From The Verge: Fitbit has debuted two new smartwatches, the Sense and the Versa 3. The $329 Sense is the flagship option and is the most capable Fitbit wearable yet. The Versa 3 succeeds the Versa 2 and will cost $229. Preorders for both watches begin today through Fitbit’s site, and they’ll release in the US in late September.
Though the two new watches look similar, the Sense has a few more advanced health tracking features, such as detailed heart rate scans with atrial fibrillation (afib) detection via the electrocardiogram (EKG) app built into the watch (still pending FDA approval). In that way, it’s on par with Apple’s and Samsung’s recent smartwatches (though, Samsung’s EKG capability in the Galaxy Watch 3 isn’t available in the US yet).
Where the Sense stands out is with its stress detection features, which it’s pitching as something that’s crucially needed — especially in today’s increasingly stressful world. To take a reading, you hold your palm over the screen and start to breath. The Sense will measure your heart rate, and uniquely, your skin’s temperature will be collected with its electrodermal activity (EDA) sensor. If your skin feels hot, chilled, or clammy, the Sense might be able to make sense of why it’s happening over time. Fitbit’s app will score you on your stress level, with a higher score being better than a lower one.
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