In the increasingly competitive market of premium health smartwatches, Fitbit remains a dominant leader. In 2020, they broke boundaries with the launch of their most advanced wearable yet – the Fitbit Sense. Packed with sensors and technology never before seen in a Fitbit device, it firmly positioned them to compete with the likes of Apple.
Now in 2022, we have the next iteration – the Fitbit Sense 2. This second generation smartwatch retains everything that made the original Sense such a hit. But with some subtle refinements like a slimmed-down design and the addition of continuous stress tracking.
For those considering a upgrade, the Sense 2 begs the question: is this refreshed model worth the higher price tag over its impressive predecessor?
To answer that, we‘ll analyze how the Sense 2 compares to the original across all the key categories – from detailed technical specifications to real-world performance and value. Read on for the definitive guide to choosing between these two fantastic smartwatches!
Fitbit Sense Line Overview: Advanced Health Tracking and Monitoring
The Sense and Sense 2 represent Fitbit‘s push into advanced health analytics within a stylish, smart wearable device. Building on years of activity and fitness tracking, these watches incorporate medical-grade sensors to provide users (and healthcare providers) with deep insights into vital health and wellness data.
This includes the ability to:
- Passively monitor heart rate 24/7
- Scan for signs of atrial fibrillation via ECG
- Track blood oxygen saturation levels
- Monitor skin temperature changes
- Analyze sleep duration and quality
- Detect and manage stress via EDA monitoring
- Log workouts automatically by wear location, motion and intensity
In addition to health stats, the Sense line provides smart notifications from your phone, contactless payments, voice control and access to apps like maps, weather and music.
With their sophisticated sensors and tracking features, the Sense series cater to:
- Health and fitness enthusiasts looking to up their self-quantification game
- Anyone focused on better managing their overall health, wellness and prevention
- People managing chronic conditions like heart disease that require robust vitals monitoring
- Athletes needing deeper performance optimization metrics to improve training
Now let‘s dive into the details behind the flagship Sense 2 – how does it size up to the still-capable original Sense?
Dimensional and Design Comparison
While both watches share a similar aesthetic, the Sense 2‘s dimensions have been refined for a slimmer, lighter and ultimately more comfortable fit.
Physical Dimensions
| Dimension | Sense 2 | Original Sense |
|---|---|---|
| Height | 38mm | 40mm |
| Width | 38mm | 40mm |
| Depth | 11.4mm | 12mm |
| Weight | 27g | 32g |
The few millimeters shaved off the height, width and depth might not seem substantial on paper. But combined they do add up to a more compact watch face and far less bulk sticking off your wrist.
Over long term wear, consumers overwhelmingly prefer smaller, lighter devices for comfort. So the Sense 2‘s tweaked sizing plays right into current market demands.
Durability and Materials
The trade off for the slimmer Sense 2 is a move from stainless steel to an anodized aluminum alloy body. Aluminum allows for the thinner design but dents and damages easier over time. It also can show signs of wear from skin oils and the elements.
By comparison, the original Sense‘s stainless steel casing can better withstand incidental bumps and bangs. It also retains its pristine appearance even after prolonged use.
So while not as rugged, the Sense 2‘s lightweight aluminum does enable a more comfortable fit. And weighs less on your wrist for all day use.
Verdict: The Sense 2‘s more compact dimensions have a noticeably more comfortable and contoured fit. But the drop from stainless steel to aluminum is a definite downgrade in long term durability.
Display Technology and Clarity
A bright, vibrant display is critical for both text legibility and stylish aesthetics. Both models incorporate excellent AMOLED screens but with minor differences.
Display Dimensions – At 1.58”, both feature the same sized high resolution display panel. The Sense 2 manages to slightly reduce the surrounding screen bezel.
Resolution – With 336 x 336 pixels on a 1.58” screen, you get a pixel density of around 300 PPI (pixels per inch). This creates clear, crisp graphics and texts that rival many smartphone screens.
Brightness – Peak brightness hits 1000 nits on both models. For reference most smartphones top out under 700 nits. So reading the display in direct sunlight is very achievable.
Thanks to nearly identical screen specs, you can expect beautiful colors, perfect blacks and great visibility even outdoors. The only noticeable difference is slightly more available display area with the Sense 2‘s thinner bezels.
Verdict: With minimal display changes, both devices offer a gorgeous high-end viewing experience critical for displaying all those rich health analytics.
Health Tracking and Monitoring Sensors
This is where the Sense line really outperforms lower-end Fitbits. Both watches incorporate advanced tracking sensors to keep tabs on several key health metrics 24/7.
Continuous Heart Rate Monitoring
Like most fitness bands, the Sense line can passively monitor your pulse around the clock. This provides you nice graphs of your heart rate zones over time. Spikes could indicate health issues or signal when you really pushed hard in that spin class.
But where they excel over cheaper bands is…
On-demand ECG readings
Simply open the ECG app anytime you feel symptomatic to scan for signs of atrial fibrillation in your heart rhythms. This medical-grade ECG can detect some serious heart conditions that might go undiagnosed. Having access anytime, anywhere provides peace of mind.
Blood Oxygen Monitoring
The SpO2 sensor measures your blood oxygen saturation levels – an important vital that can often dip below safe levels while sleeping. Both watches display your daily oxygen averages and minimums/maximums. Drops below 90% happen more often than most realize so these data insights are invaluable!
Skin Temperature Variations
Our skin temperature varies across the night indicating different sleep cycles and stages. By tracking these temperature fluctuations, both Sense watches can provide deeper insights into sleep quality. Rather than just total duration, now you also know how restful your sleep actually was!
All-day Stress Level Tracking
Here is one of the few differences between the models. The original Sense introduced revolutionary EDA sensors to monitor electrodermal activity – small electrical changes across your skin indicating levels of stress/anxiety.
But readings required manually placing your palm over the watch face for several minutes. The Sense 2’s upgraded cEDA sensor now detects this activity passively all-day for continuous stress level monitoring. This means much richer EDA data showing just how stressful your workdays (or weekends) really are!
For health quantification nerds, this new cEDA sensor alone might justify upgrading to the Sense 2.
Software, Apps and Integration Differences
A polished software experience brings all that rich health data to life. It also expands functionality by enabling third party apps. Unfortunately the Sense 2 loses out to its predecessor at launch when it comes to software capabilities.
Rather than adopting Google’s Wear OS platform as some expected, the Sense 2 retains Fitbit’s proprietary operating system. The benefit is longer battery life compared to more demanding Wear OS. But it does result in fewer supported apps.
Missing Launch Features
No Google Assistant Support – The original Sense worked with either Alexa or Google voice assistants. Sense 2 only supports Alexa initially. Google integration is promised down the road.
No Google Maps App – One of the more useful smartwatch apps, Google Maps provided directions/navigation right on your wrist anywhere without a phone. Sense 2 can‘t run this currently.
Limited 3rd Party Apps – From Starbucks to Uber, the Sense had fantastic third party integration. Support seems very limited on the Sense 2, but should improve over time.
No Music Control – You lost the ability to remotely control phone music playback. Less of an issue with Bluetooth headphones but still a weird omission.
Google Pay Coming Soon? – The one silver lining is Sense 2 supports contactless Google Pay out of the box (in addition to Fitbit Pay). The original Sense lacked Google‘s payment option.
So in terms of out-of-box functionality, the newer Sense 2 is surprisingly limited compared to its predecessor. We expect apps and integrations like Google Assistant to launch over time via firmware updates. But at launch, there‘s no question software capabilities take a back seat.
Verdict: Sense 2’s stripped down proprietary OS hampers apps and features at launch. Hopefully integrations get added back over time through updates.
Expected Battery Runtime Comparisons
Any powerful smart device is only as good as its battery life. All those advanced sensors and features would mean little if your watch died after just hours off the charger. Thankfully both watches deliver fantastic battery performance.
While exact battery specs are unpublished, teardowns show both utilize the same ~250 mAh capacity battery. Combined with Fitbit’s lightweight OS power requirements (vs. Wear OS), you get impressiveruntimes:
24/7 activity tracking – With continuous activity monitoring, notifications and basic functions, expect between 5 and 6 days runtime on a charge.
Intermittent tracking – Turning off always-on displays and notifications and just periodically syncing extends usage to 10-14 days typically.
GPS model runtime – The Sense 2 does offer a GPS variant (the Sense 2 GPS) which cuts battery life further. With GPS active, expect closer to 24 hour runtimes for the Sense 2 GPS before needing a charge.
So in daily real world use, most buyers will comfortably charge just once a week. And when you do need to top up, a 12 minute rapid charge gives you about a day‘s runtime in a pinch.
For today‘s power-hungry smartwatches, that‘s exceptional performance. The Sense line stands out not just for its advanced health tracking but also all-day endurance.
Verdict: Thanks to the proprietary OS and optimized hardware, both devices offer multi-day battery life that puts Wear OS watches to shame. This allows 24/7 continuous tracking without "range anxiety”.
Pricing Showdown: Which Model Offers Better Value?
With very similar technical specifications and features, the value proposition for each model likely determines which is the better buy for shoppers. At release, the Sense 2 does demand a price premium over its readily available predecessor.
| Model | Launch MSRP | Sale Price Nov. 2022 |
|---|---|---|
| Sense 2 | $299.95 | On Sale $199 |
| Original Sense | $329.95 | On Sale $148 |
You‘ll notice the Sense 2 retains the same elevated $300 launch price tag as the first model. But holiday sales already put it at $200 temporarily. Meanwhile, the original easily sells from $150 now over two years from release.
Our Value Verdict: Paying $50+ more for the Sense 2 gets you a slimmer design and the cEDA stress sensor. If those matter less, the deeply discounted original makes for a much more affordable entry point into Fitbit‘s premium smart health watches with virtually all the same vitals tracking.
Unless frequent automatic stress level tracking is essential, most buyers are better off pocketing the savings. In 6-12 months once the Sense 2 discounts further and (hopefully) adds back missing software features, revaluation will be warranted.
Fitbit Sense 2 vs Sense: Concluding Recommendations
The Sense 2 refines an already excellent smart health tracking watch. The smaller, lighter design with slimmer bezels has a more premium look that feels great on your wrist. And the addition of continuous EDA stress tracking certainly has its benefits for deeper health insights.
But the aluminum alloy downgrade makes it less durable than the stainless steel body original Sense. And losing Google Assistant and broader app support at launch significantly reduces the out-of-box functionality.
When you factor in a current sale prices over $100 less for the still very capable Sense, the value proposition for upgrading just isn‘t there for most buyers. Our recommendation is sticking with the deeply discounted original model to keep more money in your wallet without really sacrificing features.
The one caveat is if you will really utilize continuous stress tracking. For those buyers, the Sense 2 provides unprecedented passive stress insights no other wearable can match. That one sensor addition alone could justify the price premium.
But for everyone else seeking a robust health tracking smartwatch at the best value, the Fitbit Sense remains a fantastic choice that still competes toe-to-toe with even Apple‘s offerings. Give it a look while supplies last at these temporary sale prices!
