Fitbit Sense 2 at $199 makes it a compelling Pixel Watch alternative

Ben Schoon | Oct 31 2022 - 8:04 am PT

Google’s first true smartwatch lineup consists of three options between $230 and $350 which doesn’t leave a ton of room for each to be particularly different. This week, though, the Fitbit Sense 2 is down to $199, which makes it a compelling alternative to the Google Pixel Watch. Here’s why.

The Fitbit Sense 2 is usually a $299 fitness-focused smartwatch, and there’s quite a bit to love about it. It can track your workouts, has an ECG sensor, and has a lot of the features and sensors that the Pixel Watch is annoyingly missing.

Plus, the Sense 2 has much better battery life, lasting up to a few days on a charge, where Google’s Wear OS option often struggles to last through a full 24 hours.

But despite some clear benefits, it’s still hard to justify the Fitbit Sense 2’s price point. At $299, it’s just $50 less than the Pixel Watch, which has its own set of benefits. Google’s Wear OS has a better, smoother UI, and the watch itself has a more visually striking design. Beyond that, Google hindered Fitbit’s software in some big ways on the Sense 2, with third-party apps missing, and promised additions such as Google Wallet and Google Maps having no release date at this point. I’ve been using a Fitbit Versa 4 for the past few days personally, and the software experience feels like a massive downgrade from the Pixel Watch, and even prior Fitbit models.

At $199, though, this is a totally different story.

The Fitbit Sense 2 is a compelling alternative to the Pixel Watch at that price, especially if your focus is on things like workout tracking, sleep tracking, and overall wellness data. The Sense 2 is a better-equipped fitness device, where the Pixel Watch focuses a little bit more on the smartwatch side of the equation.

Rather than asking what’s more important to you, the question now becomes if the Pixel Watch’s additional features are worth an extra $150. Third-party apps, a more expansive watch face catalog, and the physical design are obviously a big deal, but are they worth almost twice the cost? Personally, I don’t think so.

An even better deal was the brief time where the Sense 2 was down to $80 on Amazon, but that has since sold out.

You can get this Fitbit Sense 2 discount at most major retailers, including the Google Store, Fitbit.com, Amazon, Best Buy, and more.