TechRadar Verdict
This is a toned down version of the Fitbit Versa, which may still offer all you need in a fitness watch. You won’t have access to music or Fitbit Pay, but if the price is more important to you then this could be a good option for first time smartwatch users. It all just comes down to how much you can get the Versa Lite for when compared to the original Versa watch.
Pros
- +
Light and comfy design
- +
Good battery life
- +
Looks good
Cons
- -
No in-built GPS
- -
Lacks on-screen workouts
- -
No space for music
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Looking for an affordable smartwatch? There are tons of options now, especially the last couple of years have been great only if the number of buying options in the market are considered. While the most mainstream brands compete in the 20K and above segment, Fitbit launched a cheaper Versa Lite for those who do not want to invest in expensive options like the Fitbit Versa and Fitbit Ionic.
The Fitbit Versa Lite Edition is the new version of the very popular Versa, but with a couple of chops in features to ensure a lower price. Interestingly, at the time of writing this review, Fitbit has launched the Versa 2 which means the price for the original Versa smartwatch are cut down and it now costs slightly higher than the Versa Lite. To be exact, a difference of around Rs 3000.
The Fitbit Versa Lite is still not the cheapest smartwatch out there, but it's a great option for those who're just getting into the smartwatch ecosystem. But the real question remains if you should buy the Lite variant over the original Versa at such minimal price difference. Or, should you wait for the Versa 2 priced at Rs 20,999.
Fitbit Versa Lite release date and price
After being announced in March 2019, you can now buy the Fitbit Versa Lite all around the world. It is available for sale at Rs 13,345.
We’ve seen the Versa’s price drop a lot recently though in some places. In fact, Amazon is selling the Fitbit Versa for only Rs 16,000 currently, while Fitbit has discontinued on its official website. That’s something to bear in mind, so if you can get the Versa for only a bit extra we’d recommend buying that instead.
Design and display
If you've seen Fitbit Versa then you already know how the Versa Lite looks and feels. As the name suggests, Versa Lite is the most toned down and lightweight smartwatch from the company, yet.
It has a kind of fit that can be worn throughout the week all time of the day. I've been using it from more than a month now and I found it to be very comfortable. What's even better is that it's one of the few smartwatches that fit so well on smaller wrists as well.
Fitbit Versa Lite is water-resistant up to 50 meters, but it’s not specifically designed for the pool as it doesn’t track laps while swimming. However, it does detect that you're exercising and calculates calorie burn. I did wear it to swimming a couple of times, where I found that it can be submerged in water but it's not the right companion for swimmers for sure.
It has a touchscreen on the front, and it’s a full-color display with a resolution of 300x300 pixels (the same as the Fitbit Versa has). It seemed clear and bright in our testing time, but Fitbit's screen tech has never seemed as vibrant as the Apple Watch 4 or some Wear OS devices, but that also equates for battery drainage.
The bezels around the display are thick, but if you’re using a black watch face it merges with the screen and gives an edge to edge look. The Fitbit logo is also placed along the bottom bezel.
The display does its job just fine if only viewing and general navigation is considered. But, its touch response isn't even close to proper smartwatches from Apple, Samsung or even Fossil.
There's just one button at Versa Lite's left edge, whose functions are generally to wake the screen, lock it and turn it on/off.
The watch itself comes in white, lilac, mulberry and marina blue colors. Get it in one of the latter two and the watch body will be the same color (rather than silver), providing an interesting effect we haven’t seen on previous Fitbit products.
I've been using the white and silver variant, and it looks very cool on the wrist and many have mistaken it for the Apple Watch at multiple occasions. It comes with a silicone band in the box, but there are a selection of other straps you can buy alongside it if you want to mix up the style.
Image Credit: TechRadar
