When the Fitbit Versa 4 was announced, I was eager to test it. Finally, a Fitbit Versa 4 smartwatch that is dedicated to fitness! Even though there have been Fitbits with a sportier profile in the past, such as the Ionic, I was happy that Fitbit finally included the Versa series in its product line, especially after the launch of the Sense. The Versa and Sense are for fitness tracking. Perfect.
The bad news began to come. The Fitbit Smartwatch Sense 2 and Versa 4 don’t have WiFi so music can’t be stored or controlled from your wrist. They do not support third-party applications. They are missing certain features at launch. The Versa 4 does not have heart rate tracking. I was shocked, but wanted to know if the Fitbit Versa 4 is worthy of being included in the top Fitbits. It is it any better than the Fitness Versa 3.
I weighed my options and strapped the Fitbit to my wrist. After testing the Fitbit for a few weeks, I was able to confirm that it is a mixed bag. It retains many of the same charms as its predecessor but lacks essential features and does not deliver on the fitness front. Is it worth getting one? Let’s see.
FITBIT VERSA4 REVIEW – PRICE & AVAILABILITY
The Fitbit Versa 4 was officially announced in August 2022. It is now available for purchase from Fitbit US, Fitbit UK (opens new tab), and Fitbit Australia (opens new tab). A recommended retail price is $230/PS200/AU$380. The Fitbit Versa 4 is available in three color options: Black / Graphite Aluminium; Waterfall Blue / Platinum Aluminium; Pink Sand / Copper Rose Aluminium and Beet Juice / Copper Rose Aluminium.
The Fitbit Versa 3 can be purchased for a lot less than the Versa 2. This watch is half of its RRP, so it’s quite affordable. The Versa 2 smartwatch is much less expensive than the Fitbit Versa 3. However, it’s still a good idea to purchase one. See the latest deals in our best Fitbit offers roundup.
FITBIT VERSA4 REVIEW – BUILDQUALITY
Except for the replacement of the capacitive button on the previous model, the Fitbit Versa 4 is almost identical to its predecessor. The Versa 4 features a lightweight aluminium and polycarbonate body, a decent-sized AMOLED display screen and a silicone Infinity Loop band. Unfortunately, the website doesn’t provide information such as display resolution/size or lens material. The Fitbit Versa 4 can be submerged up to 50m (5 ATM).
It feels great on the wrist and was comfortable to wear all day. The Versa 4’s rounded corners and soft colour add a touch of class. It’s not as elegant as the Scanwatch Horizon or Montblanc Summit 3 but it’s much more affordable. It is high quality and affordable, making it instantly recognisable by Fitbit users.
FITBIT VERSA4 REVIEW – USER INTERFACE
The Fitbit Versa 4’s new interface is simple to use and understand. Swiping from the watch face lets you view the tiles with all stats. Swiping up or down reveals the notifications and swiping to the quick-access menu. From left to right, the tiles show Steps taken, Today’s summary, Heart beat, Sleep, Timer and Exercise.
To return to the watch face, press the button on any tile. The main menu is displayed when you press the button on the watch face. The button menu will show you the Alarms and Amazon Alexa as well as Fitbit Pay, Relax (breathing rater), and many other features that are also available on tiles such Weather, Exercise, Weather, etc. It’s easy to use, especially if Fitbits have been used before.
FITBIT VERSA4 REVIEW – FEATURES
The Fitbit Versa 4’s features are almost identical to its predecessor, except for the aforementioned excluded features. The Versa 4 has an optical heart rate sensor with a multi-path that measures oxygen saturation (SpO2) and skin temperature variation (variation only, only visible in Fitbit App), as well as a GPS.
The Fitbit Versa 4 also has smart features such as a speaker and microphone, NFC so that you can use it to pay in shops (via FitbitPay); it can track your workouts and monitor your sleep. Amazon Alexa support is also available (hence, the microphone and speaker), as well as alarms, timers, and smart notifications. Although it has a good mix of smart features, you will miss some important features that Fitbit users like, such as music playback or alarms, this is a decent combination.
FITBIT VERSA4 REVIEW – ACTIVITY TRACKING
The Versa 4 Fitbit’s most popular workout watch comes with more than 40 sport modes, including the most loved (e.g. walking, running, cycling, swimming, etc.) There are also some less-popular, but still very useful, modes such as core training, dancing and kayaking.
The Fitbit Versa 4 is a sporty smartwatch. There are some issues. The sensor and algorithm work the same way as other Fitbit smartwatches. They are designed to track daily activities, sleep, and not sports. The algorithm will correct spikes in heart beat, assuming that the anomaly was caused by the watch not being properly positioned on your wrist. This is great for when it happens but not when you are doing interval training or HIIT.
The multi-path sensor’s accuracy is another issue. The multi-path sensor’s accuracy is not perfect. This causes resting heart rate to be reported as higher than it really is. It’s all fine. Or, more accurately, it would be fine if the Fitbit Versa 4 was not advertised as an exerciser’s best friend. It was easy to overlook GPS issues and heart rate sensor issues with the Fitbit Charge 5, since it’s a fitness tracker. The Fitbit Versa 4 is a smartwatch, so it should be able to do better. It should also have more processing power and features that will allow it to evaluate athletic performance better.
The Versa 4 is a smartwatch that can be used for fitness and not as a performance watch. Fitbit’s automatic workout recognition is excellent. The Active Zone Minutes system Fitbit uses to keep track of all activity towards the 150 minutes of vigorous exercise recommended by WHO is also excellent.
FITBIT VERSA4 REVIEW – BATTERY LIFETIME
Officially, the Fitbit Versa 4 boasts a “6+ day battery life”, which is the same as the Sense 2. This is far better than the Pixel Watch or even the best Apple Watch (at minimum the one with the highest battery power), the Apple Watch U. If you don’t look at the screen as much, the watch can last up to three or four days in practice.
You can get at most two days from the battery, even if you check every email/WhatsApp/weather update on the Fitbit Versa 4, as soon as they are available. This is the only thing that is strange – and this is why I keep going on about it – the Versa 4 still has the same battery life of its predecessor. It is a mystery.
FITBIT VERSA4 REVIEW – VERDICT
Versa 4, I’m not mad at you; I’m angry at you. You were supposed to clear up the confusion about which Fitbit smartwatch does .
The Versa 4 and Sense 2 were announced. We were told that the Versa 4 was a fitness watch and the Sense 2 was a health watch. Everything suddenly made sense. Fitbit had a clear path to its smartwatches and I was glad it did.
The Fitbit Versa 4 in real life is more Sense 2 Lite-oriented than a Versa 3. However, the Fitbit Versa 4 is more Sense 2 Lite than a sportier version of the Versa 3. It looks almost identical. It is not unique, which is why it is so frustrating to me. I want the Versa franchise be great.
It should be sporty and able to compete with other Garmin watches, such as the Garmin Venom 2 or the Garmin Forerunner 55 . It can’t at the moment, which is very disappointing. Fitbit is a trusted brand with strong communities. I hope Google doesn’t allow it to disappear just so they can launch new Google wearables. While I am concerned right now, I look forward to the Fitbit Versa 5. The Versa 4… This one I may put aside for now.
FITBIT VERSA4 REVIEW – CONSIDER ALSO
The Fitbit Inspire 3 is a more affordable option for tracking your activities passively. The Fitbit Inspire 3 is a vibrant fitness tracker that features a colour touchscreen display, updated sensors that monitor heart rate variability, sleep and temperature changes, as well as other metrics most fitness trackers should have, including heart rate, steps, calories burnt and heart rate.