Fitbit Announces Versa 2 Smartwatch With Alexa

Fitbit scooped up the remains of fan-favorite smartwatch maker Pebble several years ago, using that expertise to launch its own line of smartwatches. The Ionic came first, and then the smaller, cheaper Versa. Now, Fitbit is back with a second-gen smartwatch, a followup to the Versa predictably called Versa 2. The design is cleaner and more refined, and there’s support for voice commands via Amazon Alexa. It’ll also support Fitbit’s new paid subscription fitness service.

The Ionic and Versa both focused on fitness and health tracking functionality, as you’d expect from a company like Fitbit. However, they brought some enhanced features that set them apart from the company’s watch-like fitness trackers including apps, custom clock faces, and smartphone notification management.

Instead of the shortcut buttons, the right edge of the Versa 2 has a microphone. You can launch Alexa on the watch by pressing and holding the remaining side button. After linking your Alexa profile, you can get basic search results, control smart home devices, manage timers, and more. However, you won’t hear Alexa reply to your commands — the Versa 2 doesn’t have a speaker. That would have made it harder to water-proof. With the new microphone, the watch maintains its 50m submersion rating.

All versions of the Versa 2 will have NFC for Fitbit Pay; only special edition versions of the original Versa had that. It will also support Fitbit’s new Sleep Score feature, which uses your activity throughout the day to determine how much sleep you need. It’s sort of like grading your sleep on a curve. However, the watch still lacks GPS, just like the previous Versa.

The Versa 2 is available for pre-order today, starting at $200. That might be just a drop in the bucket if you also buy into Fitbit’s new monthly service. The Fitbit Premium service costs $10 per month and launches in 2020. Fitbit Premium features personalized health coaching, one-on-one training guidance, premium challenges, and more. If you buy the $230 special edition Versa 2, it comes with a 90-day trial of Fitbit Premium.

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