However, for the money it can still do some advanced things, especially in the area of health. The Fitbit Sense 2 also feels a bit more sluggish than an Apple Watch, with some occasional languorous transitions between screens.
The Fitbit Sense series no longer supports music or extra apps that are not made by Fitbit. We think this is deliberate, as Google now owns Fitbit and wants to position the Pixel Watch as the premier smartwatch in this extended family. The result is the Fitbit Sense 2 is a fun-to-use exercise and health tracking watch, but it doesn't seem as smart as an Apple Watch or a Google Pixel Watch. The Fitbit Sense 2 has advanced in some areas, but it's been cut back in others with surprising aggression. This halves the battery life, but makes it a much better watch.
There's nothing new in the Sense 2's watch's screen tech, but it can be put into an "always on" mode that keeps it lit all day, rather than just timing out after a few seconds. While the latter may sound more techy, a classic button is much less frustrating to use. The Fitbit Sense 2 also gains a physical button on the side, whereas the original had a touch sensitive area. This enables the watch's ECG feature and is what separates a Sense 2 from the cheaper Versa 4. When the Sense 2 catches the light you can see a sort-of metallic border around the screen. The top part is curved glass, the sides are aluminum and the underside is mostly plastic.
Fitbit was clearly out to make a square shape look friendly with this design - and it really works. It's much squarer than a Pixel Watch and more rounded than an Apple Watch. Maybe that's for the best, because it's distinct from all of its rivals, however, it may be a disappointment to original Sense owners who were hoping for something new. The Fitbit Sense 2 looks similar to the original Sense.