prefer running with my phone for the added security that making emergency calls or using Google maps (if lost) provides. Plus I use Google Play music and the Strava app for cadence metrics and notifications. 

So connecting to phone GPS is actually a great feature imo, reducing the size of this device - something that has held me back from purchasing a smartwatch. 

I've moved my phone from am arm band to a runners belt that holds my phone securely, including any debit, credit cards I may need to bring with me. 

Going to buy a Fitbit versa very soon and can't wait to take it out for runs and bike rides and sync with Strava.

[colt4]

It's obvious that the Versa was a response to poor sales of the Ionic. Retaining the high end model seems like a good strategy, except the Versa has probably made Ionic sales far worse.

I had a Series 2 Apple Watch but I found the user interface overly complex, and because I only want a fitness watch, it seemed too expensive for what it did. I was going to buy an Ionic but it looks hideous next to the versa. I was going to buy a versa but if I have to carry my phone to run, a fitness app on my phone does the job better.

Fitbit have some serious advantages over apple: the Fitbit app, the user community, a less bulky device  (they should market the hell out of that), and massively superior battery life. They'll have to innovate to survive, though. And you can bet Apple will be responding to this challenge.

[colt4]

Ok, so I was in an airport and bought a versa at a decent price.

I kind of like it: it looks smarter than an Apple Watch and is much easier to use. Transfering music to the watch is straightforward. I had a slight issue with the volume controls not working with my Airpods. Restarting the watch fixed it but then my iPhone stopped connecting to the versa. Ended up resetting the watch to factory defaults and starting again. I had more problems the second time around. There are definitely bugs because you seem have to do everything in a certain order for it to work properly.

Connected GPS was my main concern. Tried it one time and it seems accurate-ish. It can take a long time to connect and I think you have to have the Fitbit app open on your phone for it to work. I’ll do some more testing and then decide whether I keep the watch.

[DVD1968]

Nice.  I purchased one too a couple weeks ago. I read that if your phone is connected to WiFi when you start an activity, say running, the gps may not connect initially. In that case, disable wifi.  This has only happened once to me.

I think Fitbit has done a pretty good job producing a device that is compatible with both iOS and Android devices, despite the sync issue that occured once before for me on my S7 .  Seems to be working fine again. I'll be keeping mine.  I like it. 

Good luck with your evaluation .

[Annatheke]

@AlessFitbit Is there any chance that fitbit will release a Versa model with included GPS as well? I fell in love with the device but the investment - even if it is cheaper than the Ionic is (which looks better on a male wrist, I‘d say)- doesn‘t make sense to me if I don‘t get all the good features. Would love to hear some good news 🙂

[colt4]

I felt exactly the same way but thought I'd give it a try. The connected GPS seems to work well and I can fit my phone in my back pocket or get a Flipbelt for running. It's inconvenient but I've been genuinely surprised by how nice this watch is to use and how well everything works. For example, I wasn't interested in sleep tracking but the way the information is presented makes this a must-have feature. I'm glad I bought this and will upgrade as soon as a GPS-enabled version becomes available.

[SunsetRunner]

I am shopping for a smartwatch and find that the Versa does not have onboard GPS. How disappointing. Not sure it is a complete deal breaker but quite short-sighted on your part. Styling, ease of use, and price are all there but really you decided on no GPS? Perhaps you should go back to your R&D and change R to UR for unReasonable instead of Research because clearly someone dropped the ball.

[DVD1968]

You don't get 4-5 days on a single charge without some compromises!  I think their R&D were smart to capitalise on one of the biggest weaknesses of the Apple watch - battery drain.  Unless you are a serious athlete or absolutely cannot run or bike with your phone, you'll find the Versa's phone GPS sync technology to be very good, especially when you don't need to charge it every night, giving you the added bonus of sleep tracking!

Well done Fitbit! Will definitely consider a smartwatch with GPS in the future if battery life is improved.

[SunsetRunner]

I know there are compromises but these companies split manufacturing so many ways that something gets left out. Would be better to have a customizable platform and make to order. Must say I keep reading and researching and find the versa to be in top two for my purposes. 


Sent via the Samsung Galaxy S®6 active, an AT&T 4G LTE smartphone

[Micahnatorx]

Obviously it's a personal choice but after living with a fitbit device for a while then switching to an Apple watch, I found 100% of my concerns about battery life to just go away like so many imaginary fears. I'm using the AW2, which has a little better battery than the AW1 and a little worse than the current AW3.

Personally I found the sleep tracker to be entertaining at first but I got no real actionable information from it. It gives more "information" than it has the accuracy to provide. I also don't need a graph to tell me if I slept well, I can tell by how I feel in the morning. Personally, I also don't enjoy sleeping with a device on my wrist so after a little while I ended up taking it off overnight anyway. Like I said, it was entertaining at first but only in a "huh, that's kinda cool" way. I could use my AW to do sleep tracking, and put it on the charger at my desk at work for 2hrs, but that data just doesn't mean anything to me.

Using the AW I end the day with no less than 50% of the battery left, and often more. This includes taking calls, which can be pretty handy in the car, reading the occasional text (sometimes responding), running or cycling using GPS on whatever app I might like while playing music (phone at home), and using siri to set timers or alerts (which is super handy when cooking and my hands are full). Putting it on the charger, along with my phone, is just part of the evening routine. I've got no worries that I could use my AW for two days straight if needed.

So on balance, I don't even think of the battery life. Which is different than I thought I would experience, and a reason why I didn't buy it earlier on. Reading so many people talk about the great battery life of a fitbit helped to persuade me but it turns out that's not more useful than everything else an AW does that fitbits don't do, or don't do as well. I never thought I'd care about the smartwatch features but they turn out to be pretty handy. I actually don't get into my phone nearly as much now.

[Tracey1205]

The Microsoft Band was much better - had GPS, heartrate, sleep tracker, step counter.  I did my run then could see it on Strava.  I am a technology hater - I don't have the patience for it, so the band was so simple. 
With the Versa, I have to carry my phone now when I run, so it defeats the object of the smart watch.  However as someone else said, it is a good idea to have it for emergencies, or if I am lost and need a map!

I do like the awards you get when you meet your targets.

Does anyone know how you link the watch to the phone GPS so that you can map your run?  I had to start Strava independently directly from my phone today, but at least the watch pauses when you rest so I didn't have to try and start both at the same time!

[colt4]

It seems to depend on what you want from a watch: a lot of reviews say that if you you want a smart watch, get the Apple Watch; and if you want a fitness tracker, get a Fitbit (or Garmin?).

I've found the Fitbit 100% more useful than the Apple Watch because it automatically tracks activity, tracks steps, and is easier to use. The interface is better (the crown on the Apple Watch is silly), activity gets tracked (Apple Watch was a little hit and miss, especially if I was using third party app), and music works better (Apple Watch used to launch two separate music control apps which was just confusing and un-Apple-like).

[SunsetRunner]

great response. i am leaning toward the Versa for the reasons you mentioned.