Fitbit’s Sense 2 amps up stress tracking

After several leaks and a not-so-subtle teaser yesterday, Fitbit officially announced what we all knew was coming: the Sense 2, the Versa 4, and the Inspire 3. And while Fitbit is introducing new software alongside the new hardware, this update is more about incremental improvements and refining what you already know rather than launching anything revolutionary. Oh, and yes, the Sense 2 and Versa 4 have physical buttons!

The $299.95 Sense 2 and $229.95 Versa 4 both have minor design tweaks. For starters, both are thinner and lighter. The button on both devices also sits higher up, as does the area where you attach straps. Meanwhile, the Sense 2 incorporates its health sensors into the device’s display using “vaporized electrodes.” That doesn’t really change how users interact with the device, however. It’s more of an engineering feat aimed at cramming everything into a sleek, thin package.

Image: Fitbit

Speaking of sensors, the Sense 2 adds a new continuous electrodermal activity (cEDA) sensor to track all-day stress. Fitbit introduced stress tracking with the Sense in 2020, but that was more of a spot-check measurement. The new sensor enables continuous, all-day stress tracking that alerts you when your stress levels are getting too high. It then recommends things like mood logging, guided breathing, and mindfulness sessions. Fitbit also says you can customize when you get alerts, so you can opt out of them if you’ve got an important presentation, for example.

In terms of software updates, Fitbit is introducing some new exercise modes, bringing the total up to 40. Those include options like HIIT, weightlifting, and dance. And while it’s not an entirely new feature, Fitbit Premium users can access animal-based sleep profiles to help users better understand their sleep patterns. (Sense 2 and Versa 4 users will also get an exclusive clock face featuring their sleep animal.) It’s similar to Samsung’s sleep coaching feature on the Galaxy Watch 4 and Galaxy Watch 5 series, which also assigns users animal-based profiles to help them sleep better. Fitbit also recently got FDA clearance for passive heart rhythm monitoring for atrial fibrillation, which will also be featured on the Sense 2.

Image: Fitbit

In a demo, Fitbit also showed off a refreshed interface featuring Tiles that look an awful lot like the ones you see in Wear OS 3. The company also said turn-by-turn navigation with Google Maps and Google Wallet is also “coming soon,” though it declined to give a firm timeline. This isn’t surprising given Google’s recent wearable push, but code hinting that Google Wallet is making its way to the Sense 2 and Versa 4 was also spotted last week.

The $99.95 Inspire 3 also gets a few significant updates. Mainly, Fitbit’s ditched the monochrome LED in favor of a color OLED display and adds an SpO2 sensor. Despite moving to a more power-hungry display, Fitbit says that the battery life on the Inspire 3 will remain at 10 days. According to Fitbit spokesperson Jonathan Moll, that does drop down to three days if you enable the always-on display (AOD). (The Sense 2 and Versa 4 have an estimated six days without AOD and three days with.)

Image: Fitbit

We’ll reserve judgment until we can see how the Sense 2, Versa 4, and Inspire 3 perform during testing. On paper, this seems to be a fairly iterative update, especially compared to when Fitbit launched the Sense, Versa 3, and Inspire 2 back in 2020. That lineup was a pleasant surprise from the company, given that at the time, the Google-Fitbit merger was still pending, and the company was struggling to sell its wares. This time around, it’s harder to say where what role these fitness-first gadgets will play in Fitbit’s future. Not only are we expecting to see a Pixel Watch this fall, but it’s also supposed to have a new Fitbit integration. And while we’ve seen neither hide nor hair of a premium Wear OS Fitbit watch, CEO James Park has promised that’s on the way, too.

All three devices are available for preorder starting today and come with a six-month trial of Fitbit Premium. Although inflation price hikes have begun to impact consumer tech, Fitbit says the prices of all three devices will remain the same as their predecessors. The Sense 2 will retail for $299.95, the Versa 4 for $229.95, and the Inspire 3 for $99.95.