Fitbit Versa 3 succeeds Versa 2, and it comes with new features such as inbuilt GPS, a loudspeaker, and a slightly longer battery life than its predecessor. I have been using both smartwatches for some time now, and in this comparison post, I’m comparing Fitbit Versa 2 vs Versa 3 features head to head to help you make the right choice.
Don’t want to read through, you can watch the video comparison of Versa 2 vs 3.
Fitbit Versa 2 vs Versa 3 Full Specifications Compared
Fitbit Versa 2 | Fitbit Versa 3 | |
---|---|---|
ABOUT DEVICE | ||
Device name | Fitbit Versa 2 | Fitbit Versa 3 |
Device type | Sport/Fitness smartwatch | Sport/Fitness smartwatch |
Predessesor | Fitbit Versa | Fitbit Versa 2 |
Successor | __ | Fitbit Versa 4 |
Released date | September, 2019 | September, 2020 |
Ideal for | Unisex | Unisex |
DISPLAY | ||
Display type | AMOLED | AMOLED |
Display size | 1.4 inch | 1.58 inches |
Display resolution | -- | 336 x 336 pixel |
Pixel density | -- | 300.74 PPI300.74 PPI |
Input type | Touchscreen and 1 button | Touchscreen Haptic button |
Always-on | Yes | Yes |
Customizable watch face | Yes | Yes |
BODY | ||
Shape | Rectangular/curved | Square/curved |
Dimension | 40 x 40 x 11 mm | 40.5 x 40.5 x 12.4 mm |
Weight | -- | -- |
Casing material | Aluminum | Aluminum |
Strap/band material | Silicone | Silicone |
Bezel Material | Aluminum | Aluminum |
Strap size | 140 - 180 mm (small) 180 - 220 mm (large) | 140 - 180 mm (small) 180 - 220 mm (large) |
Interchangeable band | Yes | Yes |
Screen protection | Corning Gorilla glass | Corning Gorilla Glass 3 |
Water resistant/Protection | Yes, 5ATM | Yes, 5ATM |
Swim-proof | Yes, recommended | Yes, recommended |
Color(s) | Carbon/black Bordeaux/copper rose Petal/copper rose Stone/mist grey | Pink clay/soft gold Midnight/soft gold Black |
MEMORY | ||
RAM | -- | -- |
Internal storage | About 4GB | About 4GB |
Memory card slot | No | No |
CONNECTIVITY | ||
Bluetooth | Bluetooth v4.0 LE | Bluetooth v5.0 LE |
Bluetooth calling | No | Yes |
Wi-Fi | Yes | Yes |
NFC | Yes | Yes |
Payment system | Fitbit Pay | Fitbit Pay |
GPS | No, (connected GPS) | GPS/GLONASS |
CELLULAR TECHNOLOGY | ||
Technology | No | No |
SIM | No | No |
Band | No | No |
NOTIFICATIONS | ||
Email alert | Yes | Yes |
SMS alert | Yes | Yes |
Calls alert | Yes | Yes |
Event reminder | Yes | Yes |
Weather | Yes | Yes |
Third-party apps | Yes | Yes |
Text response | Yes | Yes |
FITNESS TRACKING | ||
Sleep apnea | No | No |
Sleep tracking | Yes | Yes |
Steps | Yes | Yes |
Floors climbed | Yes | Yes |
Heart rate monitoring | Yes | Yes |
Calories | Yes | Yes |
Distance | Yes | Yes |
Stress | Yes | Yes |
VO2 Max. | Yes | Yes |
Blood oxygen | Yes | Yes |
Blood pressure | No | No |
Menstrual cycle tracking | Yes | Yes |
Swim tracking | Yes | Yes |
Under-water heart rate tracking | No | No |
Preloaded maps | No | No |
On-screen workout modes | Yes | Yes |
Triathlon mode | __ | No |
ECG Tracking | No | No |
Preloaded sport modes | Yes | Yes, 20 |
Safety tracking | No | No |
MEDIA | ||
Audio | mp3/mp4 | mp3/mp4 |
Music streaming | Yes | No |
Bluetooth music | Yes | Yes |
Radio | No | No |
Loudspeaker | No | Yes |
Microphone | Yes | Yes |
Camera | No | No |
SENSORS | ||
PLATFORM | ||
Operating system (OS) | Fitbit OS | Fitbit OS |
Chipset | -- | -- |
CPU | -- | -- |
GPU | -- | -- |
BATTERY | ||
Type of battery | Non-removable lithium polymer | Non-removable lithium polymer |
Battery capacity | -- | -- |
Battery life | Mixed usage: up to 6 days | Mixed usage: up to 6 days+ |
Charging type | USB based charging dock | USB based charging dock |
Charging time | About 1-2 hours | About 1-30 mins |
Battery saver mode | Yes | Yes |
Solar power | No | No |
Rapid charging | No | Yes |
CLOCK FEATURES | ||
Time/Date | Yes | Yes |
Stopwatch | Yes | Yes |
Alarm | Yes | Yes |
OTHER FUNCTIONS | ||
Control camera | _ | Yes |
Music control | Yes | Yes |
Find phone | Yes | Yes |
MISC | ||
Compatibility | Android, IOS Check supported devices | Android 8.0+, IOS 14.0+ Check supported devices |
Companion app | Fitbit App | Fitbit App |
Voice command | Yes | Yes (Alexa & Google Assistant) |
BOX CONTENTS | ||
Fitbit Versa 2 | Fitbit Versa 3 | |
Strap (small and large) | Strap (small and large) | |
Magnetic charging dock | Charging cable | |
Quick start guide | Quick start guide | |
NOTE: We can't guarantee that all the information on this table are 100% correct. Read full disclaimer. Please, report an error. | ||
Official Site | Official Site |
Fitbit Versa 3 vs Charge 4 Features Compared – At a Glance?
Features | Versa 2 | Versa 3 |
---|---|---|
SMART FEATURES | ||
Display | AMOLED | 1.58 inches AMOLED |
Ambient light | Yes | Yes |
Always-on-display Just glance to see what you need during workouts or when your hands are full. (will require frequent charging) | Yes | Yes |
Syncs Wirelessly Automatically sync to most popular iOS and Android devices to show your stats, trends and progress on your Fitbit dashboard. | Yes | Yes |
Amazon Alexa Voice Assistant Check the weather, set timers, control your smart home devices, and more, powered by Amazon Alexa. Amazon Alexa not available in all countries | Yes | Yes |
Google Voice Assistant Check the weather, set timers, control your smart home devices, and more, powered by Google Voice. | Yes | Yes |
Music Storage Store and play 300+ songs on your smartwatch—plus download your favorite Pandora stations or Deezer playlists. Paid subscriptions required. Pandora is US only. | Yes | Yes |
Make Payments Use your credit and debit cards to make secure purchases anywhere that accepts tap-and-pay.See participating banks | Yes | Yes |
Smart Notification See call, text, or calendar notifications on screen & get push notifications from smartphone apps. | Yes | Yes |
Connect With Wireless Headphones Listen to your favorite tunes without the wires. | Yes | Yes |
Connect and Control Music on Spotify Control your music, songs, and browse recent playlists and podcasts all from your wrist. Works with phone nearby; Spotify Premium subscription required. Not available in all countries. | Yes | Yes |
Sleep Mode Use the sleep mode to mute smartphone notifications and stop your screen from turning on at night. | Yes | Yes |
Do Not Disturb Mode Use do not disturb mode when you want to mute call, text, calendar, and app notifications during the day. | Yes | Yes |
Access Apps On Watch Access your favorite apps for fitness, sports, news, travel, transit, and more with a simple tap. | Yes | Yes |
Loudspeaker and Microphone Has a loudspeaker that allows you to play music aloud and as well make and receive calls via Bluetooth connection to the phone. | Only microphone. (can't make calls) | Yes |
EXERCISE FEATURES | ||
Real-Time Using Built In GPS See your real-time pace and distance without a phone, then get a map of your route in the Fitbit app. | No | Yes |
Real-Time Using Phone GPS See your real-time pace and distance by connecting to your phone's GPS, then get a map of your route in the Fitbit app. | Yes | No |
Workout Intensity Map After outdoor exercise, check your workout intensity map in the Fitbit app to see your heart rate zones throughout your route. | Yes | Yes |
Active Zone Minutes Feel a buzz when you reach your target heart rate zones during exercise and celebrate when you earn extra minutes outside of workouts. | No | Yes |
Active Minutes Calculates active minutes through metabolic equivalents (METs). This metric, which factors in your body mass, is used to estimate exercise intensity. | No | Yes |
Personalized Reminders Stay on track toward your goals with personalized reminders that remind you to stay active, get hydrated, stick to a sleep schedule and more. | Yes | Yes |
SmartTrack Exercise Recognition Automatically record select exercises like running, biking and more & see detailed workout information in the Fitbit app. | Yes | Yes |
20 Preset Workout Modes Choose from 20+ exercise modes like run, bike, swim, yoga and more, set a goal, and get real-time stats during your workouts. | Yes | Yes |
Swimproof Water-resistant up to 50M, so you can wear your tracker or smartwatch in the shower, pool, and beyond. | Yes | Yes |
Onscreen Workout Coach Get personalized on-screen workouts that play on your wrist, coach you through each move and adapt based on your feedback. | Yes | Yes |
Sedentary Reminder See how long you've been active throughout the day and get reminders to fit in a few extra steps when you've been sitting a bit too long. | Yes | Yes |
See Your Heart Rate Zones Use your personalized fat burn, cardio, and peak heart rate zones to optimize your effort during workouts. | Yes | Yes |
HEALTH FEATURES | ||
EDA Scan App The on-wrist EDA Scan app detects electrodermal activity—which may indicate your body’s response to stress—and reveals a graph in the Fitbit app to illuminate it. | No | No |
ECG tracking Monitors your heart rate and can help you detect irregular heart rhythms which can lead to AFib is left untreated | No | No |
Cardio Fitness Score (VO2 Max.) Get a better understanding of your fitness level and see how you can improve over time with a personalized Cardio Fitness Score. | Yes | Yes |
Complete Sleep Tracking See your time spent in light, deep and REM sleep stages and get sleep insights to help you improve. https://www.fitbit.com/us/technology | Yes | Yes |
Female Health Tracking Know your body on a deeper level using your tracker or smartwatch with the Fitbit app to follow your cycle, record symptoms and more. | Yes | Yes |
Guided Breathing Session Find moments of calm throughout your day with personalized breathing sessions based on your heart rate. | Yes | Yes |
SpO2 Sensor Allows you to see how well your blood utilizes oxygen. | Yes | Yes |
24/7 Heart Rate Tracking Use 24/7 heart rate to better track calorie burn, see your resting heart rate trends and get real-time guidance to optimize your workouts. | Yes | Yes |
Resting Heart Rate Wear your tracker or smartwatch all day and night to record your resting heart rate and track heart rate over time. | Yes | Yes |
24/7 Activity Tracking Track steps, distance, calories burned, active minutes, hourly activity, and stationary time. | Yes | Yes |
Altimeter Counts floors climbed | Yes | Yes |
Sleep Score Based on your heart rate, time asleep and restlessness, this personalized score helps you better understand your sleep quality each night. | Yes | Yes |
Sleep Tracking Understand your rest with automatic sleep tracking and silent alarms on your wrist & bedtime reminders and helpful tips in the app. | Yes | Yes |
All Day Calorie Burn Better understand the total number of calories you burn—all day and during workouts—to manage your weight and stay on track toward your goals. | Yes | Yes |
Battery Life | 6 days | 6 days+ |
Fast Charging | No | Yes |
– The Differences?
- Design
- Fitness Tracking
- Media – No Improvement
- Battery Life – Magnetic Charger and Fast Charging Introduced
The Versa 3 spots a similar appearance to Versa 2, it is however curved at the edges than Versa 2. From specs, Versa 3 has 1.58 inches which is slightly larger than the 1.4 inches of Versa 2, but I can bearly spot the difference.
Both smartwatches are very lightweight and compact. It’s the same AMOLED powering the displays of both watches. Both smartwatches also have touchscreen support as a means of navigation. However, while Versa 2 has a physical button, Fitbit replaced that with a haptic button for the Versa 3 which I find very annoying. It’s unresponsive most times and that’s very annoying. You need to press it real hard to get the best results. The haptic button was adopted to help improve the water-resistance capabilities of the Versa 3.
Fitbit has introduced a new infinity band for Versa 3 which is easier to swap unlike the hook style of Versa 2.
Versa 3 has a new user interface that makes it easier to find apps and other features faster. For instance, instead of swiping down twice on Versa 2 to reveal your quick settings panel, you simply swipe right to reveal the quick settings panel.
Secondly, double pressing the haptic button of Versa 3 will allow you to configure 4 shortcuts for your favorite apps which isn’t possible with Versa 2.
Fitbit has also added a Fitbit today app that shows you all your stats unlike Versa 2 which allows you to view only 7 stats out of 9 available.
So in terms of interface, Versa 3 has a better interface. But in terms of navigation, for me, Versa 2 has better navigation.
Both Versa 2 and 3 will track your sleep, calories, heart rate, steps, help you manage stress through guided breathing sessions with up to 20 preloaded sport modes, and the ability to auto-track 6 of these sports. There is also a Fitbit coach app that can coach you through your favorite moves.
However, Versa 3 is a more comprehensive fitness tracker. It has an inbuilt GPS which is long overdue, this allows you to track your routes, locations, and real-time pace without carrying your phone along. This brings a lot of conveniences if you’re coming from Versa 2 which requires you to carry your phone along to track your routes, locations, and other metrics while working out outdoors.
Versa 3 allows you to have all 20 preloaded sport modes on the shortcut list, while Versa 3 allows you to have only 7 sport modes on the shortcut list.
Versa 3 comes with a redesigned multi-path heart rate sensor which Fitbit claims have an upgraded algorithm for better heart rate tracking. I compared the two and the heart rate figures were just about the same with a small gap of 2-3 figures on average.
Both Versa 3 and 2 have a microphone that allows you to use your voice to do simple tasks via Alexa or reply to messages. However, only Versa 3 will have Google Assistant later in the future which gives more options to do tasks with your voice.
Versa 3 also has a loudspeaker which Versa 2 lacks. However, the loudspeaker on Versa 3 only allows you to answer calls, but you can’t talk directly from Versa 3 which defeats the purpose of having a loudspeaker on the watch.
Moreover, you can’t hear Alexa reply back to you via the loudspeaker and you can’t play music files aloud, all these makes the loudspeaker on Versa 3 totally useless. Unlike Galaxy Active 2 where you can play music aloud, talk directly from the watch, and more.
Both Versa 2 and 3 have music storage capability, but only Versa 2 allows you to add your personal music. With Versa 3, you can’t add personal music which is a huge turn off for me, you can only add playlist from Deezer and you can download Pandora stations and as well control Spotify Playlists on your phone.
There is no improvement whatsoever as far as music storage is concerned on Versa 3.
Both Versa 2 and 3 will allow you to go multiple days from a single charge. However, Versa 3 has a longer battery life than Versa 2. From my experience, when I tested both smartwatches, Versa 3 lasted up to 6 days despite 1 hour daily of continuous GPS tracking compared to Versa 2 which averaged 5 days.
Versa 3 also offers a quicker magnetic charger with fast charging technology that takes less than an hour to charge to full.
Which is Better?
I cannot outrightly say which is better between these two smartwatches despite a successor that took one year to produce.
Both smartwatches are lightweight and compact with long battery life. Both are also equipped to track your active life comprehensively.
However, in terms of fitness tracking, Versa 3 is a better smartwatch than Versa 2. It has an inbuilt GPS which for me is a must for a fitness smartwatch. Versa 3 also has a better interface and slightly longer battery life. And if I must add, it has a loudspeaker that lets you answer calls which you can continue on your phone.
On the flip side, Versa 2 is a very nice smartwatch that offers multiple days of battery life. You can add personal music that you can enjoy with a paired Bluetooth headphone which isn’t possible on Versa 3, and with a physical button, you can easily navigate unlike the frustrating haptic button of Versa 3. It’s unfortunate it lacks inbuilt GPS.
Should You Upgrade?
If you workout outdoors and want inbuilt GPS, then it’s worth upgrading to Versa 3. Otherwise, there’s nothing much on Versa 3, Versa 2 for me is an interesting smartwatch.
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[content-egg module=AE__amazoncom]Hi! I’m Jude, the chief editor at Smartwatchseries.com
I’m a graduate of biochemistry, a 3D artist and a passionate fitness enthusiast. On here, I and other smartwatch fans work hard to help you find the right smartwatch for you with our guides, reviews, and comparisons.
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