Apple Watch 8 vs Fitbit Sense 2 Comparison

Many of those who have been using Fitbit wearables in the past decade know exactly the direction that the company is taking with its new products. In the last 3 years, we have seen Fitbit move from simple fitness trackers to advanced health monitoring.

Surely, it is a lucrative market, with the likes of Garmin and Samsung also throwing their hats in the ring. But Fitbit’s main competitor remains the Apple Watch. The two have been neck and neck for a while now, with each device having its own set of features that make it unique.

In this post, we will compare Fitbit Sense 2 vs Apple Watch 8 (both recently released) to find out whether Fitbit has managed to keep its edge, or if Apple has finally managed to take the lead.

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General Comparison:

	Apple Watch 8	Fitbit Sense 2
Release Date	September 7, 2022	August 25, 2022
Predecessor	Apple Watch 7	Fitbit Sense
Company	Apple Inc	Fitbit
Operating System	Wear OS	Fitbit OS
Compatible Smartphones	iOS	Android, iOS
Competition	Fitbit Sense 2, Ticwatch Pro 4G, Galaxy Watch 5/5 Pro, Apple Watch 7	Apple Watch 7, Garmin Venu 2, Ticwatch Pro 3, Galaxy Watch 5 Pro
Sensors	Ambient light sensor, High dynamic range Gyroscope, Accelerometer, Emergency SOS, Third-generation optical heart sensor, Electrical heart sensor, Blood oxygen sensor, altimeter, Compass	Multi-path optical heart rate sensor, cEDA, ECG, SpO2, Gyroscope, Altimeter, 3-axis accelerometer, Skin temperature sensor, Ambient light sensor, Vibration moto

Apple Watch 8 vs Fitbit Sense 2: Pricing

iWatch 8 comes in two models, the GPS only and the GPS + Cellular. The latter costs $100 more than the former. Also, there are two sizes available for each model, the 41mm and the 45mm, and you have to pay $30 for the larger iWatch for that large screen and battery size.

Fitbit Sense 2 is available in only one size and one model, the GPS only. The device starts at $300, the same as the original Sense when it was released back in 2020. However, the most advanced features are locked behind a $10 per month Fitbit Premium subscription.

If you consider the initial cost and the subscription fee of Fitbit, Apple Watch 8 is priced the same as Fitbit Sense 2.

Winner: Tied

Apple Watch 8 vs Fitbit Sense 2: Design & Display

	Apple Watch 8	Fitbit Sense 2
Dimensions	45mm: 45 x 38 x 10.7 mm,  41mm: 41 x 35 x 10.7mm	40.5×40.5x 12.35 mm
Buttons	1 button+ Digital Crown	1 Button
Weight	Aluminum: 45mm: 38.8g | 41mm: 32gStainless Steel: 45mm: 51.5g | 41mm: 42.3g	48 g
Colors	midnight, starlight, silver, graphite (PVD), silver, and gold (PVD), (PRODUCT)RED	Blue Mist/Soft Gold, Shadow Grey/Graphite, Lunar White/Platinum
Band Size	Not specified	24mm (M/L)
Casing Material	Aluminum, Stainless steel	Aluminum
Strap Material	Silicone	Silicone
Screen Size	45mm: 1.7 inches | 41mm: 1.4 inches	1.58 inches
Screen Type	Retina LTPO OLED display	AMOLED
Screen Resolution	45mm: 396 x 484 Pixels; 41mm: 352 x 430 Pixels	454 x 454 pixels
Screen Protection	Aluminum: Ion-X front glass | Stainless steel: Sapphire Crystal Glass	Corning Gorilla Glass 3
Always-on Display	Yes	Yes
Waterproofing	5 ATM (up to 50m) | Suitable for Shower, Swimming	5 ATM (up to 50m) | Suitable for Shower, Swimming

Interestingly there are many similarities in the design department as they share a similar squarical look, high-resolution AMOLED display, and swappable straps.

Both have a physical button(s) on the side for navigation. The iWatch has a digital crown and a side button, while Fitbit Sense 2 has only one physical button on the right side. Apple Watch 8 offers two choices in size (41 and 45mm) in sharp contrast to Fitbit Sense 2 which offers only one (38mm). The protection against water and scratches is pretty standard as both are 5 ATM certified.

The display on both devices is top-notch. However, the resolution on Apple Watch 8 is slightly higher. This gives the iWatch an edge when it comes to the viewing experience and the text is clearer.

Both watches are available in a range of colors and metallic finishes, you can pick the one that best fits your look.

Winner: Apple Watch 8

Apple Watch 8 vs Fitbit Sense 2:Smart Features

	Apple Watch 8	Fitbit Sense 2
Operating System	Watch OS	Fitbit OS
Connectivity Options	LTE and UMTS, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.0	Bluetooth, NFC, WiFi
Processor	S8 with 64-bit dual-core processor	Not Specified
RAM	1GB RAM	Not Specified
Storage	32GB	7 days of detailed motion data
Companion App	Watch	Fitbit
Contactless Payment (NFC)	Apple Pay	Google Pay, Fitbit Pay
Standalone Calling and Texting	Yes	No
Voice Assistant	Siri	Alexa, Google Assistant

Google acquired Fitbit in 2021, and since then the company has been working hard to integrate Google’s services into its devices.

This is most evident in the new Fitbit Sense 2 with the addition of Google Wallet, Google Maps, and Google Assistant. However, the watch is using Fitbit OS and not Google’s own WearOS, so there is little support for third-party apps.

Fitbit Sense 2 can make Bluetooth calls and send pre-written text messages, however, its users might experience some issues when it is paired with iPhone. Also, the watch can make contactless payments and stream music on Deezer.

Despite these smarts, Fitbit Sense 2  is way behind the Apple Watch when it comes to features. Apple Watch 8 offers true standalone calling, Apple Pay, Spotify support, Siri, and access to a plethora of third-party apps that include Strava, Headspace, Nike Run Club, Myfitnesspal, and more.

In addition to the sheer number of features, iWatch runs on the best operating system for smartwatches, the WatchOS. The user interface is intuitive and the performance is buttery smooth.

Winner: Apple Watch 8

Apple Watch 8 vs Fitbit Sense 2:Fitness Features & Health Tracking

	Apple Watch 8	Fitbit Sense 2
Heart Rate Tracking	Yes	Yes
Sleep Monitoring	Yes (Advanced)	Yes (Advanced)
Stress Tracking	Yes	Yes
ECG Monitoring	Yes	Yes
Blood Oxygen Saturation (SpO2) monitoring	Yes	Yes
Workouts	30+	25+
Automatic Workout Tracking	Yes	Yes
GPS Tracking	L1 GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, QZSS, and BeiDou	Yes + Glonass

The Apple Watch 8 and Fitbit Sense 2 both have a dedicated FDA-approved ECG app, so they can alert you of any irregular heartbeats. Both smartwatches can also measure your blood oxygen level (SpO2) and help you track your sleep quality. Other common health monitoring features include stress, heart rate, and menstrual tracking.

Fitbit Sense 2 added a new continuous EDA sensor that can track your electrodermal activity (EDA), which is a measure of your body’s stress response. The watch will vibrate to notify you when it detects a high level of EDA. Like Fitbit Sense 2, Apple Watch 8 also has a temperature sensor dedicated mainly to women ‘s health tracking.

Fitbit takes the lead when it comes to performance optimization and training. The watch offers better guidance and coaching than the Apple Watch 8, thanks to the Fitbit Coach+ service within the Fitbit app.

The service provides on-demand workouts, personalized recommendations, and live classes that you can follow on your wrist. The watch also smartly combines raw metrics to give you a more accurate picture of your workout and recovery (Daily readiness score, Activity Zone Minutes).

On-board GPS is another similarity between the two devices. However, Apple Watch 8 uses multi-band or dual frequency GPS technology, which means more accurate tracking when you are running outdoors. There are a plethora of workout profiles available on these watches, but the addition of advanced running metrics in the new WatchOS9 has tilted the balance in favor of the iWatch.

Winner: Tied

Apple Watch 8 vs Fitbit Sense 2: Battery Performance

	Apple Watch 8	Fitbit Sense 2
Battery Type	lithium-ion	lithium-ion
Expected Battery Performance	Up to 18 hours+36 hours in basic mode	Almost 6+ days
Fast Charging Support	Yes	Yes

Fitbit Sense 2 follows the footsteps of the original Sense and offers an excellent battery life. With regular use, you can expect the device to last around 6 days in the smartwatch mode on a single charge. On average,  you can get 3-4 of performance with the always-on display turned on.

Apple Watch 8, on the other hand, offers 18 hours of battery life. This number is pretty much consistent with every Apple Watch released in the past few years.

Both watches offer fast charging support so that you can juice up the battery in a matter of minutes. More importantly, a 10 minutes charge on each watch is enough to track your sleep for a night.

Winner: Fitbit Sense 2

Apple Watch 8 vs Fitbit Sense 2: Final Verdict

Fitbit Sense 2 manages to maintain the edge over the Apple Watch 8 in terms of battery life and health tracking. In almost all other departments, the iWatch comes out on top. The new WatchOS9 is a step up from the previous version in terms of performance and features. However, it remains to be seen how it delivers in real-time conditions. We will update this verdict as soon as we get more details on Apple Watch 8.