Fitbit Versa 4 : Smart Feature Ability Is Very Good.
When it comes to smart features the Versa 4 offers a little more than what the Inspire 3, Charge 5 and Fitbit Luxe has to offer. In my opinion the Versa 4 offers very useful smart features that you can use every day.
If you are not yet familiar with the term smart features, then you should know that they refer to the ability to use our device in everyday situations with some form of automation. It may sound a little bit technical, but once you read through my article, you will understand exactly what I mean. Here are my final results for the Fitbit Versa 4.
| Level | Score |
| Beginner | 5/5 |
| Intermediate | 3/5 |
| Advanced | 3/5 |
| Final Score | 11/15 |
The final score of the Fitbit Versa 4 is 11 out of 15, which is an excellent score, in my opinion. The Versa 4 provides basic, intermediate, and advanced level features. This article will delve into each category, the methodology used to arrive at the final score, and provide a bonus category which ranks the Fitbit Versa 4 against its competitors in the market.
Versa 4 Offers Everything At A Basic Level : 5 out of 5
When it comes to the basic level of smart features, the Fitbit Versa 4 performs exceptionally well and deserves its 5 out of 5 score. In my opinion, these are the fundamentals of any smart watch or fitness tracker and should be the base level features that all devices should have. Let me share with you what I test for at a basic level for smart features.
- Ability to find your phone
- Ability to set alarm or timer
- Ability to reply to messages with preset messages
- Do not disturb ability
In order to gain a point in my rating system, the features must be reliable. I have used each feature 4 times and it works really well, except for the find the phone feature because it worked three out of the four times I used it. I did find out that I had too many watches connected via Bluetooth, so I unpaired a few of my watch’s and it worked well. This has always been an issue since this new feature was introduced last year.
The other good thing too is that Alexa can activate these basic smart features so it saves you from manually activating the feature. Each one performed really well when Alexa assists you and I have used Alexa four times on each basic feature and it worked really well. So if you are someone that uses these types of features a lot, then I think you will enjoy the experience very much.
Versa 4 Offers Some Intermediate Features : 3 out of 5
What can I say the Versa 4 performed really well at intermediate level and I was very surprised to say the least. I was surprised in a good way because I initially thought that the Versa 4 didn’t really offer much, but after put the device through my testing system, my mind changed instantly. Let me show you what I test for and point out what features that the Versa 4 does not offer.
| Available | Not Available |
| Ability to answer phone calls | Ability to lock out water |
| Ability to talk back to watch user | Ability to contact emergency contact |
| Ability to improve time management | Ability to make phone calls |
| Contactless payment | Ability to control music |
| Ability to save battery life |
The good thing about the Versa 4 is that it earnt every point without dropping any and deserves it’s 3 out of 5 rating. I have used each feature that’s available four times and each one performed really well. Then again I guess it depends on where you are living in the world, so I can only share my experience living in New Zealand.
The ability to answer calls is very reliable and your phone must be in Bluetooth range for it to work. Also you cant talk directly back into the device when you answered the phone call, instead you will be activating the call from your phone. Which is why your phone needs to be in Bluetooth range.
Ability to talk back to user, kind of works like a digital assistant and in this case Alexa. Alexa is a for of artificial intelligence (AI), and the talking back to the user helps to get the user engaged for a better experience with the watch, without the hassle of going through manuals or video tutorials on how to operate it. In my experience it worked really well.
Ability to improve time management is done via Alexa. Some devices have a calendar that can sync with the watch. In the case of the Versa 4, this isn’t manually done and Alexa can help manage your time when needed. Simply ask Alexa to remind you on upcoming birthday’s, doctor appointments or create a task list. Such a useful feature in this day in age, but definitely performed really well reliably.
Contactless payment works really well. I use this feature nearly everyday and it works without any issue here in New Zealand. Ever since Fitbit pay was replaced with google wallet last year, the contactless payment experience is even better. I can only speak from my own experience here in New Zealand.
Versa 4 Offers Something at Advanced Level : 3 out of 5
The Versa 4 performed really well at advanced level stage, I still have to do more test’s to validate my score. I will explain more about this in detail, but here is what I test for at advanced level smart features, including the features that are available and is not.
| Available | Not Available |
| Ability to provide assistance (google, Alexa or Bixby) | Live stream to devices |
| Ability to provide direction (similar to google maps, Petal maps) | Ability to provide a magnetic compass |
| Ability to connect to smart devices | Ability to measure air pressure |
| Ability to use gestures to quick access features | |
| Smart touch ability(interact with watch for disabled persons) |
In the end the Versa 4 have 3 of the 8 advanced features, and surprisingly the Versa 4 performed above my expectations. The three advanced smart features are very reliable when in use so let me explain each one in detail.
Ability to provide assistance via Alexa is very good. Only issue is that it takes some time for it understand my instruction because New Zealand does not have it’s own language. The recommended settings is to use united states English, which works well. Use Alexa to start a workout, manage your time, connect to smart home devices and more. In the end, Alexa is very reliable to use with the Versa 4.
Ability to provide direction via google maps is very good. I use it when I am in a new town for the first time. Finding things while I am walking or cycling around the town is very useful. Your phone must be with you while you are using google maps, but I will do a full article on my experience using google maps in the near future. In the end it’s been reliable to use for me.
Connecting to smart device’s via Alexa took some time to set up. The only thing I own in my Home that Alexa can connect to was my vacuum bot. I managed to connect to the bot, set new times etc. So far it’s been very reliable but I will provide more reliable information at a later date because I only tested one device. Im going to purchase some items that Alexa can connect to, so will have an update at a later date. So far it worked well with one device, but that’s about it.
How Does The Versa 4 Rank In The Market
I think that this part of the article will be of interest to you. With a final rating of 11 out of 15, the Versa 4 does hold well over it’s competitors when it comes to smart feature ability. Please note that I have only just re tested all of my smart watch’s that I have to build this ranking table. Here are my results.
As you can see, the Versa 4 sits fifth on my rating table for now but sitting above it is the Apple Watch series and the Samsung Galaxy watch devices. It doesn’t mean that those devices have the advantage over the Versa 4. I think if you look over what I have written, and you find the features will be useful to you, then the Versa 4 is the perfect choice for you.
One other thing to mention is that any device that has a smart feature rating close to a perfect score of 15, there battery life isn’t the greatest. It’s kind of like a trade off, you can have all the bells and whistles at the cost of your battery life in a big way. If you are a heavy smart feature user, you will be charging your watch everyday.
Final Conclusion
Thank you so much for reading and I hope you have learnt a lot about smart features and what the Versa 4 can offer to you. To be honest, the Versa 4 really surprised me that it got a 11 out of 15 rating for smart features. Im so glad I developed a rating system that can provide you information from an unbiased point of view and not an opinion based on a feeling.
Now I look at the Versa 4 a lot differently now, you can add smart features as one of it’s stronger qualities, with health and simple functionality. I will be updating this article at a later date because I when I tested the device to connect with smart home devices I only had one device to connect to. I will purchase three more devices a share with you my final results. Hopefully the Versa 4 can still retail its score of 11 out of 15.
Lastly, if you are a heavy smart feature user, it takes it’s toll on your battery life. The Versa 4 on the other hand hasn’t suffered the same fate as the higher ranked devices like the Apple Watch o Galaxy Watch, and still hold it’s battery life a lot longer. Once again thank you for reading and I hope you found this article useful before you decide to buy.
