Google Pixel Watch vs Fitbit Sense 2: Which should you buy?

Whether Google admits it or not, the Pixel Watch is ostensibly this year’s Fitbit flagship. The watch comes toting Fitbit’s health and fitness features, albeit wrapped up in a stylish Wear OS cocoon. So how does the Fitbit Sense 2 fare against in-house competition? Read on for our Google Pixel Watch vs Fitbit Sense 2 comparison.

Fitbit’s smartwatches will be familiar to most at this point. Since the first Versa launched in the late 2010s, the company has used a squared design akin to the Apple Watch. The Sense 2 is no exception to this rule, but does feel decidedly modern. Perhaps it’s the fetching ECG ring around the screen. Either way, it’s Fitbit’s most attractive smartwatch yet.

Making a welcome return is a physical button mounted on the Sense 2’s left-hand side, replacing the unreliable touch groove on the original Sense. It’s also positioned slightly higher up the body, making it a little easier to spot and press. There are no rotating crowns or smart bezels here. Honestly, the Fitbit Sense 2’s UI doesn’t require either, and we appreciate the simplicity.

The Sense 2 is also lighter and thinner than its predecessor, shedding pounds from your wrist and making overall wear more comfortable. And thankfully, older Fitbit bands from the Versa 3 and original Sense will fasten to the new watch without fuss. We love backward compatibility like this, and so will those with a sizeable band collection.

What about the Google Pixel Watch? Honestly, it’s not too shabby itself. Its circular, shiny pebble-like design makes it one of the most distinctive smartwatches on the market today. You might not like its sizeable bezels or the way round displays cut off the edge of menu items, but from afar, it’s a good-looking device. It, too, relies on a physical button on its right-hand flank lurking above a rotating crown. This little addition should make navigating Wear OS a breeze and adds classic watch appeal to the package.

Google made a particularly curious decision regarding watch straps. Unlike Samsung, Garmin, and Apple, which use standardized bands, the Pixel Watch relies on a proprietary design. You won’t be able to use your extensive strap collection with this watch. You’ll have to go through Google for more bands.

Overall, the Fitbit Sense 2 and Google Pixel Watch are alluring in distinct ways. Whether you like a square or round screen will likely be a key determining factor in your buying decision.

Let’s look at raw specs first. Fitbit Sense 2 users gain a larger 1.58-inch AMOLED screen that’s deep and clear. It’s housed in an IPX8-rated body that’s water resistant up to 50 meters. The Pixel Watch packs a smaller screen but also employs AMOLED technology. Google claims a brightness of up to 1,000 nits, so it should be as legible outside as the Fitbit Sense line. It is also water resistant up to 50 meters, and it packs 32GB of storage for music and other files. The Fitbit Sense 2 does not include onboard music storage facilities. That’s a big win for the Pixel Watch.

For those who must have LTE connectivity, the Pixel Watch is the only watch that’ll sate your appetite. You’ll also get on-wrist calls alongside emergency SOS and emergency international calling features. Google’s also planning to introduce fall detection to the Pixel Watch this winter, something all Fitbit devices lack.

Now for fitness features. We billed the original Fitbit Sense as a feature-packed smartwatch loaded with sensors to augment health tracking. Its sequel lives up to these expectations, packing the same ECG, SpO2, and heart rate tracking smarts as before. Interestingly, it makes some advancements to stress tracking. It now includes a Body Response sensor that continuously samples the wearer’s electrodermal activity and gauges stress level. It’s an intriguing addition but does chew through battery life.

The Pixel Watch lacks health features compared to its Fitbit rival. You won’t find any stress tracking sensor or body temperature monitor onboard, but you will get the same capabilities as the Sense 2 minus stress monitoring smarts. This combo should suffice for most mildly active users, but it’s nothing special. The Sense 2 remains the better fitness product.

Both watches include Fitbit Premium trials, allowing access to more meaningful health stats and guided workouts. Be aware that the trial lasts only six months on both devices, after which you’ll have to pay $9.99 monthly to continue access.

The Fitbit Sense also gains some Wear OS-inspired design additions, including tiles, bolder fonts, and brighter icons. You’ll still have to contend with Fitbit OS and its limitations. You won’t find the array of apps on the Fitbit Sense 2 that you would on the Wear OS-powered Pixel Watch. That’s true for third-party apps and Google-made services.

Speaking of the latter, while Fitbit does promise Google Maps and Google Wallet support on the Fitbit Sense, the features have yet to arrive on the watch. Additionally, its predecessor packed Google Assistant support as one of its big-ticket features, but it’s nowhere to be found on the Sense 2. Google claims it has no plans to support Assistant on the watch, a huge miss for those upgrading to the Sense 2 from older Fitbit products.

As for the Pixel Watch, Wear OS gives it access to a broad list of third-party apps, making it a more useful smartwatch. You’re also getting Google support and services, from the new Google Home app and Google Maps support to Find My Phone smarts. For those who rely on Google apps daily, the Pixel Watch is the no-brainer option of the two.

More reading: The Pixel Watch is the reason your new Fitbit smartwatch is dumber

• Google Pixel Watch (Wi-Fi): $349 / €379
• Google Pixel Watch (LTE): $399 / €429
• Fitbit Sense 2: $299 / £269 / €299

The Fitbit Sense 2 is available in a single guise, but buyers can choose from an array of body finishes and band colors. Shadow Grey, Lunar White, and Blue Mist are the bands on offer alongside Graphite, Platinum, and Soft Gold case shades.

Pricing is pegged at $299 for the Fitbit Sense 2, shading its predecessor’s launch price. It’s still substantially cheaper than the Pixel Watch, but it’s a less appealing proposition than its now more affordable and smarter predecessor.

The Pixel Watch is available with LTE or in a Wi-Fi-only variant. The former is priced at $399, putting it some $100 beyond the Fitbit Sense 2. The cheaper Wi-Fi-only model comes in at $349. Case colors include Matte Black, Polished Silver, and Champagne Gold, with bands landing in Obsidian, Charcoal, Chalk, Lemongrass, and Hazel. Additional woven, stretch, and leather bands will also be on offer as premium accessories.

Notably, Google’s planning a limited rollout for the Pixel Watch, but it will see official availability in Australia, Canada, the EU, Japan, Taiwan, the United States, and the UK.

Interestingly, both Fitbit and Google watches are markedly more expensive than direct competition from Samsung and in some cases, Garmin and Apple. This makes the Pixel Watch and Fitbit Sense 2 tough to recommend in the smartwatch space.

Realistically? You shouldn’t buy either watch. The Fitbit Sense 2 has flaws that its new fitness features can’t outweigh. The Google Pixel Watch, although the latest flavor in the smartwatch world, isn’t quite the value proposition we were hoping it would be. Yes, it has the best loadout of Google services and apps for your wrist with Fitbit’s health tracking smarts playing support. Still, its meager battery life promise, outdated chipset, and lofty price make it far less attractive than the Samsung Galaxy Watch line.

If you were forced to pick between the Fitbit Sense 2 and the Google Pixel Watch, you’d need to ask yourself what you want from a smartwatch.

The Fitbit Sense 2 has more advanced health tracking features, with continuous stress monitoring, skin temperature and heart rate monitoring, and a built-in ECG. This part of the Fitbit experience is tried and trusted, too, while Google’s implementation of Fitbit will still require some thorough testing. On paper, the Sense 2 is the better fitness watch.

However, if you’re interested in a smartwatch for the “smart” aspect, the Google Pixel Watch should be your first choice. With its deep Google service integration, ability to store and play music offline, LTE connectivity, and built-in Google Assistant smarts, it’s the sensible option.

Read more: Google Pixel Watch vs Samsung Galaxy Watch lineup

Which smartwatch do you think wins between the Google Pixel Watch and the Fitbit Sense 2? And which are you more likely to buy? Be sure to let us know in the poll below.