In this post, I’ll be comparing two very attractive and well equipped smartwatches; The Gen 5 Calyle from Fossil and Versa 2 from Fitbit. While the Gen 5 runs on Google’s Wear OS, Versa 2 runs on proprietary Fitbit OS, yet these two smartwatches offer about the same features. i.e, each of these two is designed to track daily activity and help you manage your fitness goals, as well as offers music storage, voice assistant, notifications update and otherwise. The price range differs though, which is why this comparison between Versa 2 vs Gen 5 will help you decide which is a better smartwatch for you.
Fitbit Versa 2 vs Fossil Gen 5 Full Specs Compared
| Fitbit Versa 2 | Fossil Gen 5 | |
|---|---|---|
 |
 |
|
ABOUT DEVICE |
||
| Device name | Fitbit Versa 2 | Fossil Gen 5 Calyle |
| Device type | Sport/Fitness smartwatch | Classic/Fitness smartwatch |
| Predecessor | Fitbit Versa | Fossil Gen 4 Explorist |
| Successor | None | N/A |
| Date Released | September, 2019 | August, 2019 |
| Gender | Unisex | Men |
WHERE TO BUY |
||
DISPLAY |
||
| Display size | 1.4 inch | 1.28 inch |
| Display type | AMOLED | AMOLED (Always-on) |
| Display resolution | -- | 416 x 416 pixels |
| Pixel density | -- | -- |
| Display always-on | Yes | Yes |
| Input type | Touchscreen and 1 button | Touchscreen plus 3 physical buttons |
BODY |
||
| Shape | Rectangular/curved | Circular |
| Casing material | Aluminum | Stainless steel |
| Strap material | Elastomer | Stainless steel |
| Bezel Material | Aluminum | Stainless steel |
| Weight | -- | -- |
| Color(s) | Carbon/black Bordeaux/copper rose Petal/copper rose Stone/mist grey |
Black silicone/steel Dark Brown/black steel Smoke stainless steel |
| Dimension | 40 x 40 x 11 mm | 44 x 44 x 12 mm |
| Strap size | 140 - 180 mm (small) 180 - 220 mm (large) |
22mm |
| Screen protection | Corning Gorilla glass | Corning Gorilla glass |
| Durability test | ||
| Waterproof rating | Yes, 5ATM | Yes, 3ATM |
CLOCK FEATURES |
||
| Time/Date | Yes | Yes |
| Alarm | Yes | Yes |
| Stopwatch | Yes | Yes |
MEMORY |
||
| RAM | -- | 1GB |
| Internal storage | About 4GB | 8GB |
| Memory card slot | No | No |
MEDIA |
||
| Audio | mp3/mp4 | mp3/mp4 |
| Microphone | Yes | Yes |
| Loudspeaker | No | Yes |
| Camera | No | No |
| Music streaming | Yes | Yes |
CONNECTIVITY |
||
| Bluetooth | Bluetooth v4.0 LE | Bluetooth smart v4.2 LE |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Wi-Fi | Yes | Yes |
| Bluetooth calling | No | Yes |
NOTIFICATIONS |
||
| Calls alert | Yes | Yes |
| SMS alert | Yes | Yes |
| Email alert | Yes | Yes |
| Reminder | Yes | Yes |
CELLULAR CONNECTIVITY |
||
| Network Technology | No | No |
| SIM | No | No |
FITNESS TRACKING |
||
| Steps | Yes | Yes |
| Distance | Yes | Yes |
| Calories | Yes | Yes |
| Floors climbed | Yes | Yes |
| Sleep tracking | Yes | Yes |
| Heart rate monitoring | Yes | Yes |
| VO2 Max. | Yes | Yes |
| Stress | Yes | Yes |
| Swim tracking | Yes | Yes |
| Menstrual cycle tracking | Yes | No |
| Blood pressure | No | No |
| ECG Tracking | No | No |
| Blood oxygen | Yes | No |
| Preloaded sport modes | Yes | Yes |
PLATFORM |
||
| Operating system | Fitbit OS | Wear OS |
| CPU | -- | -- |
| GPU | -- | -- |
| Chipset | -- | Qualcomm Snapdragon 3100 |
SENSORS |
||
| GPS | No, (connected GPS) | Yes |
| Accelerometer | Yes | Yes |
| Gyroscope | __ | Yes |
| Heart rate sensor | Yes | Yes |
| Barometer | Yes | Yes |
| Compass | No | No |
| Pulse Ox. | Yes | No |
| Altimeter | __ | __ |
| ECG | No | No |
| Thermometer | No | No |
| Ambient light | Yes | Yes |
OTHER FUNCTIONS |
||
| Interchangeable straps | Yes | Yes, 22mm |
| Custom watch face | Yes | Yes |
| Voice Assistant | Yes | Yes |
| Compatibility | Android, IOS Check supported devices |
Android 6.0 (excluding Go edition)+ iOS 10.0+ |
| Payment system | Fitbit Pay | Google pay |
| Companion app | Fitbit App | Fossil Q app |
BATTERY |
||
| Battery type | Non-removable lithium polymer | Non-removable Li-ion battery |
| Battery capacity | -- | 310mAh |
| Est. battery life | Mixed usage: up to 6 days | Standby: 3 days+ Mixed usage: 1 day+ |
| Charging mode | USB based charging dock | Inductive charging magnet |
| Charging duration | About 1-2 hours | About 1-2 hours |
BOX CONTENTS |
||
| Fitbit Versa 2 | Fossil Gen 5 Calyle | |
| Classic wristband (both small & large) | Straps | |
| Magnetic charging dock | Inductive charging magnet | |
| Quick start guide | Quick start guide | |
Fitbit Versa 2 vs Fossil Gen 5: The Differences
- DESIGN
- Both Watches are Water Resistant
- Media and Storage
- Activity Tracking
- Fitbit OS vs Wear OS
- Battery Life
Of all the top smartwatches released last year, the Gen 5 and Versa 2 are two of the most attractive. Although, I like the design of Gen 5 more, I thinks it’s more prestigious and attractive than Versa 2. It’s oversized design and stainless steel bezel makes it bold and rugged. However, Versa 2 is a more comfortable smartwatch to wear judging from its lesser weight, more compact size, yet has a larger 1.4 inches display compared to 1.28 inches. AMOLED powers the display on both smartwatches which is vivid and very colorful, both watches also support touchscreen in addition to physical buttons of which Gen 5 has more.
The straps that come with Versa 2 is made of elastomer (Special edition comes with additional jacquard woven straps) compared to Gen 5 stainless steel straps. Mind you, the Gen 5 straps are also available in leather material. Moreover, you can swap straps on both watches with any compatible straps that are available in different materials.
Both smartwatches are waterproof with Gen 5 rated 3ATM and Versa 2 rated 5ATM. Versa 2 has a higher waterproof rating of up to 50 meters which makes it a better watch for you if you like to track your swimming activities.
Both Versa 2 and Gen 5 allow you to store your favorite tracks on the watch, but Gen 5 with 8GB compared to 4GB of Versa 2 will allow you store more of your tracks. Both watches also support streaming with select services like Spotify. In addition, while Google Assistant is on Gen 5, Alexa is the voice assistant on Versa 2. I think these are some of the most intelligent AI programs that can help you do tasks with your voice.
While a microphone is available on both smartwatches, only Gen 5 comes with a loudspeaker that enables voice calling by connecting to your phone Bluetooth. This feature comes handy in certain situations.
Both Versa 2 and Gen 5 are marketed as fitness-focused smartwatches and designed to track your daily activities and help you manage your fitness goals with the respective compatible apps. Google Fit indigenous to Wear OS smartwatches will help you manage your fitness goals on Gen 5, while Fitbit app does the same for Versa 2. Each of these two will track your sleep, heart rate, calories, floors climbed, steps and outdoor activities.
However, going by the share amount of activity tracking features present on Versa 2 such as stress management, fitness level, menstrual cycle tracking, blood oxygen and onscreen workout coach, I think it’s a more comprehensive fitness tracker than Gen 5 which relies mostly on third-party apps to achieve some of these features.
Both operating systems have something to write home about that tend to meet the need of the average user. Even though Wear OS isn’t there just yet when compared to Tizen OS or the new Watch OS from Apple, I still think it’s a more holistic OS than Fitbit OS which offers limited access to apps.
When Snapdragon 3100 was announced two year ago, it did come with some new features which included battery saver feature for Wear OS smartwatches. This feature allows the Gen 5 to last just about 2 days or even more, and with mixed usage, it’s about a day. This is far less than about 5 days long battery life with Versa 2.
Bottom Line
Versa 2 is a better comprehensive fitness tracker, it’s a better smartwatch for anyone looking for a smartwatch that can track your active life and lets you go longer from a single charge, while Gen 5 has more features that can improve your productive life.