Fitbit's potential Apple Watch 'killer' leaks out alongside the Versa 3 and Inspire 2
Although it remains unclear exactly what Google might be planning to do with Fitbit's brand, software, and hardware if the acquisition announced almost a year ago ultimately goes through, the US-based wearable market veteran is unsurprisingly working on something new while waiting for the regulatory uncertainty to clear.
Specifically, Fitbit appears to be preparing at least three new devices, two of which are likely to sound and look familiar to anyone who's been keeping a close watch on the thriving industry in the last few years.
That makes the third upcoming product leaked today by WinFuture's Roland Quandt (translated here) arguably the most exciting of the bunch, so without further ado, let's dig into what we know and especially don't know about the Fitbit Sense.
A serious alternative to the Apple Watch Series 6 and Samsung Galaxy Watch 3?
As much as we like Fitbit's best-selling activity trackers and... respect the company's moderately successful smartwatches, we have to admit we've never considered the Versa and Versa 2 direct rivals for the high-end Apple Watch and Samsung Galaxy Watch lineups.
But that's just where the Fitbit Sense might come in, although it's a little premature to try to anticipate the price bracket or target audience of this bad boy, especially with no specifications on hand. While the design language seems somewhat familiar at first glance, a metallic frame will undoubtedly help set the Sense apart from both the existing Versa 2 and the unreleased Versa 3.
Other interesting details easily noticeable in today's leaked high-quality renders include a missing side button and a heart icon on the back of this premium smartwatch. This could signal the presence of a heart rate monitor, which would be nothing special in today's smartwatch landscape, or more likely, hint at ECG technology integration.
That's not etched in stone yet, mind you, but if it pans out, it could bring Fitbit on par with Apple and Samsung in a very important field. Of course, there's always the FDA approval question, which took Samsung a long time to solve.
Otherwise, there's really not much to say about the Fitbit Sense right now. The potentially high-end smartwatch looks relatively stylish... by the company's standards, with smoothly rounded edges and what seems like a large and sharp touchscreen with pretty thick bezels in tow.
Two presumably modest upgrades
Knowing how Fitbit usually operates, it was never wise to expect a lot from the Versa 3 and Inspire 2 in terms of major improvements over their forerunners. Granted, it's not fair to judge this smartwatch and fitness band by appearances only, but at least until we hear more about their specs and features, we'll assume they're largely similar to what the Versa 2 and Inspire family have going for them.
That includes an impressive battery life of more than six days, 24/7 heart rate monitoring, in-depth sleep tracking, menstrual health tracking, a swimproof design, and a "hi-res" color display as far as the Fitbit Versa 2 is concerned.
The fact that the Versa 2 already comes with a built-in heart rate monitor, by the way, is why we expect the Fitbit Sense to take health tracking to the next level with Apple Watch-rivaling ECG capabilities. Meanwhile, there's a very good chance the Fitbit Versa 3 and Sense will come with standalone GPS functionality, joining pretty much every half-decent smartwatch on the market, as well as the Charge 4 fitness tracker.
Just like its arguably more premium cousin, the Versa 3 looks set to ditch the traditional single side-mounted button in favor of what we presume will be a touch-sensitive surface of sorts.
As far as the Inspire 2 goes, all we can say right now is that it looks a lot like its predecessor, with a curved screen and chunky body undoubtedly capable of ticking all the basic activity tracking boxes, including notifications and an amazing battery life.
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