Fitbit Versa 4 vs Galaxy Watch 5: which watch to choose?

The Galaxy Watch 5 is an incredible wearable watch when compared to its competitors. However, as the successor to the Galaxy Watch 4, it’s a huge disappointment; upgrades are few and far between. Still, if you have an old Wear OS 2 watch you’re looking to replace, then you won’t find a better wearable for the Android crowd than the Galaxy Watch 5. The Fitbit Versa 4 is thinner and lighter than its predecessor, and with a focus on fitness, it offers more sports activity profiles than ever before.

This article gives you all the information you need to help you make the right choice.

Fitbit Versa 4 vs Galaxy Watch 5: Design

	Fitbit versa 4	Galaxy Watch5
	$150.15	$229.00

At first glance, the Fitbit Versa 4 looks very similar to the Versa 3, but there are some key differences between the two to make the tracker more comfortable to wear 24/7. Fitbit says the Versa 4 is the lightest and thinnest iteration of the Versa range, with a thinner device and a new raised band attachment to help the tracker fit better on the wrist.

The watch comes in three different options: graphite aluminium with a black band, platinum aluminium with a blue band and pink copper aluminium with a rosewater or beet band. As well as being lighter and thinner, the Versa 4 now has a physical button instead of the haptic button on the left side of the watch. Fitbit says this makes it easier to find and physically press the button during a workout, so you don’t miss a repeat.

Samsung has definitely opted for the “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” approach, and the only indication that you’re looking at a Galaxy Watch 5 is the updated collection of colours in which the device is available.

Silver and rose gold make a comeback, but they’re now accompanied by graphite and sapphire. To be honest, the Graphite option doesn’t look much different from last year’s Black version, but the Sapphire watch comes in a light blue shade that looks great on the wrist.

The underside of the watch has also been slightly enlarged to make better contact with your wrist, allowing for more accurate analysis of statistics such as your heart rate or blood oxygen levels. But there’s one major change hiding in plain sight: a sapphire crystal screen, which Samsung says is 1.6 times stronger than the previous panel.

Fitbit Versa 4 vs Galaxy Watch 5 performance

Apart from the discomfort of the included strap, the Fitbit Versa 4 performs very well in everyday use, with the crisp AMOLED screen displaying notifications, movement reminders and celebrations when you reach your steps or active minutes goal. It also detects when you move for an extended period of time very well and suggests you start tracking a walk for your records.

In terms of exercises, one of the main features is the doubling of the number of exercises tracked from 20 to 40. This sounds impressive on paper, but it begs the question of how many exercises you will actually use, and the type of tracking possible varies considerably from exercise to exercise.

You may have noticed the lack of features when Samsung officially announced the Watch 5, which was noticeably lacking compared to the company’s other products. For example, it was revealed that the Watch 5 would have a new temperature sensor built in, a feature that was added to Fitbit Sense to alert users if their body is showing signs of an upcoming fever.

Having this technology on the Watch 5 sounds great on paper, especially as wearable health tracking continues to move towards a more holistic approach. However, at the moment, the sensor is nothing more than a gimmick on the spec sheet. At the same presentation, Samsung mentioned that the sensor would improve the overall accuracy of the watch’s tracking features, but that it would work with developers to find practical uses for the technology in the future.

	Fitbit versa 4	Galaxy Watch5
	$150.15	$229.00

Which smartwatch has the best battery life?

Fitbit claims that the Fitbit Versa 4’s battery life is over six days. Fitbit also mentions that the Versa 4 will have a quick charge feature, giving you a full day’s worth of battery life in 12 minutes.

Instead of major new features, Samsung has done the one thing that will always turn smartwatch users’ heads: improve battery life. The Galaxy Watch 5 goes from 361mAh to 410mAh which, coming from an Apple Watch SE that requires a daily charge, is certainly a welcome upgrade. Samsung claims that you can go from a dead battery to 45% in 30 minutes.

Also check out:

• The best connected watches at less than 100 euros
• Galaxy Watch 5 problems and solutions