Smartwatches / Fitbit
Fitbit Sense 2
ECG and a unique stress sensor on any phone — behind the steepest subscription wall here.
Overall score 6.3/10
Pros
- + Works properly on both iPhone and Android with nothing gated by phone brand
- + The cEDA continuous stress sensor is genuinely unique in this comparison
- + ECG plus six days of battery, which no Apple or Samsung watch gets close to
- + Google is still selling and discounting it — around $200 direct — four years after launch
Cons
- − Daily Readiness Score, the workout library and Google Health Coach all sit behind Google Health Premium once the 3-month trial ends
- − No third-party apps at all — Fitbit Studio was shut in 2023 and EU users lost third-party faces too
- − 2022 hardware at a $249.95 list price, sold beside a $249 Apple Watch SE 3 with newer silicon
- − No blood pressure, no hypertension notifications, no LTE
- − Google will not replace the battery
Fitbit Sense 2 review: what the specs say
ECG and a unique stress sensor on any phone — behind the steepest subscription wall here. At $249.95, Fitbit's 2022 model sits among the cheapest we cover — the smartwatches we compare run from $79.99 to $799. It scores 6.3/10 overall, calculated from published specifications across 8 categories rather than from a subjective impression.
Its strongest showing is Ecosystem Freedom at 9.0/10 — the category's trap dimension: how much of the watch still works on a phone other than the maker's own. 10 means full parity on iOS and Android; 1 means one phone brand or nothing. The weakest is App Ecosystem at 1.5/10, which is the trade-off to weigh before buying: if that is the specification you care about most, one of the alternatives below will serve you better.
Worth knowing before you buy: daily Readiness Score, the workout library and Google Health Coach all sit behind Google Health Premium once the 3-month trial ends; and no third-party apps at all — Fitbit Studio was shut in 2023 and EU users lost third-party faces too. Every specification on this page comes from Fitbit's own documentation or a verified retail listing — where a figure is not published, the table says so rather than estimating it.
Specifications and price last verified . Report an error
Full Specifications
| Phone Compatibility | Both iOS and Android — Google states most phones running Android 11.0 or iOS 16.4 or newer. A Google Account and internet access are required for full functionality. No feature is gated to a Pixel phone. |
| Claimed Battery Life | 144 hrs |
| What the Battery Claim Assumes | Google's '6+ day' claim assumes the always-on display OFF and GPS used sparingly. Turning on the always-on display or tracking daily GPS runs pulls it well below a week; overnight sleep tracking is included in the claim, unlike Apple's. |
| Case Size | 41 mm |
| Display | 1.58-inch AMOLED with an optional always-on mode. Peak brightness is not published by Google. |
| Operating System | Fitbit OS (proprietary) |
| Third-Party Apps | Effectively none. Google shut Fitbit Studio in 2023, leaving Sense 2 and Versa 4 with third-party WATCH FACES but no third-party apps, and third-party faces and apps were pulled entirely for EU users in 2024. Fitbit OS is a closed platform with a shrinking gallery. |
| Health Features Enabled in the US | ECG app with AFib detection and irregular rhythm notifications, SpO2, skin temperature and the continuous cEDA stress sensor are all available in the US. There is no blood pressure and no hypertension notification. |
| Subscription Wall | The heaviest subscription wall here. The Fitbit app is now the Google Health app; Google Health Premium (3 months included, then paid) gates the Daily Readiness Score, the on-demand workout library and the Google Health Coach. Raw steps, heart rate, sleep stages and ECG remain free. |
| LTE Option | None — no cellular variant of Sense 2 exists. |
| Water & Dust Rating | Water resistant to 50 m |
| Battery Replacement | Google does not offer battery replacement for Fitbit watches; a degraded battery means a replacement device. |
| Connectivity | Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, NFC, Built-in GPS |
| Material | Aluminum case with silicone infinity band |
| Warranty | 12 months |
Compare Fitbit Sense 2 With
Cheaper Alternative
Apple Watch SE 3 (40mm, GPS, Aluminum) — $249.00
Premium Alternative
Google Pixel Watch 5 (41mm, Wi-Fi) — $399.99