Smartwatches are the reigning gadgets come September. Yesterday, Fitbit announced its new Versa 2, set to arrive on Sept. 15.
A new Apple Watch is rumored to arrive in September as well, and there's also Samsung releasing its new smartwatch two days before Fitbit's -- Sept. 13. What's exciting about the Fitbit Versa 2 though is it now has Alexa connectivity, a longer battery life, faster processor, and a better display.
To activate Amazon's Alexa voice assistant on the Versa 2, simply press and hold the single side button. Give your command and wait for the answer or action to appear on the screen. The thing is, you won't hear Alexa talking because the watch doesn't have a speaker. You'll get your answers by reading the assistant's text replies.
All variants of the Versa 2 comes with an aluminum casing and feature NFC, which together with Fitbit pay, will allow users to use their watch for contactless payments. Of course, swimming will get a whole lot better due to the watch's 50-meter water resistance and 24/7 heart rate tracking.
The Versa 2 has all the standard fitness tracking modes for cycling, running, yoga, and now, some sleep tracking modes. The new Sleep Score feature gives users enough idea of their sleep patterns according to one's heart rate.
The upcoming smartwatch has the Always-On Display, which is pretty neat considering most people would want a quick glance at the time, check for batteries, or one's workout progress.
Battery life is vastly improved. Fitbit claims that the Versa 2 can last 5 days on a single charge, which is one day more than the previous Versa. The Versa 2 comes with one button on the left side that you can program.
For $200, you will get a Versa 2 in mist grey, copper rose, or carbon, which is essentially black. There's also a special edition that's offered in mist grey or copper rose, but it costs $30 more than the standard version. But you get to have 90 days of Fitbit Premium and an additional wrist band.
What's Fitbit Premium, you ask? It's a new coaching service that's offered alongside the Versa 2. You can $80 for a year-worth of subscription or pay $10 a month if that's more convenient. Fitbit Premium offers specific guided plans for weight control, calorie intake, and workouts.
You can pre-order the Fitbit Versa 2 right now or wait for the device to hit the stores next month.
