The Fitbit Versa 2 and Fitbit Ionic are two solid fitness watches that get many things right compared to the rest of the smartwatch competition. The Fitbit Ionic is the older smartwatch that was first released in 2017. Surprisingly, it still holds up to today’s offerings and has plenty of value to offer.
However, the newer Versa 2 also seems like a compelling choice. It features similar design elements with the Ionic but notably has a more updated look and set of features that are more competitive with today’s offerings.
If you are shopping for a new smartwatch, can the older Ionic still hold up with today’s modern user demands? Or should you instead, head straight on to the newer and more updated Fitbit Versa 2? Keep on scrolling to find out.
Fitbit Brand Overview
Fitbit is an American fitness and health brand founded in 2007. With their innovative health-focused products, Fitbit spearheaded its way to the top of the wearable competition.
Fitbit’s smartwatches offer similar features to high-end alternatives such as the Apple Watch and the various Wear OS watches. But one edge that they have over their competitors is their background in health and fitness. With their watches, they can bring innovative ideas that help improve the lives of its users.
Specs Fitbit Versa vs. Fitbit Ionic
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| Brand | Fitbit | Fitbit |
| Model | Versa 2 | Ionic |
| Screen Size | 1.4” AMOLED Display | 1.42”(3.56 cm) LCD Display |
| Screen Protection | Corning Gorilla Glass 3 | Corning Gorilla Glass, v3 |
| Screen Resolution | 300 x 300 pixel | 348 x 250 pixels |
| Pixel Density Sharpness | 304 PPI | 306 PPI |
| Touch Type | Multi-touch | Multi-touch |
| Watch Dimensions | 40 mm x 40 mm x 12 mm | 38 x 45 x 12 mm |
| Weight | 40 grams | 30 grams |
| Watch Case Material | Aluminum | Aerospace-grade aluminum |
| Bezel Material | Aluminum | Aluminum |
| Watch Design | Rectangular, Curved Design | Rectangular, Flat Dial Design |
| Strap Size | 140-180 mm (small) 180-220 mm (large) |
140 – 180 mm (small) 180 – 220 mm (large) |
| Watch Colors | Black, Bordeaux, Grey, Petal/copper rose, Stone/mist grey | Blue Gray, Slate Blue, Charcoal |
| Water Resistance | Waterproof (5ATM) | Waterproof(5ATM) |
| Swim-proof | Yes, recommended | Yes, recommended |
| NFC | Supported | Supported |
| GPS | No(Connected GPS) | With GLONASS |
| CONNECTIVITY Wi-fi |
Yes | Yes |
| Bluetooth | Yes | Yes |
| SENSORS Accelerometer | Yes | Yes |
| Heart Rate | Yes | Yes(more accurate HR sensor) |
| Compass | No | Yes |
| Gyroscope | No | Yes |
| Altimeter | Yes | Yes |
| SPO2 | Yes | Yes |
| Elevation | Yes | Yes |
| Ambient Light | Yes | Yes |
| FITNESS TRACKING Sleep tracking |
Yes | Yes |
| Sleeps | Yes | Yes |
| Floors Climbed | Yes | Yes |
| Heart Rate Monitoring | Yes | Yes |
| Calories | Yes | Yes |
| Distance | Yes | Yes |
| Stress | Yes | Yes |
| VO2 Max | Yes | Yes |
| Blood Oxygen | Yes | Yes |
| Blood Pressure | No | No |
| Menstrual cycle tracking | Yes | Yes |
| Swim tracking | Yes | No |
| Underwater heart rate tracking |
No | No |
| On-screen workout modes | Yes | Yes |
| Triathlon mode | No | No |
| ECG tracking | No | No |
| Preloaded sport modes | Yes | Yes |
| Safety tracking | No | No |
| Battery Life | Regular: 5 days+, Standby: 8 days+ | Without GPS Mode- 4 days With GPS Mode- 10 hours |
| Battery Technology | Lithium-Polymer | Lithium-Polymer |
| Charging Time | About 2 Hours | 1-2 Hours |
| Charging Type | USB based charging dock | USB based charging dock |
| Compatible OS | Android v4.3+ iOS 9.0+ – |
Android v4.4+ iOS Windows 10 PC |
| NOTIFICATIONS Email Alert |
Yes | Yes |
| SMS Alert | Yes | Yes |
| Calls Alert | Yes | Yes |
| Event Reminder | Yes | Yes |
| Weather | Yes | Yes |
| Third-party Apps | Yes | Yes |
| MEDIA Audio |
mp3/mp4 | mp3/mp4 |
| Music Streaming | Yes | Yes |
| Bluetooth Music | Yes | Yes |
| Radio | No | No |
| Loud Speaker | No | No |
| Microphone | Yes | No |
| CLOCK FEATURES Time/Date |
Yes | Yes |
| Stopwatch | Yes | Yes |
| Alarm | Yes | Yes |
| OTHER FUNCTIONS Control camera | No | No |
| Music Control | Yes | Yes |
| Find Phone | Yes | Yes |
| Text Response | Yes(Android Only) | Yes(Android Only) |
| Answer Call | No | No |
| MISC Payment System |
Fitbit Pay | Fitbit Pay |
| Companion App | Fitbit App | Fitbit App |
| Customizable watch face | Yes | Yes |
| Interchangeable band | Yes | Yes |
| Voice command | Yes(Alexa) | No |
| Internal Storage | 4GB | 2.5 GB Available, 300+ Songs |
| Operating system | Fitbit OS 3.0 | Fitbit OS |
Design and Build Quality
Design Language
The Fitbit Versa 2, at first glance, looks strikingly similar to its predecessor. However, closer inspection reveals a few small tweaks which give the Versa 2 a more stylish look. It has a squircle shape (a hybrid shape of a square and circle) and features a single button on the left that serves as both the select and back button.
The watch has some pretty nice aesthetics and pairs well with premium bands. The wristbands are all interchangeable and have a strap size available in small size and large size.
The Fitbit Ionic, on the other hand, was going for a futuristic look inspired by space exploration vehicles; it has a square display with sharp edges. It may look out of place and may not fit everyone’s tastes, considering the minimalist options available in the market.
One design element that Fitbit has done with the ionic is the use of plastic and metal in its casing. This design allows more accuracy in its sensors and antennas while maintaining its solid build quality. The Ionic’s strap is made of a flexible and durable elastomer material.
🏆 #1 Best Overall
- Bluetooth 5.3 Call and Message Notification: Cillso smart watch features an advanced single-chip processor and sensitive microphone, enabling direct call making and answering. When you enable the "VeryFit" App to receive messages, notifications will be displayed on the smartwatch. Get all your messages and notifications (Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp, Instagram, Messenger, Linkedin,Skype etc.) sent straight to your smartwatch with intuitive customizable vibrations
- Built-in Alexa Voice Control: This smartwatch integrates Amazon Alexa's intelligent voice assistant, delivering a comprehensive hands-free experience directly from your wrist. Simply speak commands to instantly access news, weather, and calendar updates, set reminders, control smart home devices, and manage music playback. This full suite of voice-activated functionalities streamlines daily routines, enhances multitasking efficiency, and keeps your hands free for the moments that matter most.
- 1.83" HD Display and Personalized Customization: IDW26 smart watches for women men feature a 1.83-inch HDdisplay paired with 3D tempered glass, boasting a resolution of up to 320×385 for excellent image quality and high touch sensitivity. The 4-level adjustable brightness ensures clear visibility even under bright sunlight. Through the "VeryFit" app, users gain access to over 130 stylish watch faces and the ability to create custom designs, allowing for personalized expression
- 120+ Sport Modes and IP68 Waterproof: Fitness tracker supports 120+ professional sport modes, covering diverse indoor/outdoor activities like running, cycling, and soccer to suit all fitness levels. Equipped with high-precision sensors, fitness watch accurately tracks steps, distance, calories burned, and workout duration to help analyze performance and optimize training plans. With an IP68 rating, it's resistant to sweat, rain, and handwashing (Not for swimming or hot showers)
- All-Day Health Monitoring: Android smart watch is equipped with a high-precision optical sensor that supports 24h real-time heart rate monitoring, helping you stay informed about your physical condition. It also intelligently analyzes sleep quality, accurately identifying deep sleep, light sleep, and awake phases to help improve your sleep habits. Paired with its dedicated app, you can view long-term health trends and receive personalized insights to gradually develop a healthier lifestyle
Weight
The Versa 2 has a physical size of 40 mm x 40 mm x 12 mm, and it weighs 40 grams. In comparison, the Ionic has a physical size of 38 x 45 x 12 mm and weighs 30 grams. The Ionic is lighter than the Versa 2, but the Versa 2 is smaller.
Both watches should be comfortable to wear and should not cause any discomfort throughout the day, given their weight and size. The straps on both models are replaceable in case you want a different style or different material.
Screen Quality
Rank #2
- 【Superb Visual Experience & Effortless Operation】Diving into the latest 1.58'' ultra high resolution display technology, every interaction on the fitness watch is a visual delight with vibrant colors and crisp clarity. Its always on display clock makes the time conveniently visible. Experience convenience like never before with the intuitive full touch controls and the side button, switch between apps, and customize settings with seamless precision.
- 【Comprehensive 24/7 Health Monitoring】The fitness watches for women and men packs 24/7 heart rate, 24/7 blood pressure and blood oxygen monitors. You could check those real-time health metrics anytime, anywhere on your wrist and view the data record in the App. The heart rate monitor watch also tracks different sleep stages for light and deep sleep,and the time when you wake up, helps you to get a better understanding of your sleep quality.
- 【120+ exercise modes & All-Day Activity Tracking】There are more than 120 exercise modes available in the activity trackers and smartwatches, covering almost all daily sports activities you can imagine, gives you new ways to train and advanced metrics for more information about your workout performance. The all-day activity tracking feature monitors your steps, distance, and calories burned all the day, so you can see how much progress you've made towards your fitness goals.
- 【Messages & Incoming Calls Notification】With this smart watch fitness trackers for iPhone and android phones, you can receive notifications for incoming calls and read messages directly from your wrist without taking out your phone. Never miss a beat, stay in touch with loved ones, and stay informed of important updates wherever you are.
- 【Essential Assistant for Daily Life】The fitness watches for women and men provide you with more features including drinking water and sedentary reminder, women's menstrual period reminder, breath training, real-time weather display, remote camera shooting, music control,timer, stopwatch, finding phone, alarm clock, making it a considerate life assistant. With the GPS connectivity, you could get a map of your workout route in the app for outdoor activity by connecting to your phone GPS.
The Ionic has a 1.42-inch LCD display with a 348 x 250 pixels screen resolution with a pixel density of 306 PPI. The Versa 2, on the other hand, has a 1.4-inch AMOLED display with a 300 x 300 screen resolution and a pixel density of 306 PPI. Both watches have an always-on display.
Both watches offer a solid display that remains visible regardless of the lighting condition. However, the Versa 2 offers a newer AMOLED screen with deeper blacks and generally better picture quality than the Ionic’s LCD screen.
Both screens are protected with Corning Gorilla Glass. Both watches have a reliable touchscreen and physical buttons for easier navigation.
Build Quality
The Ionic and Versa 2 are well-built smartwatches that combine metal and plastic in its build. There have been no major complaints with these two watches, and Fitbit has a good reputation, so you can confidently use these in your daily activities. Both smartwatches are dust-proof and water-resistant up to 5ATM. They are also sweat-resistant and can reliably be used for sports and other outdoor activities.
Rank #3
- 【24/7 Heart Rate Monitor 】This blood pressure watch supports real-time dynamic heart rate, blood oxygen, blood pressure ,Sleep Tracking,temperature monitoring so you can know more about your physical condition.
- 【Sleep Tracking 】The Smart watches monitors your sleep and analyzes your sleep quality through Deep Sleep, Light Sleep, Awake stage, gives you a nightly sleep score in the app, leading a healthy lifestyle.
- 【25 Sport Modes Activity Tracker】you can select any number of sports modes in the app as your exclusive sports mode to record your sports data.can record all daily health data such as steps, distance, and calorie consumption in the App "Keep Health"
- 【1.10 inch AMOLED HD Touchscreen】 The durable stainless steel frame of C60 pairs flawlessly with the Skin-friendly fitness straps, while its 1.10 inch AMOLED HD Touch Color Screen design and multitude of invigorating watch faces blow you away any moment
- 【Smart Functions】An easy-to-use activity fitness tracker with various intelligent features. Including Call & Message Reminder,Remote Photograph, Drink Water Reminder, Sedentary Reminder, Female Health,Family Health, Alarm Clock, Stopwatch, Find Device, etc
Features
Both smartwatches offer similar features. They can both display alerts and notifications such as calls, text messages, app alerts, etc. They also have a stopwatch, alarm, and other general watch features. Additionally, they can also access Fitbit’s online portal (Fitbit’s platform that helps you monitor your statistics uploaded from your watch)
Additionally, both watches have Bluetooth music support, exercise tracking, and Fitbit Coach. The Fitbit Ionic and Versa 2 can also help locate your smartphone, which is always useful in case you misplace it.
In terms of the health tracking features, both watches feature achievements. This is similar to video games where you are given achievement badges for reaching your health goals. Additionally, this feature has a social aspect where it allows you to share achievements and compete with your friends’ high scores. This is a great feature to have since competing watches don’t usually tackle health and fitness using this kind of approach.
Both watches can store and play music files. They can also connect to Bluetooth Headphones/Earbuds that support Bluetooth 4.0. The onboard storage can also be used for storing offline music through Deezer and Pandora.
It is worth noting that the Versa 2 is compatible with Spotify while the Ionic is not. However, the Versa 2 only serves as a remote for the Spotify App on your smartphone. You cannot download music for offline listening like in the Pandora and Deezer App.
One notable feature that is missing on the Versa 2 but is present on the Ionic is the built-in GPS. You can connect your smartphone to the Versa 2 to compensate for it, but this is an additional step which may bother those who need built-in GPS support.
Of course, there are also some features that are only available on the Versa 2. One notable example is the Amazon Alexa Voice Assistant. Similar to other high-end watches like the Apple Watch Series 5, you can control key functions of the watch faster by simply using your voice. You will have to take note that you will need to download the Alexa App and set up an Amazon account to use this feature.
Take note that Alexa’s responses to queries are only shown in the form of text instead of the usual Alexa voice. This is understandable since the Versa 2 has no speaker, but this can be inconvenient in some situations where you can’t glance at your watch.
Additionally, the Versa 2 features a smart alarm that optimizes your sleep schedule. This feature works in conjunction with the sleep tracking feature to achieve the best results.
Software
Both devices are running Fitbit’s proprietary Fitbit OS. Like most of the mainstream OS, both watches have essential features such as customization via watch faces and downloading apps via the Fitbit Store. However, the experience will be a lot better with the Versa 2 thanks to its more modern and faster processor. Several apps, such as Fitbit Pay, also work better.
The Ionic is no slouch, but it will start showing its age when sitting side by side with the Fitbit Versa 2. The Versa 2 rarely encounters any lag and has an overall smoother performance. It is also compatible with more applications and will likely receive more future software updates and software support from Fitbit.
Rank #4
- Heart Rate and Sleep Monitoring: The Fitness Tracker monitors your heart rate automatically all day, and you can select manual mode through the App. The fitness Watch also monitors your sleep at night, providing a detailed analysis of your sleep quality (deep sleep, light sleep, awake time). It is a health advisor for women men in daily life.
- Multi Sport Modes with Activity Tracking: The fitness tracker features 9 sport modes like running, walking and more. Additionally, the activity tracker records daily steps, calories burned, walking distance and active time throughout the day. You can also set a daily steps goals through the App to track your progress.
- Smart Notification Reminder: You can get SMS messages, and SNS notifications directly on your wrist including Facebook, Twitter, Gmail ect. You won't miss any important calls and message and stay updated. Please note: the smart watch can not make calls or text.
- Long Battery Life and IP68 Waterproof: This smart watch only requires 2 hours of charging and can be used for 5-7 days continuously. IP68 waterproof rating can withstand daily sweat, washing hands and rainy day, allowing you to fully enjoy your workouts.
- More Functions & Compatibility: Fitness watch comes with multiple smart functions such as stopwatch, alarm clock, breathing guide and sedentary alert, enhancing convenience to your daily routine. The tracker is compatible with iPhone Android Phones which run on iOS 8.0 or Android OS 4.0 & Bluetooth 4.0 or above. Please note that it is not compatible with tablets or computers.
Health Tracker
Both devices feature an accelerometer to track steps and movement as well as a heart rate monitor on the rear to keep tabs on your heart. There is also the relative SpO2 sensor to track blood oxygen.
The activities are automatically detected in both smartwatches, along with other data such as elevation. Some of the available activities in the watch’s multi-sport mode include cycling, running, and swimming.
The only significant difference between the two is Ionic’s built-in GPS, which is absent on the Fitbit Versa 2. However, you can use a connected GPS from your smartphone for outdoor workouts if you want to track route and distance.
Fitbit is also introducing female health tracking features to its app. This functionality will be available to all Fitbit users through the app. Fitbit has made improvements to how data captured is presented, and both devices will now be able to display trends regarding your resting heart rate and step count directly from the watch interface.
Other sensors available in these devices include an accelerometer, compass, altimeter, SPO2, elevation, and ambient light sensor.
Connectivity
Both watches are compatible with Android and iOS that support Bluetooth 4.0. The Fitbit Ionic can connect Windows devices, but this has been dropped with the Versa 2.
Both watches support Wi-Fi connectivity. It allows the installation of more applications such as music streaming services. Additionally, The Fitbit Ionic and Versa 2 have NFC, which can be used for Fitbit Pay.
Both smartwatch wirelessly and automatically syncs to your devices—however, these lack cellular modules and ANT+.
💰 Best Value
- Stylish Design, Vibrant Display: The lightweight aluminum build blends effortless style with workout durability, while the vivid 1.97" AMOLED display keeps your data easy to read, even under bright sunlight.
- All-in-One Activity Tracking: The Amazfit Bip 6 fitness tracker watch offers 140+ workout modes including HYROX Race and Strength Training, plus personalized AI coaching and 50m water resistance.
- Up to 14 Days Battery Life: The Amazfit Bip 6 smart watch powers through your training and recovery for up to two weeks at a time - no nightly charging needed.
- Accurate GPS Tracking & Navigation: Stay on course with free downloadable maps and turn-by-turn directions. Support from 5 satellite systems ensures precise tracking of every move and fast GPS connection.
- 24/7 Health Monitoring: The Amazfit Bip 6 smartwatch provides precise, real-time monitoring of heart rate, sleep, blood-oxygen and stress, empowering you with actionable insights to optimize your health and fitness.
Battery Life
Battery life is where the Ionic and Versa 2 shine compared to other smartwatches. Charging the watch every night can be annoying and sometimes can hinder you from using it for sleep tracking.
The Fitbit Versa 2 has a battery life that lasts up to 6 days on regular usage and eight days in standby usage on a full charge. The Fitbit Ionic, on the other hand, can last up to 4-5 days with mixed-use. However, with a GPS mode, it only lasts up to 10 hours.
Both watches have a battery indicator that shows when the device has a low battery level. These watches have the same charging type and USB based charging dock.
Comparison Winner: Fitbit Versa 2
Despite being similar to each other, the Versa 2 is the clear winner in this comparison. It can do everything that the Ionic does but executes them better. It also has a more updated design and more future proof software experience.
It may lack some features such as the built-in GPS, but the added features such as the Alexa Voice Command will make up for it for some users. If you want a better Fitbit experience, then we highly recommend going for the Versa 2.