Wait for the Pixel Watch

In the world of Fitbit, the Sense line is where the company puts everything it’s got. In 2020, the Fitbit Sense had every single health-tracking feature the company had launched up until that point. It also had a decent selection of smartwatch features that — after many notable software and feature upgrades — helped it become one of the best smartwatches you could get.

As one would expect, hopes are high for the Fitbit Sense 2, which finally landed in 2022. Does the new wearable from the Google-owned company stack up to its formidable predecessor? Let’s jump in and find out in Android Authority‘s Fitbit Sense 2 review.

• Fitbit Sense 2: $299 / £269 / €299

The Fitbit Sense 2 launched on August 24, 2022, roughly two years after the original Fitbit Sense. Fitbit is launching the Sense 2 at a fractionally lower price than its predecessor, though the original Sense quickly settled at a similar ~$300 price point now long after its release. The Sense 2 is, as of now, the highest-end Fitbit you can get. There isn’t a health-tracking feature that any other Fitbit has that doesn’t also appear on the Sense 2. Additionally, the Sense 2 has some features that don’t appear on any other Fitbit devices.

It does, however, launch at a strange time. The long-awaited Pixel Watch is mere weeks away at the time of this writing; a bonafide Google smartwatch that the search giant has confirmed will have, “deep integration with Fitbit.”

Aesthetically, the Sense 2 isn’t too different from the original. It’s slightly thinner and lighter but has the same display. The most notable design change is the addition of a physical button. This replaces the capacitive groove that appeared on the original Sense (as well as the Versa 3). The addition of the button is a welcome change, as the unreliable and finicky groove was one of the most-loathed aspects of the original model.

A new version of Fitbit OS debuts with the Sense 2. It is a wholly revamped version of the software with a much more Wear OS-like design. It includes the ability to track 20 additional exercises, including HIIT, rollerblading, kayaking, and more. However, outside of these new exercises, the core functionality of the new Fitbit OS is the same as the old Fitbit OS. Unfortunately, Fitbit confirmed that older Fitbit watches will not see this new software, which also means they won’t see the 20 new exercise modes.

The Sense 2 is the first device from Fitbit to support continuous electrodermal activity (cEDA) readings via its Body Response sensor. EDA readings are used for testing how stressed out you are at the moment. Previously, Fitbits with EDA support required you to manually create these readings. The Sense 2, however, uses cEDA readings to continuously monitor your stress levels throughout the day without you needing to stop and spot-check. However, spot checks are still available and Fitbit encourages continuing to use that system for gaining more data.

Outside of the EDA/cEDA sensor, all the other Fitbit tracking notables are here: Active Zone Minutes, step, heart rate, SpO2, sleep, and skin temperature. ECG readings are also available in supported countries, including the US and many regions across Europe. There are also more auto-tracked exercises so you’re less likely to lose valuable data if you forget to manually select your activity. Built-in GPS is still available and you can pay for things using just your wrist with the pre-installed Fitbit Pay. You can also receive phone calls through the Sense 2 and hear/respond to those calls right on the watch using its built-in microphone and speaker.

As with all Fitbits, all this data syncs with the Fitbit app on your phone. Fitbit Premium members get access to more in-depth data as well as a few other perks. The watch comes with six free months of Fitbit Premium for new and existing members.

The Fitbit Sense 2 comes in three color combinations: a Graphite Aluminum (dark gray) case with a Shadow Grey band, a Platinum Aluminum (silver) case with a Lunar White band, and a Soft Gold Aluminum (gold) case with a Blue Mist band. Although the colorways had different names, these are generally the same choices you had with the original Sense. You can buy it from Fitbit.com, the Google Store, Amazon, Best Buy, and many other third-party retailers.

Right off the bat, I love the design of the Fitbit Sense 2. Fitbit kept the device familiar for users of the original Sense while subtly refining things, such as making it thinner and lighter. However, the new button is what really makes the design a winner. If I never need to use a capacitive groove again, it will be too soon.

The button performs the same functionality as the groove. A quick tap takes you back to the home screen while a double tap can be customized to perform various shortcuts (launch an app, initiate a digital assistant voice command, etc.). A new function, however, is that a single tap while you’re on the home screen opens up an app selector. This gives you a list of all the apps on the watch so you can quickly launch what you need. It also throws your most-used apps to the top of the list for easy access.

The strap that comes with the Sense 2 is exactly the same as the one that came with the original Sense. Aside from the colors, there are no differences between the Sense 2 straps and the straps for the original Sense, the Versa 4, and the Versa 3. Swapping out straps is very easy. You just press the button, remove the strap, and then snap the new one in its place.

The Fitbit Sense 2’s display is also terrific. Although it’s basically the same display as the original, it’s one of those “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” situations. Even under the bright California sun, I could still very easily see the watch’s face.

As with the original Sense, the battery life of the Sense 2 is excellent. It has the same tiny 162mAh cell as its predecessor, but the Sense 2 milks that cell for everything it’s worth. I maxed-out all settings: vibrations set to high, the always-on display permanently on, cEDA tracking on, brightness all the way up, etc. I put the watch on with a 100% battery on Friday at 2:00 PM and was down to 9% of battery at 10:00 PM on Monday, which is about 3.5 days of battery life.

Fitbit advertises the Sense 2 as having “6+ days” of battery. I’m sure you could reach that if you turned all the settings down (especially the always-on cEDA tracking, which chews through battery life). However, even if you push everything to the limit, you’re going to get at least three days out of this watch, which is excellent for any smartwatch. It’s certainly better than any Wear OS watch we’ve seen to date.

Charging is fast as well. You can go from zero to full in around 80 minutes. Depending on your power usage settings, you could easily get a full day’s worth of juice with 15 minutes on the charger.

Fitbit also greatly enhanced its auto-tracking feature on the Sense 2 (and, consequently, the Versa 4). Previously, on devices like the original Sense, the Charge 5, and Versa 3, the exercise app would automatically open after a few minutes of the user running. This would allow you to track your run with GPS if you forgot to start it. On the Sense 2 and Versa 4, however, this now works with walks and bike rides, too.

Related: What’s the best fitness tracker?

This worked well in my experience, with the app notifying me that I was walking when I was, in fact, walking. However, it did mess up a bit when I was at a Rammstein concert. Because I was jumping up and down and stamping my feet repeatedly, it mistakenly tracked me as being on a bike ride for two hours, which I thought was pretty funny. This isn’t too big of a deal, though, as you can just delete mistakes like this from your fitness history. I’d much rather have the health data and not need it than want the health data and not have it.

Obviously, this eats up a bit of battery life. If you don’t like it, though, you can easily turn it off, which is a nice move by Fitbit.

The Fitbit Sense 2 will also auto-track a lot of other health metrics. Fitbit’s excellent sleep tracking is onboard (though Sleep Profiles are gated behind Fitbit Premium), as are automatic SpO2 readings, skin temperature readings, and more (check the specs table later in this review for all the sensors). These readings all happen in the background and automatically sync with the Fitbit app.

The Fitbit app is still terrific at listing out your metrics in easy-to-understand ways. Your skin temperature readings, for example, appear as a +/- number to give you a quick idea of how you’re faring compared to your baseline. If your readings are much higher than usual — say by one or two degrees Fahrenheit — it could be a sign that your body is fighting off some kind of sickness. Your sleep, steps, heart rate, exercise, and other metrics, including female health tracking, are similarly straightforward. There’s also a Community tab for anyone that wants to get chatting with fellow Fitbit users.

Although the company declined to give specifics, the Fitbit Sense 2 has an upgraded processor when compared to the original Sense. Combined with the new version of Fitbit OS, the UI is smoother, snappier, and more reliable.

Hitting the physical button instantly takes you to either the home screen or the app selector, depending on the circumstances. Swiping from one panel to another is smooth. Opening/closing apps, toggling settings, and scrolling through long pages all look and feel great. As a long-time Sense user, it is immediately apparent that this new processor has made a big difference.

As with the Fitbit Sense, the Sense 2 has onboard GPS. This means you can go out on a run without your smartphone and still get GPS data. However, I wouldn’t advise doing this if you want an accurate map.

As mentioned in the previous section, I did two rollerblade trips with the Sense 2. Here’s my GPS map from the first trip. The blue line is data from the Wahoo Tickr X chest strap while the purple line is data from the Fitbit Sense 2:

As you can see, the overall GPS trip data from the Sense 2 is very similar to the Tickr X data. However, when you dig down deep, you see the Sense 2 fails to be accurate. In the first problem example, you can see the purple line heading deep into the houses lining the street. In the second problem example, you can see that the tree cover in the park caused some major discrepancies between the two devices (the Tickr X is more closely aligned with what I actually did that day).

The second trip, unfortunately, was not much better:

Once again, the overall GPS data shows a decent-enough map. Once you zoom in, though, you find lots of issues. In the first problem example, you can see the Sense 2 recording me doing some kind of crazy loop inside someone’s house. It also failed to record me doing an actual loop while waiting to cross the road (you can see the blue loop near the street on the map). The park visit is even worse than the first time with the purple line not coming close to the blue line.

This data makes it hard to recommend the Sense 2 if truly accurate GPS tracking is important to you.

When the original Sense launched in 2020, Fitbit promised it would eventually support Google Assistant. This was a huge selling point, even if it was disappointing it wouldn’t be available out-of-the-box. About three months after launch, though, the company delivered on that promise. With the Sense, you can long-press the capacitive groove to launch a Google Assistant voice command prompt. With that open, you can control your smart home, create calendar reminders, open/close apps on the Sense, send a text, start a timer on the Sense, and much more.

Curiously, this is not the case with the Sense 2. Google Assistant isn’t supported out-of-the-box, and Fitbit told us there are no plans to support it at this time.

To be blunt, this is a huge and disappointing downgrade. Google Assistant access is what has set recent Fitbit watches apart from the competition. Assistant simply isn’t available on any smartwatches outside of the Wear OS ecosystem — except for Fitbits. Given the fact that Fitbit is owned by Google, the omission of Assistant is even more confusing.

Regardless of the reasoning, the Fitbit Sense 2 is objectively a much weaker product than the Fitbit Sense (or even the Versa 3) without Google Assistant. However, do note that Amazon Alexa support is available. This is hardly an adequate replacement, though, when you consider that Fitbit’s services are becoming more and more integrated with Google’s.

The omission of Google Assistant is a head-scratcher, for sure, but the omission of Wi-Fi support on the Sense 2 is completely bonkers. To be clear, when I say “Wi-Fi support” I mean that literally. By Fitbit’s own admission, the hardware needed for Wi-Fi connections is inside the Sense 2, but the software does not allow you to use it. In other words, Fitbit could very easily make the Sense 2 Wi-Fi-capable. It has chosen not to do so.

The lack of Wi-Fi support on the Sense 2 makes it, once again, objectively inferior to the original Sense. Wi-Fi support makes updating the watch faster since you don’t need to transfer data from your phone to the watch via Bluetooth.

Thankfully, the watch still syncs well with the Fitbit app, so you don’t need to worry there — that has always used Bluetooth. You also don’t need it for music storage, but that’s only because the Fitbit Sense 2 doesn’t support music storage at all.

The Fitbit ecosystem has never been well-regarded for its app gallery. Compared to the Apple Watch and Wear OS watches, the Fitbit app gallery has always been fairly anemic.

That being said, the original Fitbit Sense had access to a few heavy hitters. Several music apps are available, including Spotify, Deezer, and Pandora. There’s a Starbucks app that allows you to easily pay for your tea using your Starbucks Reward account. There’s even a rudimentary maps app that gets the job done in a pinch.

The Fitbit Sense 2 does not have any of these apps. In fact, it has exactly zero third-party apps. As of right now, every app available for the Sense 2 is pre-installed, and it’s an incredibly basic list:

We asked Fitbit if there are any plans to bring third-party apps to the Sense 2. It told us, “we will only have first-party tiles available on [the Sense 2] at this time.” That doesn’t guarantee other apps won’t ever be available, but it certainly sounds like they won’t. That means that, unless Fitbit makes it happen, there is no way to listen to or even control music through the Sense 2. Over the years, music controls have become a fundamental aspect of a smartwatch, and for the Sense 2 not to have them is, frankly, ridiculous.

Fitbit also got fans pretty excited when it announced that both Google Maps and Google Wallet would be coming to the Sense 2. However, these apps are not supported yet and Fitbit has not given a firm commitment on when they will land.

The Fitbit Sense 2, like the Sense, can ping you when you get smartphone notifications. This is terrific for certain situations, such as driving. It’s a lot safer to quickly glance at your watch when a text message comes in as compared to fumbling with your phone.

However, the new Fitbit OS changes how notifications land. When I received texts through Google Messages, for example, the alert first shows some basic details of the notification. Then, it fades away to reveal another notification that has the exact same information as well as the message itself. You can see this in the gallery above.

During my time using the Sense 2, I found myself getting a notification vibration on the watch, lifting my wrist to see it, and then simply holding there like an idiot waiting for the second half of the notification to show. This setup is not user-friendly at all. I can only hope that Fitbit removes this in a future update for the new Fitbit OS.

We’ve had numerous arguments here at Android Authority about what makes a smartwatch different from a fitness tracker. You probably have your own definition. However, for my money, the Fitbit Sense was a smartwatch through and through. It had Wi-Fi connectivity, a small-but-decent app store, Google Assistant support, the ability to receive phone calls, and a lot more.

Unfortunately, I don’t know if I would say the same thing about the Fitbit Sense 2. Because of how many features Fitbit has removed, it seems to have become a glorified fitness tracker with a few smarts tossed in to help justify the inflated price.

Even if we ignore the smartwatch/fitness tracker debate, the Sense 2 is in a weird position where for every positive there’s a saddening negative. It has pretty much every fitness-tracking feature on the market but the built-in GPS fared poorly in our testing. The battery life is great but there are no third-party apps to make use of that impressive endurance. It’s thinner and lighter than the first-generation model but despite having the hardware, there’s no Wi-Fi support. For everything Fitbit refined or introduced with the Sense 2, it took something away from the original Sense.

All this makes the Sense 2 a sequel that actually offers less value than its two-year-old predecessor. When you see what the original Sense can do and compare it to this new model, you can’t help but question why anyone would get the 2022 device over the 2020 version. Yes, the new cEDA feature is cool and exclusive to the Sense 2, but the original Sense has every other health-tracking feature found in the Sense 2. Is there really a buyer out there who would prize cEDA over Google Assistant and third-party apps? Is there really a buyer who would look at the original Sense that goes on sale for ~$200 and think paying an extra $100 for the Sense 2 would be worth it?

The Sense 2 also has some formidable competition. The Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 ($279.99 at Samsung) has plenty of health features, a robust app library, Google Assistant, and a classy, durable design, all for $20 less. You won’t get the cEDA sensor and the battery life is nowhere near as impressive, but you’ll get an actual smartwatch. Likewise, the Garmin Venu Sq 2 ($249.99 at Garmin) is a bonafide smartwatch with some terrific health features (especially for runners). Even if you splurge on the Venu Sq 2 Music Edition, you’re still at the same $299 price of the Sense 2. Finally, the Apple Watch SE 2 ($249 at Best Buy) misses out on some advanced sensors, but is otherwise the perfect entry point for iPhone users.

Don’t forget that just buying a Sense 2 doesn’t unlock its full potential. To get everything out of it, you will want to have Fitbit Premium, which costs $9.99 each month. You get six months free with your purchase of a Sense 2, but if you want access to all the fitness training and meditation videos, the deep dive data for your Daily Readiness Score and Wellness Report, gamified fitness challenges, recipes and nutrition advice, Sleep Profiles, and even more, you’ll need to pay up eventually. Remember that you don’t need Fitbit Premium, as the watch will work fine without a subscription, but this is nevertheless something to keep in mind as you mull over your purchase.

Fitbit has taken a wearable that grew into being one of the better smartwatches on the market, stripped out many of its smarts, and turned it into an overpriced fitness tracker. I’m sure it will have an audience among die-hard Fitbit fans that want a smartwatch form factor with every possible new tracking metric, but it’s a hard sell when the cheaper Versa 4 ($169.95 at Fitbit)  exists with an identical design and feature set (albeit with many of the same caveats), for $70 less. The only thing you really lose are ECG, EDA, and cEDA readings.

But those that want a true flagship Fitbit will likely need to look to Pixel Watch for the true “sequel” to the Fitbit Sense — because the Sense 2 ain’t it.