What can the new Fitbit "Versa" do? A test diary
17.4.2018
Translation: machine translated
An uncomplicated and motivating health and fitness smartwatch. That's what Fitbit promises with the new Versa - I tested it for you. Does the manufacturer fulfil its promise? Yes and no.
The Fitbit Versa is relatively straightforward to use. However, it can perform and record so many different functions that I initially found it a little difficult to keep track of everything. In addition, some features are not yet fully developed and certain functions are simply superfluous for me as a man, such as the health tracker for women. More on this later.
With a retail price of CHF 239 for the standard model, the price-performance ratio would be excellent if everything worked smoothly.
The design of the Versa
At 34 millimetres, the display is rather small and therefore looks quite dainty. Fitbit obviously wants to appeal more to female customers with the Versa. This also includes the special health tracker for women, which is due to be released in the May update. This will allow women to monitor their ovulation, log their menstruation and track their cycle. Fitbit is therefore focussing strongly on female customers with the Versa. We want to do justice to this fact. That's why there will be another test in May, as soon as the health tracker for women is active. This will of course be conducted by a woman and will focus specifically on the smartwatch's features designed for women.
Status quo
However, men have different needs. For example, I like to run regularly (approx. 30 kilometres per week) and am looking for a sports watch that I can use to record and evaluate my runs. All the functions should be easy to control on my wrist, without an annoying smartphone on my upper arm. I also don't want to check the battery status of countless devices before every run. At the moment, these are Bluetooth headphones, smartphone and smartwatch. And there's nothing worse than realising on the run that a battery has run out and the recording of the run suddenly stops.
The plan: With the Versa, I can leave my smartphone at home in future and only charge my headphones and watch. Fitbit promises a battery life of four days or more, depending on use. That's a long time and was confirmed during the test phase. Unless the display is in "always on" mode when travelling, in which case the battery life is drastically reduced. In my case, 50 per cent of the charge lasted just under an hour.
Now a key point for me:
My music
You can store over 300 songs on the Fitbit Versa or download pre-created playlists from Deezer. A corresponding plan is required for this (note: subject to a charge). So I do this straight away and create my first Deezer playlist with songs that are good for running. It all works quite smoothly. One small disadvantage: to synchronise the playlist with the watch, it has to be put on the charging station. Finally, pair the Bluetooth headphones with the Versa and ... it works. Listen to my music from the smartwatch - check.
But now the most important thing:
Day 1 - Running: 15 km
After the first 15 kilometre run with the Versa, the following findings remain:
- Running without a smartphone is really good
- Listening to music via the smartwatch is really good.
- Walking without voice cues is not good. Over the years I've got used to the information on distance, average speed, etc. I still need to find out how this works with the Versa. This function is activated in the app, but it didn't work.
- 15 kilometres is still 15 kilometres and therefore exhausting! No matter what you wear on your wrist.
Day 2 - Gym
Today my training plan includes:
- 10 minutes warm-up on the treadmill
- 30 minutes of intensive workout on various machines
- 20 minutes of intensive cardio training on the treadmill
And this is the weakness of smartwatches in general. I want to train and not constantly operate my watch. Start activity, stop activity, start activity, stop activity and so on.
The Versa has a Smarttrack function. This function makes it possible to automatically record workouts such as running, swimming or cycling. And indeed, after a minimum running time of ten minutes, the watch recognises that I am on the treadmill and tracks this activity. Sweet!
Day 3 - Running: 10 km
My playlists, which I set up on Deezer and transferred to the Versa, have disappeared. And no matter what I try to get my songs back on the watch, it doesn't work. After half an hour, I give up, exasperated. Listening to music from the smartwatch - uncheck!
After the second run with the Versa, the following findings remain:
- Walking again with a smartphone on my arm is annoying
- Walking without voice cues is not good. It doesn't work even on the second attempt. What a pity.
Day 4 - Running: 12 km
The thing with the missing playlists doesn't give me any peace. So I sit down (even though I actually want to run) and go through everything again step by step:
- Connect the watch to the WLAN
- Connect the watch to the charging station
- Add playlists via the "Media" menu item in the Fitbit app
- Synchronise the watch with the app
And now it works, after just under an hour of syncing, my music is finally back on the Versa! It's like running, persistence pays off.
Now off to the piste. After the third run with the Versa, the following findings remain:
- Running without a smartphone: I love it!
- Listening to music on the smartwatch again: Love it even more.
- Voice prompts still don't work today
- Running into Runners High: the best thing
Conclusion
For my taste, manufacturers generally pack too many functions into their fitness watches. This is especially the case with the Fitbit Versa. Personally, I don't need dozens of different watch faces or the option to pay with the watch. I don't shop, I run. Here, less would be more - fewer gadgets, more focus on sport. On the other hand, I can certainly understand Fitbit's ambition to fulfil as many different needs as possible with the Versa.
Features that are not fully developed, such as the voice prompts that are not played back during a run, are annoying. I was eventually able to solve the music problem. I like Smarttrack, the automatic training recording. It records my training sessions, even if I forget to track them.
Nevertheless, I'm sticking with my Apple Watch for the time being. Although I still have to carry the annoying smartphone on my arm, I can be sure that all the features that are important to me work smoothly.
The Fitbit Versa aims to be an uncomplicated and motivating health and fitness smartwatch. My tip: Leave out one or two (superfluous) features and invest the free resources in the stability of the others. Then the Versa will definitely have its place on the market.
Here you can find the entire Fitbit range
Patrick Bardelli
Senior Editor
Patrick.Bardelli@digitecgalaxus.chFrom radio journalist to product tester and storyteller, jogger to gravel bike novice and fitness enthusiast with barbells and dumbbells. I'm excited to see where the journey'll take me next.
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