The Fitbit Versa 3 has yet to be officially announced, but we anticipate it won't be long now, and we have some ideas what we'd like to see when it arrives. Based on the release of the Versa 2, we're expecting the Fitbit Versa 3 to be unveiled around August 2020, with an on-sale date in mid-September.
Below you'll find information on the Versa 3's potential release, plus speculation on the features and improvements it might offer.
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We'll also keep this article updated with any news and rumors about the new device, so make sure to check back regularly for the latest updates.
Cut to the chase
- What is it? The successor to the Fitbit Versa 2
- When is it out? Probably September
- What will it cost? Likely about £199.99 / $199.95 / AU$329.95
Fitbit Versa 3 release date and price
Details on the Versa 3 are scant, but we can make a few educated assumptions about its release. Last year's Versa 2 was announced at the IFA trade show in Berlin, but with IFA 2020 turning into a digital-only event (which its organizers are calling an "innovative new concept"), the Versa 3 is likely to make its first appearance in a live stream.
The Versa 2 launched at £199.99 / $199.95 / AU$329.95, and we believe Fitbit is likely to match that price with the Versa 3, even if it makes some substantial upgrades. Fitbit has set a precedent for keeping its prices consistent: the addition of GPS made the Fitbit Charge 4 a serious step up from the Charge 3, for example, but the launch price remained the same.
Fitbit Versa 3 leaks and news
There hasn't been any official news about the Fitbit Versa 3 yet, but we think we can safely make a few assumptions based on the company's track record, particularly when it comes to its appearance.
We anticipate the Versa 3 keeping the same distinctive square shape as the Versa and Versa 2. Indeed, the new device might be almost identical to its predecessor, which was a slim and stylish watch only a little thicker than the latest Apple Watch. Fitbit might make a few design adjustments (slimmer bezels, perhaps) but we don't anticipate a groundbreaking new design. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.
We'll be keeping an ear to the ground for rumors and leaks and sharing them as soon as we know more.
What we want to see in the Fitbit Versa 3
The Fitbit Versa 2 was excellent, but there's definitely room for improvement. Here's what we'd like to see in the next iteration of the square-faced fitness tracker...
1. On-board GPS
One of our biggest issues with the Fitbit Versa 2 was its lack of on-board GPS, which means you have to take your phone along for the ride if you want to track and map your outdoor workouts. After all, if a run isn't on Strava, did it really happen?
As previously mentioned, Fitbit broke new ground by adding GPS to this year's Charge 4, so we wouldn't be surprised to see it making an appearance in the higher-end Versa line. In 2020, its absence would be highly conspicuous in a fitness tracker costing $200.
2. A (slightly) smaller case
We don't expect to see any major changes to the Fitbit Versa's design, and we've no objection to the Versa 2's smart square screen. We also appreciate the amount of real estate that you get for monitoring your stats on the move, but the chassis is a little on the large side, particularly on smaller wrists.
If Fitbit is able to pare the device down a few millimeters by shrinking the display's bezels, we'd be more comfortable making it our everyday watch for work and play.
3. More free faces
You can take your pick from various faces for the Fitbit Versa 2 in the Fitbit app, but many of them are paid-for. If you've already handed over $200 for a fitness tracker, it would be nice to have more variety without additional expenses, particularly since this year's Charge 4 comes with 24 different faces to choose from.
We're not expecting quite that many for the Versa 3 (faces for the Charge 4 are grayscale and smaller, making them less challenging to create), but a wider variety would still be welcome.
4. Better voice controls
One of the main appeals of a virtual assistant is that it's entirely voice operated, allowing you to speak commands and hear answers with no screens necessary. The Fitbit Versa 2 offered limited Alexa support, letting you perform a handful of actions, but Alexa herself was mute; asking her to open a message resulted in the text being displayed on your phone's screen rather than read aloud, which is less than ideal if you're in the middle of a workout.
We'd love to be able to hear messages in our headphones as we run and dictate replies, allowing us to keep our eyes on the road.
It would also be great if Alexa on the Fitbit Versa 3 worked faster, but that's going to be limited by the time taken to transmit commands to Amazon's servers and back. Until we get a Fitbit with a SIM, we don't see that changing.
5. SPO2 monitoring available at launch
We're tired of smartwatches and fitness trackers launching with sensors and other hardware that's unusable at launch. The Fitbit Versa and Fitbit Versa 2 both featured SPO2 sensors (which provides an estimate of blood oxygen levels while you sleep), but device owners were unable to use them for months as Fitbit waited for FDA approval.
Now that approval has been granted, we're expect blood oxygen monitoring will be available on the Versa 3 immediately. Hopefully.
6. Improved Fitbit Pay
The Fitbit Versa line already supports contactless payments through Fitbit Pay, but its supported banks are very limited if you live outside the US. In the UK, for example, only one of the five main banks is compatible.
The launch of the FItbit Versa 2 could be the perfect time to give the service a boost with support for more banks and payment methods. Even just letting you make purchases using Paypal would be a big improvement, and would make Fitbit Pay a viable alternative to Google and Apple's contactless services.
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