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Featured in this comparison chart are two decent-looking smartwatches; the Apple Watch Series 3 vs Fitbit Versa 2. Each of these two is compact, lightweight, and well equipped to track your daily activities. Both smartwatches also have significant onboard storage that allows you to store music on the watch. However, the Watch 3 is a more comprehensive smartwatch than Versa 2. We’re taking a look at the differences between these two to help you make a more informed decision.
While the Watch 3 is available in two sizes, 38mm and 42mm, the Versa 2 only comes in a single size. Featured in the table below is the 42mm unit of the Watch 3. Both the 38mm and 42mm units of the Watch 3 have the same design and features except for differences in display size and price.
Apple Watch Series 3 vs Fitbit Versa 2: Specifications Compared
| Product Info |
 Apple Watch Series 3 (42mm) Specifications, Features and Price |
 Fitbit Versa 2 Specifications, Features and Price |
|---|---|---|
| Price | - | $129.20 |
| ABOUT DEVICE | ABOUT DEVICE | ABOUT DEVICE |
| Device name | Apple Watch Series 3 (42mm) | Fitbit Versa 2 |
| Device type | Standalone/Fitness smartwatch | Fitness/Sport smartwatch |
| Gender | Unisex | Unisex |
| Release date | September, 2017 | September, 2019 |
| Predecessor | Apple Watch Series 2 | Fitbit Versa |
| Successor | Apple Watch Series 4 | Fitbit Versa 3 |
| Versions | Apple Watch Nike+ | Fitbit Versa 2 Special Edition, Fitbit Versa 2 Standard Edition |
| BODY | BODY | BODY |
| Dimension | 42.5 x 36.4 x 11.4 mm | 40 x 40 x 12 mm |
| Weight | 52.8 grams | 40 grams |
| Shape | Rectangular | Rectangular |
| Case material | Aluminum | Aluminum |
| Strap material | Elastomer | Silicone |
| Bezel material | Bezeless | Aluminum |
| Strap size | 140 – 180mm (small), 180 -220mm (big) | 140 – 180mm (small), 180 -220mm (big) |
| Screen protection | Ion-X glass (aluminum) | Corning Gorilla Glass |
| Water resistance | Yes, 5ATM | Yes, 5ATM |
| Durability test | — | — |
| Swim-proof | Yes, recommended | Yes, recommended |
| Color | Black, White | Black, Bordeaux, Grey, Petal/copper rose, Stone/mist grey |
| DISPLAY | DISPLAY | DISPLAY |
| Display size | 1.65 inch | 1.4 inches |
| Display type | 1000nit, OLED | AMOLED |
| Display resolution | 312 x 390 pixels | — |
| Pixel density | — | — |
| Always on | No | Yes |
| Custom watch face | Yes | Yes |
| Input type | 1 Physical button, Digital crown, Touchscreen | 1 Physical button, Touchscreen |
| CONNECTIVITY | CONNECTIVITY | CONNECTIVITY |
| Bluetooth | Yes, Bluetooth v4.2 LE | Bluetooth v4.0 |
| Bluetooth calling | Yes | No |
| GPS | GLONASS, GPS | No |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Wi-Fi | Yes, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n | Yes, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n |
| MEMORY | MEMORY | MEMORY |
| RAM | 0.768GB | — |
| ROM | 16GB (GPS + Cellular), 8GB (GPS) | 4GB |
| Memory card slot | No | No |
| CELLULAR CONNECTIVITY | CELLULAR CONNECTIVITY | CELLULAR CONNECTIVITY |
| Technology | None | None |
| SIM type | None | None |
| Band | — | — |
| NOTIFICATIONS | NOTIFICATIONS | NOTIFICATIONS |
| SMS alert | Yes | Yes |
| Calls alert | Yes | Yes |
| Email alert | Yes | Yes |
| Event reminder | Yes | Yes |
| Third-party apps alert | Yes | Yes |
| MEDIA | MEDIA | MEDIA |
| Audio | mp3/mp4 | mp3/mp4 |
| Bluetooth music | Yes | Yes |
| Loudspeaker | Yes | No |
| Microphone | Yes | Yes |
| Camera | No | No |
| Radio | No | No |
| SENSORS | SENSORS | SENSORS |
| Accelerometer | Yes | Yes |
| Altimeter | Yes | Yes |
| Ambient light | Yes | Yes |
| Barometer | Yes | — |
| Compass | No | No |
| ECG | No | No |
| Gyroscope | Yes | — |
| HRM | Yes | Yes |
| Pulse oximeter (SpO2) | No | Yes |
| Thermometer | No | No |
| Other sensors | — | Vibration motor |
| ACTIVITY TRACKING | ACTIVITY TRACKING | ACTIVITY TRACKING |
| Blood oxygen | No | Yes |
| Blood Pressure | No | No |
| Calories | Yes | Yes |
| Distance | Yes | Yes |
| ECG tracking | No | No |
| Heart rate monitoring | Yes | Yes |
| Sleep tracking | Yes | Yes |
| Steps | Yes | Yes |
| Floors climbed | Yes | Yes |
| Stress | Yes | Yes |
| Incidental fall detection | No | No |
| Menstrual cycle | Yes | Yes |
| VO2 Max | Yes | Yes |
| Swim-tracking | Yes | Yes |
| Underwater heart rate tracking | No | No |
| On-screen workout | No | Yes |
| Sport modes | Yes | 15 |
| BATTERY | BATTERY | BATTERY |
| Battery type | Non-removable Li-ion battery | non-removable Lithium-polymer |
| Battery capacity | 279mAh | — |
| Battery life | Regular: up to 18hrs | Regular: 5 days+, Standby: 8 days+ |
| Charging type | Charging dock | Charging dock |
| Charging time | 1-2 hours | 2hrs |
| Solar charging | No | No |
| PLATFORM | PLATFORM | PLATFORM |
| Chipset | Apple S3 | — |
| CPU | Dual core | — |
| GPU | — | — |
| Operating system | WatchOS 4 | Fitbit OS |
| MISC | MISC | MISC |
| Companion app | Apple Watch App | Fitbit App |
| Compatibility | iOS 12.0+ | Android, iOS |
| Payment system | Apple Pay | Fitbit Pay |
| Interchangeable strap | 24mm, Yes | Yes |
| Voice command | Yes, Siri | Yes, Alexa |
| Find my phone | Yes | Yes |
| Box content | Apple Watch Series 3, Charger, Manual, Straps | Charger, Fitbit Versa 2, Manual, Straps |
| Price | $129.20 |
Difference Between Apple Watch Series 3 vs Fitbit Versa 2
- Design: Both watches are awesomely compact, sturdy and very lightweight
- Fitness Tracking: Watch 3 with inbuilt GPS is a more equipped smartwatch than Versa 2
- Storage: Watch 3 has a higher storage capacity
- Bluetooth Calls: Watch 3 has both microphone and speaker
- Battery Life: Versa 2 has a longer battery life
The Watch 3 and Versa 2 have the same aluminum build. As a result, each of these two is extremely lightweight that you’ll hardly notice you wearing a watch on your wrist. The straps of both watches are made of fluoroelastomer. Meanwhile, while ion-x glass protects the display of the Watch 3, a Corning Gorilla Glass protects that of the Versa 2.
The Watch 3 has a touch-sensitive screen, a flat physical button, and a digital crown for effortless navigation while the Versa 2 also has a touch-sensitive screen and a single physical button, yet is also easy to navigate.
In other words, both watches are durably built with sturdy and lightweight materials.
Both the Watch 3 and Versa 2 will track your steps, sleep, calories and your heart rate. However, there is an inbuilt GPS in the Watch 3 that allows you to track your outdoor activities like routes, locations, and pace. The Versa 2 doesn’t have inbuilt GPS but supports connected GPS via your phone. This means that you must carry your phone along to track routes and location when you go for outdoor workouts with the Versa 2.
It’s good to note that Versa 2 will track all four stages of your sleep unlike the native sleep app in Watch 3 which only track your total sleep time. Although, some third-party apps on the Apple App store can track your sleep stages at a premium cost.
Meanwhile, the Versa 2 will monitor your blood oxygen when you wear it to sleep. This isn’t possible with the Watch 3.
While both the Watch 3 and Versa 2 will allow you to store music onboard the watch, the Watch 3 with 8GB storage capacity will allow you to store more tracks than Versa 2 which only has a 4GB storage capacity.
While there is a microphone in the Versa 2 that supports Alexa voice assistant, it lacks a speaker. The Watch 3 has a microphone and speaker that enables Bluetooth calls when your phone is nearby.
The Versa 2 has a longer battery life than the Watch 3. On average, I get about 5 days of battery life with the Versa 2 which is far longer than about 18hrs with the Watch 3
Which is Better?
The Watch 3 with a better design, bigger display, higher storage, bluetooth calling functionality and inbuilt GPS is a better smartwatch than Versa 2.
On the flip side, the Versa 2 is a compact and sturdy smartwatch with longer battery life. It’s a cheaper alternative.
