Have had Sense2 for a week and my thoughts are

[LokeAa]

Have had Sense2 for a week and my thoughts are

I was very doubtful whether I should buy Sense2 after all the problems I had with Sense, or if I should go for another brand. I took my chances on Sense2, and hope I will not be disappointed.

• Good battery life
• Charges fast
• If the battery runs out, 12 minutes of charge = one day of use
• Warns of low battery at 35% Don't understand why, but not important
• "Fitbit by Google" - Strange that it doesn't have the Google Assistant
• Missing WiFi – Not important, works fine with bluetooth
• WiFi is disabled, not removed, so may come at a later date
• No third-party apps – the only thing I miss is a water reminder
• In 2022, I think it should have been able to play music, and without a phone
• The screen is unresponsive, reckon it gets fixed in an update

Sense2 has 4GB of storage. It seems a bit wasted. Guess there's a thought behind it? Launching content at a later date?

I really hope better glue is used to attach the watch face than on the Sense, but time will tell.

Edit Oct 22
Have looked more closely at both the watch and the app today. I find it strange that there is still a link to third-party apps under "account" in the Android application.

[N8teGee]

@LokeAa Thanks for sharing your thoughts. Hopefully you will update the thread a little later down the line so that we can see if anything has changed or improved. 

[LokeAa]

@N8teGee will do. I do not know howmany units they have sold. After two months there are 300 posts. I have not scrolled through all, not many of them are "don't work" issues.. I think it is safe to say it has been a better start than with the previous SENSE

[LarisaAR]

My deal breaker is no apps. I am using several of them on the original Sense and would like to continue using them. So that’s the reason for not buying Sense 2

[t.parker]

My Sense 2 will be going back on Monday after 3 weeks of using it. I like physical button and that's pretty much it. It's the most expensive button I have ever bought 😂 Fitbit still must catch up in the sports department (which I'm mostly interested) because even Galaxy Watch evolved a lot and surprised me with data like running dynamics (things like vertical oscilation, GCT).

I'm not going to keep the watch hoping it will get better. I paid for what the device is now, not for what it may become in the future (and it feels like I overpaid). Experience with Sense tells me that inaccurate HR won't be fixed and Fitbit doesn't communicate anything so if something isn't implemented then it's safer to assume that it won't. I think, I don't have Fitbit's user patience 😂

[Dwuuds]

See, I was doubtful when I realized that my 3 year old inspire HR battery lasts for 10 days and has essentially the same features. 

[LokeAa]

I know, it's tacky to reply on your own post but...

It seems like everyone is confused. Reviews on tech sites worldwide, say more or less the same excellent fitness and health tracker, but not very smart. Comfortable to wear, excellent AMOLED screen, good design, and good battery life. Reviewers are asking the same as the rest of us, why take one step forward and two backwards?

I am a running instructor, and I do not agree with those who complain about HR tracking. I have compared it with my HR chest strap, and it is good enough. The belt is more accurate, but that goes for all brands and models. I already. knew that, and it is a compromize I am willing to make. For cardio training it is HR zones that count, If your Cardio zoneis between 140 to 165 it does not matter if HR is recorded at the  low or high end of the scale. Even for shorter intervals it is within what I can accept. If I run 45/20 sec fast intervals HR in peak zone, HR drops to fatburn during the 20 sec pause, and back into peak in the next interval. Compared to the belt I run 1 -  2 intervals more before Sense2 register peak zone. But I am not a world champion runner, it does not matter in the long run.

I do  not know, but when i read Fitbit Accounts will be forced to become Google Accounts, starting next year, and Fitbit Accounts ceases to exist sometime in 2025 and those who move their account will get more features, it made me thiknk -  what features are they talking about? They don't say, Is it wallet and maps, or is it features they have removed from Sense to Sense2?

What do you think?

[Killroy-TM]

In addition those that pre-ordered will be massively upset when this neutered version they call the Sense 2 will go on sale with a discount. It already started with the Versa 4 it will be discounted $80 starting November 11th at Costco. Just waiting when the Sense 2 will follow that path.

[t.parker]

@LokeAa "good enough" is a very relative term. How do you tell anaerobic from neuromuscular effect or how do you train somebody for improving threshold if all three effects are usually in the Peak zone and the better runner is, the narrower training zones become. Intervals may have different effect whether you go all-out intervals or moderate fartlek. If one uses HR sensor for such training the sensor must be accurate and responsive not just "good enough". Fitbit zones are "weightloss zones" (even names suggest that) not training zones for running and they are way too wide for that purpose. It may be "bood enough" for steady state (if one knows range for tempo or aerobic base) as the average would count (and in my tests average of Sense 2 on longer steady state runs is ok-ish). Sense 2 isn't "good enough" for any other kind of training (and let alone it doesn't have any training features like in-watch structured intervals).

[LokeAa]

Fitbit is not meant to be for the few it is for the many. It as a device for Mr. and Mrs. Jones, not for the next olymoic gold medalist. Mr. and Mrs. Jones need it to be easy to understand, easy to use, to get motivated, and to get results.. The Joneses want to lose weight, and /or improve their cardio health. They do not like the pain you feel when you get close to max HR. They do not have any interest in the science behind, or when and how the body burns fat, carbohydrates and proteins. The good news is they do not have to. They represent those we need to reach to improve overall public health. We have studies which has followed 40.000 people for more than three decades, we know how Mr. And Mrs. Jones can get a happier, healthier, and longer life.They have to be moderately active 300 minutes per week, with moderate we mean intensity = fast walk, or 150 minutes high intensity = jogging or slow running, they do not need to worry about threshold or "run until you puke".

We normally use five zones, 1 = 60 to 72 % of Max HR, you can keep a conversation, no heavy breathing. In this zone you build more capillaries around the most enduring muscle fibres, which means that the oxygen supply to the muscle gets better..2 = 72 to 82% More or less like zone 1, this is known as "Fatburn zone".and work in this zone train the muscles to burn fat instead of carbohydrates.  3 = 82 to 87% Threshold zone, or where you balance production and elemination of lactic acid. You can talk,but short sentences, your breathing is heavy. Known as "Cardio zone" here you train your heart muscle.  4 =  87 to 92% Very hard to talk, this zone increase VO2Max, and your ability to eliminate lactate acid. 5 = 92 to 97% Mr.and Mr.Jones will only last for seconds, and should probably stay away from this extremely hard zone .

I know my max HR, it is 180, my zone 1 = 108 - 129, zone 2 = 129 -147 , zone 3  = 147- 156, zone 4 = 156 - 165, zone 5 = 165 -175

Fitbit has merged five zones down to three. for Versa, Sense, Charge 4/5 and Ionic., fatburn, cardio and peak

My fatburn zone using Fitbit  formula = 117- 137, Cardio = 138 - 160, Peak 161 - 180

I would recommend Mr. and Mrs. Jones to take a HR Max test - most of them will not do it. To increase general public health the HR readings are good enough. Sense 2 is a few beats off compared to my belt, but it is good enough. I have taken a VO2 max lab test, it is 64, Fitbit says it is 62, it is good enough.

[t.parker]

That's why I said the "good enough" is relative. Depends. For me that doesn't work (and Sense 2 is way too far from the chest strap in my tests). Going further, nobody even needs to use HR. There are runners training by RPE and doing just great (although it takes time to learn to use RPE). Number of zones depends on the model you use, sometimes there are 5 zones and other times 6 or even 8 (some models break down Threshold and Anaerobic into smaller zones). Your example shows just one model and based on max HR. I base my training zones on LT rather than max HR (I find it better reflecting the RPE).

I agree that for general fitness the HR which is close enough and sometimes even accurate it's probably enough but as you can see here and after releasing original Sense, users expectations are higher than that. I do realize that Fitbit isn't a brand for athletes but rather for people who want to get fitter and simply - start moving. I started from the same position with my first Fitbit device.

Trying several sports with Sense 2, I could accept the average running HR on steady state runs (intervals, especially 100%+ of RFTP usually shows me lower HR than tempo run so instead spikes where there should be I get dips) but everything else like cycling, rowing, or weights is not even "good enough" but it's totally wrong.

I think it all comes with expectations and needs. You are happy with Sense 2 and that's good 🙂 I see nothing wrong with it. Our expectations and needs are certainly different and that's ok, too. For me, if I pay premium price for a product I want it to do basics flawlessly and that's where it falls short. Half price? Probably wouldn't complain (although knowing myself probably I would anyway 😂). And I'm not as patient to wait for features to be "coming soon" (Fitbit must love this phrase). If Sense 2 does all you need and the way you need you are a very lucky user 😁

[LokeAa]

Of course you can worjout without a watch, but many, me included, like gadgets. My guess for Sense2 was onboard music😏.I bought it two weeks ago, if I had preordered I probably would have been pissed. I cannot remmber any watch, phone, action camera,... .where the sequel has been stripped for functions . 

I think it is dishonest that they did not disclose what had been removed when the new watches were announced. I have not seen advertising material, but if what some have claimed is true, that Sense 2 is marketed with several functions that have been removed, then it is unacceptable. In this country (Norway) it is prohibited, and they would have been reported to the consumer authorities, and fined for breaching the Marketing Act.

It is undeniably special that "Fitbit by Google" contains less Google than "Fitbit without Google". Have read some reviews and everyone is confused. What are they doing? 

It is of course also provocative when the moderator says ""We look forward to bringing this feature to future devices.", when someone posts that they want functions they previously had on Sense.

Why it has 4GB of storage is a mystery🤔