What you need to know
- Fitbit’s latest update for the Sense 2 and Versa 4 apparently includes dynamic GPS to help reduce the device’s battery consumption.
- The new feature will use a user’s phone to track their movements instead of the smartwatch’s built-in sensors.
- The feature started to appear two weeks after the Pixel feature drop arrived for Fitbit’s trackers and smartwatches.
Fitbit’s latest update contains a new feature to help reduce power consumption. According to Fitbit, the latest update version 194.61 includes a new option for GPS tracking (via 9to5Google). The changelog states users will find a new “dynamic GPS” feature that allows their phone (when in close proximity) to record the GPS data for the Sense 2 and Versa 4 instead of the built-in sensors.
Fitbit states this option “preserves battery life on your watch” as a result if enabled. Fitbit explains that your watch will set the GPS type at the beginning of a workout. If your workout begins and the software does not detect your phone moving along with you, your smartwatch will switch to using its built-in GPS sensor instead.
This is essentially how dynamic GPS differentiates itself from the phone (connected) GPS, which allows a Fitbit tracker or smartwatch to use a connected mobile device’s capabilities exclusively. It’s a feature found on the Fitbit Charge 5 and one that would be of great use to the Pixel Watch (whose battery life isn’t that great), which only utilizes its internal sensors when GPS tracking during a workout is enabled.
In addition to the new battery-saving feature, the Fitbit devices are also receiving some features highlighted earlier this month as part of the first feature drop to include Fitbit smartwatches and trackers. Users gained the ability to view daily readiness scores and menstrual cycle tile information directly from their Sense 2 or Versa 4. However, keep in mind that not only do you have to install these tiles first from the Fitbit phone app, but a Premium subscription is also necessary to view this data.
Additional watch faces were included with the update, alongside the ability to switch the face from the smartwatch directly without needing to use the companion app. A new quality-of-life update was also packaged into the feature drop alongside several newly supported languages.
Lastly, the changelog simply mentions unnamed bug fixes and improvements wrapped within the latest update.
The Fitbit Sense 2 is an impressive fitness and health tracker that includes a a number of sensors and features to help you achieve your fitness goals. It also comes with access to Google apps like Wallet and Maps.
