New details on Fitbit’s upcoming Sense 2 and Versa 4 smartwatches come from leaked photos obtained by 9to5Google from regulators.
The biggest update here is the confirmation that the device will feature physical buttons, a major change after Fitbit has stuck with the much-maligned capacitive “buttons” on its smartwatches and fitness devices over the past few years.
It was previously rumored that the new Fitbit wearable will still use capacitive buttons, but make them protrude from the body of the watch instead of the indented capacitive buttons like the Versa 3 and original Sense.As if that wasn’t the case, the company has finally returned to reliable physical buttons.
Another major design change is that the Fitbit Sense 2 moves the electrocardiogram (ECG) sensor under the glass.The original Sense included a steel ring around the edge of the watch for electrocardiograms, but the Sense 2 includes sensors under the glass that form part of the bezel around the screen.You can see this as the brighter area between the screen and the case in some photos.
As The Verge points out, moving the ECG sensor under the glass is quite a change from past Fitbits and other smartwatches.For example, the Apple Watch and Samsung’s Galaxy Watch 4 require users to touch a metal button with their finger to complete the ECG circuit.
The bottom of the Sense 2 includes another big change.The sensor collection at the bottom of the smartwatch has a new layout, specifically moving from a large metal plate to two metal arcs around the sensor hub in the center of the watch.9to5 notes that it’s unclear if this change will improve existing features or introduce new ones.
There are also faint markings on the bottom, confirming that the Sense 2 will offer ECG, temperature sensing, GPS, and 50-meter water resistance.
As for the Fitbit Versa 4, the images show it won’t include ECG or temperature tracking like the Sense 2 does.Other than that, it should have GPS and 50m water resistance just like the Sense.
It’s unclear when Fitbit will release the Sense 2 and Versa 4.Fitbit announced the original Sense and Versa 3 in August 2020, so we could see the new Sense and Versa arrive in August.However, Google’s upcoming Pixel Watch could disrupt that.Google owns Fitbit, and the Pixel Watch will integrate Fitbit, which could mean Fitbit is involved in the Pixel Watch in some way.Doing that, plus an update to its own line of watches could be a lot – maybe we’ll see the Sense 2 and Versa 4 come out later.