Fitbit Launches 3 new fitness health trackers: Sense, Versa 3, Inspire 2

Last year we wondered if Fitbit would launch any more fitness and health tracking watches under its own brand after Google decided to buy it and if it did whether the new watches would have Google Assistant built-in.

It’s clear that at least for now the Fitbit brand is still alive as they have announced three new devices overnight: Sense, Versa 3 and Inspire 2 and yes the Sense and Versa 3 do have the option of Google Assistant or Alexa as your smart helper.

The Fitbit Sense is a new premium product line bumping Versa down into the mid range of Fitbit devices. The Sense features the world’s first electrodermal activity (EDA) sensor on a smartwatch to help manage stress, along with advanced heart rate tracking technology, new ECG app,2 and an on-wrist skin temperature sensor as well as all the Versa 3 features.

Versa 3 builds on last year’s model by adding GPS on board and the choice of Google Assistant or Alexa smart assistant.

Both Sense and Versa 3 have claimed 6+ day battery life while the new entry level Inspire 2 has a claimed longest ever Fitbit device 10+ day battery life.

The main big feature for Sense is a stress sensor. Considering there’s a global pandemic, worldwide economic depression and countless millions of people have lost their jobs as well as becoming sick I’m not sure we need a smartwatch to tell us that we’re stressed at the moment it’s pretty much a given.

That said the new EDA sensor on Fitbit Sense measures electrodermal activity responses. Using the EDA Scan app, place your palm over the face of the device to detect small electrical changes in the sweat level of your skin. Measuring your EDA responses can help you understand your body’s response to stressors and help you manage your stress.

You can do a quick EDA Scan session on device to see your responses, or pair it with guided mindfulness sessions in the Fitbit app to see how your body responds during meditation or relaxation. At the end of your session, you will see an EDA response graph on-device and in the mobile app to gauge your progress over time and reflect on how you feel emotionally.

Fitbit’s new Stress Management Score calculates how your body is responding to stress based on your heart rate, sleep and activity level data. Available with Fitbit Sense, it can be found in the new stress management tile in the Fitbit app. Ranging from 1-100, with a higher score indicating your body is showing fewer physical signs of stress, the score is coupled with recommendations to better manage stress, like breathing exercises and other mindfulness tools.

Fitbit Premium members will get a detailed breakdown on how the score is calculated, which consists of over 10 biometric inputs, including exertion balance (impact of activity), responsiveness (heart rate, heart rate variability and electrodermal activity from the EDA Scan app), and sleep patterns (sleep quality).

Specifications compared: Fitbit Sense, Versa 3, Inspire 2

Fitbit Sense, Fitbit Versa 3 and Fitbit Inspire 2 are available today for pre-order on Fitbit.com and online at select retailers including JB Hi-Fi, Harvey Norman, Amazon, Officeworks, The Good Guys, Bing Lee and Big W, with broad worldwide availability starting in late September.

Fitbit Sense is available for $499.95 in carbon/graphite stainless steel and lunar white/soft gold stainless steel.

Fitbit Versa 3 is available for $399.95 in black/black aluminium, pink clay/soft gold aluminium and midnight/soft gold aluminium.

Fitbit Inspire 2 is available for $179.95 in black, lunar white and desert rose.