However, other essential capabilities, such as offline music storage, playback, or even control while Wi-Fi is deactivated, are absent from the Fitbit Sense 2 and Versa 4, despite their UI being largely influenced by Wear OS 3.
For both the Sense 2 and Versa 4, Fitbit indicates the existence of WiFi under the Sensors and Components portion of the Specs page. However, it states in parentheses right away that it is inactive and cannot be turned on.
Additionally, the How do I connect my Fitbit watch to Wi-Fi? help article states that the Fitbit Sense 2, Fitbit Versa Lite Edition, or Fitbit Versa 4 do not support this feature.
This is disappointing because Wi-Fi, which is now the sole option for new smartwatches, allows for speedier software updates than Bluetooth, according to our experience. In the meantime, Fitbit promoted the ability to download playlists and apps via Wi-Fi. Even so, it takes longer to download/transfer apps (and watch faces) through Bluetooth.
The Fitbit Sense 2 and Versa 4 don’t have any music options, which is another drawback that is made clear here. To begin with, the business only mentions making on-wrist phone calls (which will be available later) and using Amazon Alexa on either product page.
Additionally, the Fitbit Sense 2, Fitbit Versa Lite Edition, and Fitbit Versa 4 do not support the availability of another assistance article, says Deezer . The support page for Pandora only states that the Sense 2 isn’t listed, and that the feature isn’t available on the Fitbit Versa Lite Edition or Fitbit Versa 4. The fact that the Charge 5 did not have dedicated Spotify controls after earlier generations and the original Sense did was also telling.
It’s unclear whether you can even manage the audio that is playing on your phone, in addition to the lack of on-device storage. There is no mention of play/pause music controls or pairing Bluetooth headphones with your watch in the manual for both , Sense 2, or Versa 4. Hopefully, this will be included in a later release.
The Sense 2 and Versa 4’s standing as smartwatches is significantly hampered by the absence of these functionalities, especially as Alexa support for Google Assistant has yet to be mentioned. You do receive on-wrist payments, Google Maps, notifications, the ability to reply to texts, and the capacity to make phone calls, of course.
The elimination of these functions demonstrates how Fitbit is concentrating on health and fitness capabilities with some smartwatch-like features that work well in the Sense 2 and Versa 4 (coming this week). However, any functional loss is regrettable and lessens the new watches’ suitability as a straightforward next-generation replacement. Additionally, it makes the path for upgrading to a Pixel Watch more obvious.
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