Fitbit has introduced updates on Versa 4 And Sense 2 but they still lack certain features which make them a downgrade from their predecessors.
Fitbit has introduced Google Wallet to the two wearables. This is good news since only a limited number of banks support Fitbit Pay. Now you can choose to go with either Fitbit Pay or Google Pay depending on your bank.
The update introduced with the patch — version 1.184.52 if you want to check if you have it — are a couple of other welcome additions. You can use the built-in speaker and microphone to take calls on your wrist, and the screen can be turned off by covering it with your hand. That’s not only a battery saver but handy if you accidentally activate your watch in the dark of a movie theater.
These last two additions were already part of the original Fitbit Sense and Fitbit Versa 3. Despite this, there are still a number of ways the latest models are a downgrade from their predecessors which may or may not be fixed with future patches.
More Features Needed
Google Maps is one feature is coming “soon” according to Fitbit, much to the relief of users. Google Maps will be coming to the watches for turn-by-turn directions, which is a positive consequence of Google’s $2.1 billion purchase of Fitbit.
Third-party apps were never exactly Fitbit’s strong suit, but the new watches removed support for the App Gallery altogether.
The internal storage can no longer be filled with music — which means no running without your phone if you need a soundtrack. And you cannot use your watch to control media playback on your phone anymore either.
Worst of all, you can only use Alexa with the latest models given Google’s ownership, despite Google Assistant being included in the last generation.
These are little fixes that we were hoping would come with the updates but given their prices, they should have incorporated them from the start.
This raises the question: if they never reach full parity with the previous generations, are they even worth the money?
It comes down to individual choice, of course, but shoppers are better off with the older versions if they are looking for better deals and features.
