The Fitbit Versa 3 has a lot to offer. With SpO2 monitoring, a swim-proof build, and decent battery life, it’s got everything you need from a Fitbit. So is there really a need to upgrade your current tracker and invest in the new Fitbit Versa 4? What’s new? Which features have received an update? Are the differences significant enough to spend a couple hundred dollars buying a new device?
Whether you’re new to the world of Fitbit and considering buying the latest model or you already have the Versa 3 and are wondering if the Versa 4 is a worthy upgrade, we’ve got you covered. We have broken down the major differences between the Fitbit Versa 4 and Versa 3 to see just how much has changed and whether it’s worth upgrading.
At first glance, both the Versa 3 and Versa 4 look quite similar. You see the same broad, square, rounded-edges screen with an AMOLED display. But the major difference is the side button. The Versa 3 had a button-like touch panel on the side, while the Versa 4 has reintroduced the physical button. It’s also placed slightly higher, so it’s easier to access, but the rest of the look is almost identical. It’s also said to be slimmer and offers a better fit.
Since not much has changed hardware-wise, it’s hard to recommend you go and buy a new smartwatch for a mechanical button or a slimmer build. Going solely by hardware, we don’t think it’s a worthy upgrade. The Versa 4 wins this for the mechanical button and slimmer body, but it’s a slim win.
Here’s where you find the biggest changes. Fitbit has made some cool improvements to the software, giving you more bang for your buck. The Versa 3 had 20 exercise modes, but the Versa 4 has doubled it, offering 40 modes. You can track everything from CrossFit to HIIT, making it ideal for users who like to switch up their workout routines. Fitbit has also promised better Google integration with improved Maps and Google Pay features, so you can get directions straight on your wrist and go shopping with nothing but a small watch on you.
Other than that, Versa 4 shares most of its predecessor’s features. Both the Versa 3 and Versa 4 offer Active Zone Minutes, 24/7 heart rate monitoring, SpO2 tracking, vibrating alarm, Sleep Profile (a Fitbit Premium feature), readiness score, and a waterproof build. The Versa 4 is the easy winner here, as it has double the exercise modes and Google integrations.
Fitbit claims the Versa 4 offers a six-day battery life, which puts it on about par with what the Fitbit Versa 3 actually offered in real-life use. Both need two hours of charge time, but Fitbit has claimed you only need 12 minutes of charge time to get a full day of battery life for the Versa 4. This is better than many other smartwatches that only offer 24 hours to three-day battery lives, though it’s on the lower side for a standalone fitness tracker like the Fitbit Versa line. We’ll have to leave this down to our review to say for sure, but we suspect the Versa 4 will at least match the Versa 3’s week-long battery life. This is a tie.
The Fitbit Versa 3 is currently $154 on Amazon and comes in Midnight/Soft Gold Aluminum, Black/Black Aluminum, Pink Clay/Soft Gold, and Thistle/Soft Gold color options.
The Fitbit Versa 4 is currently available for pre-order from $230 on Fitbit and will come in black/Graphite Aluminum, Waterfall Blue/Platinum Aluminum, Pink Sand/Copper Rose Aluminum, and Beet Juice/Copper Rose Aluminum.
Both come with six months of free Fitbit Premium, but you have to pay about $10 a month after that if you want access to detailed insights. Fitbit is letting you buy one year of Premium with a two-year protection plan for just $42 (originally $125) if you buy it as an add-on with the Versa 4.
The Fitbit Versa 4 hasn’t changed much from the Versa 3, so it’s hard to justify spending another $200-plus on a new fitness tracker unless your old one is really falling apart. On the other hand, if you’re buying a new fitness tracker for the first time, the Versa 4 may be a good place to start.
If you love exercise tracking, the Versa 4 offers a great upgrade with twice the exercise modes, but other than that, everything else is the same. It has an upgraded operating system, and the body is slimmer with a mechanical button, so if those characteristics are important to you, the Versa 4 may be a worthy upgrade.
Overall, we feel if you really want to upgrade, go for another option with more features than buying the same device with only a couple of upgrades. If your old tracker is working well, it may be a better idea to hold on to the Versa 3 while something better comes up in the market.
The OnePlus Buds Clip are a new pair of open-ear earbuds built around a simple convenience. They join Sony’s LinkBuds Clip in the growing ear-cuff category, but either OnePlus bud can go on either ear.
Sensors recognize how the earbuds are being worn and route the audio channels accordingly. There’s no label to check before putting them on, and the feature also works when only one bud is used.
We buy fitness bands and activity trackers to keep tabs on our exercise, but it is easy to forget to start tracking or switch modes when moving between different activities. For Fitbit and Pixel Watch users, that could soon become a lot less annoying, as Google is rolling out a major upgrade to automatic activity tracking that can recognize more than 100 types of exercise, up from just 10 before.
Google first showed off the improved tracking earlier this month alongside the Fitbit Edge. It is now coming to Fitbit Air and the Pixel Watch 3, 4, and 5, and Google claims the added context behind the system makes workout detection nearly twice as accurate while cutting missed activities by more than half. Fitbit Edge will support it too.