Fitbit is releasing its cheapest smartwatch yet. The Versa Lite costs £149.99, £50 less than the original Versa and £130 less than the Fitbit Ionic, the most advanced device in the company’s line-up.
The Versa Lite is similar in appearance to the Versa, though lacking the two buttons on the right side on the latter, so you’ll be using the touchscreen more when navigating its menus – which can be tricky with sweaty fingers.
While its shape is similar to the Versa’s, the Versa Lite is made more distinctive by the bold purple or blue designs, which are about as purple and blue as it is possible for something to be. There are also more understated lilac and silver designs available.
Since it’s £50 cheaper than the Versa, the Versa Lite predictably lacks a few of the features available on the former. Perhaps the biggest loss is music storage and streaming, and since the Versa Lite can’t make NFC payments either it’s stretching the term smartwatch a little, though it does still have access to the Fitbit app store and will flash up notifications from a connected phone.
You can’t follow on-screen workouts on the Versa Lite either, and since it doesn’t have an altimeter it can’t track floors climbed or, more importantly, record laps when pool swimming. It’s still waterproof so you can take it for a swim, but you won’t get any worthwhile insight into your session afterwards.
That’s what the Versa Lite can’t do, but the list of what it can do is still pretty impressive. You’ll get all of Fitbit’s excellent everyday activity and sleep-tracking features, plus sports modes that will connect to your phone’s GPS for more accurate outdoor distance and pace measurements.
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The 24/7 heart rate monitor will provide both your resting heart rate and your Cardio Fitness Score, which is an estimate of your VO2 max, to give an insight into your general cardiovascular fitness. The watch has a four-day battery life and also has the female health-tracking features introduced last year.
It’s a solid package for £149.99, though it’s worth noting that the Versa itself has been available for as little as £140 during Black Friday last year, and can usually be found on Amazon for far less than its £199.99 RRP (the grey colourway is currently £153.84). That might mean you’re better off just opting for the Versa or, if you’re blessed with ample patience, waiting a few months for the Versa Lite to start having its own price knocked down.
Pre-order on Fitbit | £149.99
