When the Fitbit Versa debuted, it filled a niche for people who wanted smartphone notifications but championed wellness first. It was a good compromise between the two, but didn’t deliver fully in either regard. The Fitbit Versa 2 is even more like a smartwatch than ever before, with Alexa and Spotify integration as well as an AMOLED screen. However, fitness insights come at a cost with Fitbit Premium, a new subscription service. The paywall for more detailed insights leaves much to be desired for data-hungry athletes, but the Versa 2 is still a strong contender in a crowded space. The Versa 2 looks an awful lot like the Pebble Time grew up to be an Apple Watch, albeit slightly wider and missing Apple’s rotating crown. The chamfered edges of the casing offer some distinction, but I couldn’t stop seeing an Apple Watch knock-off every time I looked at the Versa 2. Build quality is better than any knock-off though. It feels solid, lightweight, and well-crafted. The included silicone band ...

Affordable; Multi-day battery life; Native sleep tracking; On-device music storage; Intuitive interface;

Offers few insights (without paying extra); Can’t stream from Spotify; Looks like an Apple Watch knock-off; Alexa is largely useless;

You won't desperately need to upgrade your existing smartwatch to the Fitbit Versa 2, but there are lots of smaller improvements here that suggest it will be a top smartwatch for a lower price than a lot of the competition.

Fitbit Pay as standard; Amazon Alexa should prove useful

Only Connected GPS; Still has a thick bezel

Fitbit's Versa 2 isn't a huge upgrade from the original - in many ways it's just a modest "sidegrade" - but it still brings nothing but improvements. A year ago I called the original Versa "the best fitness tracker and wearable you can buy right now.

Lightweight; comfortable design; AMOLED and always-on-display; Microphone for Alexa and text replies; Fitbit Pay included by default; Outstanding 5+ days of battery life

Charging cradle is unappealing; Fitbit apps are subpar; No built-in GPS; Always-on display eats battery life

Fitbit's first smartwatch may have been the Ionic , but the company is throwing all of its resources behind the Versa . While the Ionic targeted serious athletes, the original Versa was more accessible in design, features, and price.

Solid; water-resistant design; Faster performance; New AMOLED display with always-on mode; Convenient quick-access menu for toggle settings; Fitbit Pay; and more; NFC for Fitbit Pay is now a standard feature; New voice replies for Android users; Good battery life

Cannot download Spotify playlists; No completely hands-free way to summon Alexa; Still no use of the SpO2 sensor; Switching watch faces is a painfully slow and convoluted process; No integration with Apple Health or Google Fit

If you were to buy the Versa 2, you should familiarise yourself with its limits. This is a smartwatch that will help you monitor key aspects of your health, including your heart rate, steps, sleep, and activity.

Does what it does really well; improvement in battery life

No GPS; not really for those looking for a running focussed watch; not really the big improvements people were looking for in the upgrade

Fitbit's Versa 2 smartwatch: a perfect bridge between smart watch and fitness tracker, is now just £159

A great smartwatch with all the bonuses of the great Fitbit app

Fitbit on Wednesday announced a bunch of new health and wellness offering, including some new low-priced smart scales, a premium health app service and - most importantly - a brand new smartwatch: the Fitbit Versa 2.

You can buy the Fitbit Versa 2 in as many as 6 styles for the watch and bands, of which two belong to the Special Edition range.