The world of wearables is becoming wider and deciding on one or the other is increasingly difficult. With all companies releasing their own so-called smartwatches, the consumer has to search a great deal of information if he wants to find the best device for him. At AndroidTR we want to make it easier for you with a complete review of the Fitbit Sense, with what really matters, the user experience.
Fitbit Sense.
The Fitbit Sense is the top of the line in the Fitbit family today. Its main characteristic is the presence of specific sensors that make it self-define as an “advanced health smartwatch”. Leaving aside the data on paper, we are going to see point by point what the experience with this device is like.
Autonomy.
Depending on what functions we use, we can lengthen or shorten the autonomy of the device. In our case, setting alarms, with the screen always on deactivated and using the GPS for one hour a day, the experience is around three or four days of use. Factors such as having Bluetooth always activated or the number of notifications that reach our phone can affect this data.
If we put it against its direct competition, be it the Samsung Galaxy Watch (2 days of autonomy) or the Zepp watches (more than a week of autonomy), it offers an intermediate experience. It should be noted that the greater the number of functions/benefits, the lower the autonomy.
Experience with GPS.
While some users report problems with the GPS, especially in the early versions of the software, our experience has been normal on one of these devices. It does not have millimeter precision and the lines are not quite straight but the worst results, like the rest of the gadgets with GPS, we find when being near buildings where the signal is not clear enough. If you do sports in a clear area you will not have too many problems.
Fitbit Premium.
If you have looked for any of the Fitbit Sense functions at some point you will have come across “Fitbit Premium”. The truth is that while Samsung companies simply sell their gadgets, Fitbit tries to sell additional functions through a subscription, something that we also find in Zepp.
What Fitbit Premium offers are workouts and additional information on the measurements recorded by the watch. It is possible that at the user level who is only looking for a smartwatch to go for a walk, this additional subscription does not benefit him at all, however, the truth is that it is quite irritating to have to pay for a gadget and then pay month by month to be able to squeeze its functions. Unfortunately, it is a trend that Amazon has also signed up for and it seems to be here to stay.
The good news in this regard is that by buying the watch we will have the opportunity to try Fitbit Premium for free for months and that the payment method is Google Play subscriptions, that is, we will not have to give Fitbit our credit card.
Negative points for not buying the Fitbit Sense.
- First of all, we find the apps and personalization. Although Fitbit Sense can indeed install third-party apps, the truth is that the offer is very limited. As for customization, a large part of the spheres is paid and the platform does not contemplate this option. The way to buy one of these spheres from third parties is to purchase through PayPal so that you provide us with a code that we can use in our Fitbit, which makes it unsafe and a great annoyance for the user.
- The experience that gadgets offer at the moment is linked to autonomy. The user interface of the Fitbit Sense does not seem to be as fluid as we would like, being able to say that the user experience is close to that of a Xiaomi Mi Band but with many more functions.
- The side button is haptic and we will have to find the point to use it. Simply touching it is not always enough.
- The stress measurement and EDA scanner are quite inaccurate. The stress measurement is modified by just moving a finger slightly, causing false results.
- SPO2 measurement is done only at night using a special (free) Fitbit watch face. You will not be able to take measurements during the day. You will also have to wear it several nights for it to work.
- The measurement of skin temperature is carried out similarly to the measurement of SPO2, that is, only at night and without our being able to intervene in it.
- Its strap system is proprietary.
- It does not use wireless charging.
Positive points to buy the Fitbit Sense.
- If you want some autonomy and sensors, you may find the Fitbit Sense as the best option.
- Although Fitbit Sense has a new price (On the Fitbit website) of € 299.95, the truth is that it is easy to find it in second-hand stores for less than € 200.
- You can have Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant (Although not both at the same time) at your wrist and listen to the responses from the speaker of the watch.
Conclusions.
The Fitbit Sense is designed for those users who want to have a quantity of information at their fingertips and who do not mind paying a little more, regardless of the versatility that WearOS offers. If you are looking for an affordable device and you don’t mind losing features like ECG, Zepp may be a better purchase option for you.
Design and construction – 85%
Yield – 65%
Battery – 75%
Software – 50%
Sensors – 95%
Price – 50%
70%
Smartwach premium with ECG
A smartwatch with many sensors that still cannot be used as we would like.