Ready for a new fitness watch? The long-awaited Fitbit Versa 4 and Fitbit Sense 2 might be launching much sooner than expected, according to a new leak.
The information comes from 9to5Google, which has reported that the two new Fitbit watches are currently targeting a spring launch – which if correct would mean we should see the watches before the end of May – although the site adds that “plans might change”.
The site remains tight-lipped about the nature of its source, but there’s plenty more information to go along with the release date leak. The Versa 4 and Sense 2 reportedly share the same screen size and rounded-corner shape, just like the original Sense and the Versa 3, which launched August 2020.
It’s also reported that the devices might be ditching the previous models’ indented solid-state ‘button’ after a poor reception from users who found it less than intuitive. The touch-sensitive indentation might be scrapped and replaced with the old-style physical button, which was used on the Versa 2.
A recent teardown gave us an indication that the Versa 4 and Sense 2, codenamed Rhea and Hera, were on the way this year. These codenames were mentioned alongside a display resolution of 336 x 336 pixels, the same as the original Fitbit Sense and Versa 3.
Analysis: Fitbit is keen to stand out from the pack
With the Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 and Apple Watch 8 also on the horizon, 2022 is about to get very interesting when it comes to big-brand smartwatch releases.
There’s no word on a release date for either of those watches yet, so it stands to reason that an early launch might be preferable for Fitbit: a fitness enthusiast who just bought a Versa 4 is unlikely to jump ship to Samsung anytime soon.
Based on the Fitbit Versa 3 and Fitbit Sense’s August release date, and Fitbit’s tendency to release devices on a two-year cycle, we weren’t expecting the new devices until later this year.
As far as we know, Fitbit won’t be using Wear OS, so no sweeping changes would need to be made to prepare the devices for a new operating system; and if the watches are ready to go, Fitbit moving their release date up to get a head-start on its competitors could prove to be a smart decision.
