Google Pixel Watch 2 vs Fitbit Sense 2 vs Versa 4: what’s the difference?
Amidst a variety of choices in the smartwatch sector, Google Pixel Watch 2 has recently joined the ranks of established contenders like Fitbit Sense 2 and Versa 4. Each of these is vying for attention in a saturated market, and they do so by addressing consumer demands and technological advancements in their own unique manners.
What is clear is that Google is positioning Fitbit devices as fitness watches. Hence, they fall short when it comes to certain smarts. In fact, some of the abilities of the predecessor generation Fitbits are not present in the current generation. This includes music storage and music smartphone control, ability to install third-party apps and more.
The Pixel Watch 2 runs on a new Qualcomm Snapdragon W5+ platform, a departure from its predecessor’s Exynos chip, aiming for better performance and efficiency. It also brings some other upgrades which Google hopes will allow their device to gain market share from the likes of the Apple Watch and Samsung Galaxy Watch.
Essential reading: Top fitness trackers and health gadgets
What sets the Google Pixel Watch 2 apart from the Fitbit Sense 2 and Versa 4? Keep reading to uncover the details. The ideal device for you will ultimately depend on your unique requirements in a smartwatch.
View on Amazon (Google Pixel Watch 2, Fitbit Sense 2, Fitbit Versa 4). Read our full hands-on Google Pixel Watch 2 review.
Jump to
Design & hardware
Technical specs round-up
Activity & health tracking
Smartwatch features
The bottom line
Google Pixel Watch 2 vs Fitbit Sense 2 vs Versa 4: Design and hardware
In terms of looks, Sense 2 and Versa 4 couldn’t be any more different that Pixel Watch. Fitbit has stuck to its tried and tested design with a plethora of square shaped devices. These feature a lightweight aluminium build.
Google, on the other hand, has adopted a circular shape with a domed top glass that curves all the way to the sides. The second generation watch comes with a body made of 100% recycled aluminium. The original device was only 80% recycled aluminium and came with a stainless steel back. This is why Pixel Watch 2 is 5 grams lighter than its predecessor.
The Apple Watch with its square, functional design has attracted a loyal following. It remains to be seen how much of a following Google’s device gets. Round watches are better looking, but they do not offer as much screen space as their square counterparts.
Whether you choose a Fitbit or Google watch, you’ll get a lightweight device, water resistance down to 50 meters and a full colour, touch sensitive, high quality display.
The one of the Fitbit’s measures 1.58 inches so there’s lots of room there for viewing your fitness stats and messages. Google Pixel Watch 2 packs a 1.2 inch display, same as its predecessor, and a rather thick bezel around its edges. But its quality is excellent, hence you get a higher screen resolution than on the Fitbits. Having said that, it would have been much nicer if Google had managed to extend the screen size to be closer to the edges. Maybe next year…
All these devices have an always-on screen option and come with a plethora of watch-faces. Unfortunately, on the Fitbit’s there’s no option to connect to the company’s App Gallery. So you can only choose from Fitbit-made options. Google with its WearOS 4 system allows you to choose from a wide selection of watch-faces, including third-party ones. If you’re up for it, you might even attempt to design a watch-face of your own!
All of these timepieces also come with physical buttons. Versa 4 and Sense 2 have a single physical button which you use in combination with the touch display to navigate the menus. Google Pixel Watch 2 has something entirely different. It packs a bottle cap-shaped crown that rotates and can be pressed. There’s a further button just above it.
Fitbit is known for allowing users to customise the look of their devices with a multitude of band options. Google is no different. Its watch comes with a proprietary mechanism for swapping bands. Simply insert them at a tilt and snap into place.
There’s a plethora of strap options for your Google watch including a sporty silicone band, Fabric band, Stretch band, a couple of leather strap options, Link bracelet and a Milanese-style mesh band. No doubt, lots of third-party options will appear in the coming days and months.
Considering the design between the Fitbits and Google Pixel Watch is nothing alike, it comes down to personal preferences. Do you want something that looks like a traditional watch (bezel complaints aside) – than the obvious choice is the Google option. If you’re after something more functional – go for one of the Fitbits.
Under the hood – lots of sensors
The differences continue below the surface.
Powering everything on the Google Pixel Watch 2 is the Qualcomm SW5100. It works in parallel to a co-processor and a massive 2GB of RAM. That’s actually better than what is offered by most other WearOS watches. Users also get a sizeable 32GB of storage which is double that of many competitors. With the new chip, Pixel Watch 2 should perform better than its predecessor.
Fitbit has never disclosed information on processors powering its devices. So we can’t make an actual comparison. Having said that, its safe to assume that Google Pixel Watch 2 has much more processing power than Fitbit Sense 2 or Versa 4.
As you’d expect, all of these devices are jam-packed with sensors. They also have satellite connectivity so you can exercise outdoors and track your stats in detail without the need for a paired smartphone.
Versa 4 lacks ECG and the cEDA (electrodermal activity sensor) sensors of Sense 2, but it includes everything else. This includes an ambient light sensor, SpO2, optical heart rate sensor, accelerometer, gyroscope, skin temperature sensor and altimeter.
Google Pixel Watch 2 gains the addition of the cEDA sensor so is now right on par with Sense 2 as far as health and fitness technology. Plus it has the addition of a compass, and its altimeter is always-on.
Moving on and there is also the cellular connectivity of the Google Pixel watch. We are yet to see an LTE-enabled Fitbit. It doesn’t look like we will, at least in the near future.
Other tech below the hood includes an NFC chip for contactless payments. And while that can be found on all three devices, built-in storage for music is only available on Google Pixel Watch.
Battery life – no comparison
At 24 hours, battery life on Google Pixel Watch 2 is not much better than what can be found on other WearOS timepieces or the Apple Watch. This has always been a stumbling block of fully featured smartwatches. For the most case, you’ll be charging then pretty much every day. In the case of the Pixel watch, with a magnetic puck with USB-C on the other end.
Fitbit Versa 4 and Sense 2, on the other hand, come with a perfectly decent 6 days on a single charge. This is possible due to their more lightweight operating system and limited smart functionality. But turn on their always-on display option and this will halve. So that’s something to be aware of.
Google Pixel Watch 2 vs Fitbit Sense 2 vs Versa 4: Technical specs roundup
Google Pixel Watch | Fitbit Sense 2 | Fitbit Versa 4 | |
|---|---|---|---|
Case material | Stainless steel | Aluminium | Aluminium |
Sizes | 41mm | 40.5mm | 40.5mm |
Display type | Always-on AMOLED | Always-on AMOLED | Always-on AMOLED |
Display protection | Corning Gorilla Glass 5 | Corning Gorilla Glass 3 | Corning Gorilla Glass 3 |
Display size | 1.2 inch | 1.58 inch | 1.58 inch |
Display resolution | 450 x 450 pixels | 336 × 336 pixels | 336 × 336 pixels |
Battery life | 24 hours | 6+ days. Charge time (0-100%):2 hours. 12 minutes on charger tops it up for 24 hours. | 6+ days. Charge time (0-100%):2 hours. 12 minutes on charger tops it up for 24 hours. |
Water resistance | 5 ATM | 5 ATM | 5 ATM |
Weight | 31 grams | 40 grams | 40 grams |
Sensors | Optical heart rate tracker, 3-axis accelerometer, Electrical sensor to measure skin conductance (cEDA), gyroscope, altimeter, compass, SpO2, vibration motor, temperature sensor, ambient light sensor | Optical heart rate tracker, 3-axis accelerometer, Electrical sensor to measure skin conductance (cEDA), gyroscope, altimeter, SpO2, vibration motor, temperature sensor, ambient light sensor | Optical heart rate tracker, 3-axis accelerometer, gyroscope, altimeter, SpO2, vibration motor, temperature sensor, ambient light sensor |
Built-in GPS | Yes (GPS, GLONAS, BeiDou, Galileo) | Yes (GPS, GLONAS, BeiDou, Galileo) | Yes (GPS, GLONAS, BeiDou, Galileo) |
NFC | Yes | Yes | Yes |
LTE | Optional | No | No |
Microphone & speaker | Yes | Yes | Only microphone |
Built-in music storage | Yes | No | No |
Operating system | WearOS 4.0 | Proprietary | Proprietary |
Memory | 32GB storage, 2GB RAM | Stores your data for 7 days | Stores your data for 7 days |
Processor | Chipset: Qualcomm 5100, Cortex-M33 co-processor | n/a | n/a |
Smartphone compatibility | Android | iPhone, Android | iPhone, Android |
RRP | $349 (WiFi), $399 (cellular) | $300 | $230 |
Google Pixel Watch 2 vs Fitbit Sense 2 vs Versa 4: Features
Activity and health tracking
Despite the poor battery life, a big focus of the Pixel Watch 2 is health and fitness. Not really surprising considering the Fitbit integration. In fact you can use the Fitbit software ecosystem to view all your stats – just like on existing Fitbit devices. With the addition of Google Fit.
 | Fitbit Versa 4 |  |
As far as fitness and exercise, you get all the basics which ever device you choose. So all the usuals like step count, distance, calories, heart rate stress, HRV, sleep, 40+ exercise modes, female health tracking etc.
As mentioned, all of these also come with built-in GPS. So while they are not the equivalent to Garmin-type sports watches, they do spit out running and other exercise metrics that will suffice for the vast majority of people. Unfortunately, none of these can be connected to external devices such as heart rate chest straps. So if that’s what you are after, look elsewhere.
Another negative that we would like to flag up is the Fitbit premium monthly subscription. It will leave you $10 per month out of pocket if you opt for it. If you don’t you’ll still be able to use your watch, but will not have access to long term trends for some metrics and certain detailed insights. Unfortunately, Google Pixel Watch also taps into this subscription.
What are the fitness and health tracking differences?
Starting with Pixel Watch, it has the most accurate Fitbit heart rate tracker to date. The device monitors heart rate like time – once every second, regardless if you are exercising or at rest. So while Pixel Watch cannot connect to an external heart rate chest strap, its readings should be pretty accurate. Especially as Google has upgraded its heart rate tracking algorithms once again in 2023. Its other extras over the Fitbit Sense 2 include a compass and the fact that its altimeter is always on.
Furthermore, it has caught up to Sense 2 as far as other health smarts. As mentioned, it gained an cEDA sensor which is capable of round-the-clock detailed stress measurements by detecting electrical changes in your skin’s sweat levels. This is accomplished through Fitbit’s Body Response metric.
But it does have a few extras. These include the ability to send its heart rate readings via Bluetooth to connected 3rd party equipment. Coupled with this is its ability to customise the time you spend in each heart rate zone to optimise your training. And get notified when you move from one to another. And now there’s Pace Training. Set a goal and get real-time feedback – how close you are with visual indicators and milestone alerts.
Beyond health and fitness Google’s timepiece also has some safety features you won’t find on Sense 2 and Versa 4. This includes emergency SOS and fall detection. Meaning tour watch can alert authorities when you’re feeling unsafe, and fall detection connects to emergency services if you’ve fallen and unresponsive. These features are in addition to the ability to store medical information, right on Pixel Watch 2.
 | Fitbit Sense 2 | |
The one addition the Fitbits have over the Google device is a Smart Wake Alarm. It wakes you during the optimal sleep stage so you feel refreshed. But don’t be surprised if this lands on Pixel Watch 2 via a firmware update. We would be more surprised if it didn’t.
Of course, let’s not forget Versa 4. It lacks the ECG and EDA sensors so is an option for those who do not need all the bells and whistles of its big brother.
Google Pixel Watch vs Fitbit Sense 2 vs Versa 4: Recap of differences in health & fitness smarts
Google Pixel Watch 2 | Fitbit Sense 2 | Fitbit Versa 4 | |
|---|---|---|---|
ECG with Afib detection | Yes | Yes | No |
cEDA sensor for stress measurements | Yes | Yes | No |
Can send HR data to 3rd party devices | Yes | No | Yes |
Compass | Yes | No | No |
Pace Alert | Yes | No | No |
Emergency SOS & emergency international calling | Yes | No | No |
Fall detection | Yes | No | No |
Altimeter | Always-on | Yes | Yes |
Smartwatch features – Pixel Watch 2 far ahead
When it comes to smartwatch features, there is no comparison – Google Pixel Watch trounces the Fitbits. For starters it runs on WearOS 4.0. This means it has access to a long list of third-party apps and watch faces.
Previous generation Fitbits have the ability to connect to App Gallery. And while its choice is much smaller than what you can get on WearOS, it does provide some options. Unfortunately, Versa 4 and Sense 2 have no ability to install third party apps and watch-faces. Has this been done on purpose by Google in order to position Pixel Watch as the device of choice if you are after a fully fledged smartwatch? Probably.
The smartwatch advantages of the Pixel Watch do not end there. It has the ability for music control and there’s on-board storage for music so you can play your tunes untethered from a watch. None of this is available on the Fitbits. And the second generation device gains the ability to listen to your favourite songs and podcasts on Youtube.
And lets not forget cellular connectivity. When you are away from your phone, Google Pixel Watch automatically switches to the cellular signal. Third party apps can tap into this signal as well.
The smart functionality on Versa 2 and Sense 4 consists of the NFC chip for contactless payments, Alexa, text and calendar alerts, and a few other bits and pieces. Much more is available on Google Pixel Watch as shown in the table below.
Google Pixel Watch vs Fitbit Sense 2 vs Versa 4: Recap of differences in smartwatch features
Google Pixel Watch 2 | Fitbit Sense 2 | Fitbit Versa 4 | |
|---|---|---|---|
LTE calls | Yes (optional) | No | No |
Google Assistant | Yes | No | No |
Alexa | No | Yes | Yes |
Google maps | Yes | No | No |
Gmail & calendar | Yes | No | No |
Youtube music | Yes | No | No |
Built-in storage for music | Yes | No | No |
Smart home control | Yes | No | No |
Google Play Store | Yes | No | No |
Compatible with iOS and Android devices | Android only | Yes | Yes |
Google Pixel Watch 2 vs Fitbit Sense 2 vs Versa 4: Verdict
While Google Pixel Watch 2, Fitbit Sense 2 and Versa 4 all pack Fitbit activity and health tracking smarts, there are quite important differences to be aware of. In essence, the first is for someone looking for a fully fledged smartwatch experience, the other two are primarily fitness tracking devices. So two very different market segments.
For starters there’s the design. Fat bezels aside, Google Pixel Watch 2 is for those after something that looks like a traditional timepiece. It has a domed, circular appearance, rotatable crown and button on the end. Plus there’s its high-res screen. The Fitbits are more about function, with their sporty no-nonsense appearance.
As far as fitness tracking functionality, all three of these devices tap into Fitbit’s software ecosystem. Pixel Watch 2 is right on par with Sense 2 as far as its abilities. Plus it brings a few minor extras such as ability to send heart rate data to 3rd party equipment. Versa 4 is lower spec than the other two as it lacks the ECG and EDA sensors of its big brother.
The thing to note is that, while on paper Pixel Watch might come across pretty much on par with the Fitbits as far as activity tracking – its small display and 24 hour battery life make it much less useable for that sort of thing. You certainly don’t want the hassle of charging your device every day if you are primarily interested in activity and health tracking.
 | Google Pixel Watch 2 | |
If, however, you are interested in both activity monitoring and lots of smart functionality, Google Pixel Watch 2 is the clear choice. Running WearOS 4 with its rich selection of apps and watch faces, it comes with built-in storage for music, optional cellular connectivity and more. It is an incremental upgrade over the first generation device, a watch is a perfect companion for those with a Pixel phone.
To sum up, those after a general fitness tracking device should first look at Versa 4 – as it provides the most value for money (check price on Amazon). Fitbit Sense 2 is a bit more high spec due to its ECG and EDA sensors (Amazon link). Google Pixel watch does not work with iPhones, but if you have an Android phone and are looking for a fully fledged smartwatch – it is a decent option (Amazon link).
Read our full hands-on Google Pixel Watch 2 review.
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