Latest news with #Versa3
Forbes
16-04-2025
- Forbes
Fitbits Owners Are Losing A Key Smart Feature
Fitbit Versa 3 In the latest story of Fitbit's decline, Google Assistant support is being wound down in the company's wearables. Users on Reddit report their Fitbit watches are displaying a message notifying them Assistant support is due to end. 'Google Assistant on Fitbit watches is being turned down, this feature will stop working in the coming weeks,' the message reads. If you own a Fitbit watch, you may be wondering where this feature is in the first place. It only ever launched on the Fitbit Sense and Versa 3, which were introduced in 2020. This feature discontinuation might be seen as part of Google's shift away from Assistant, towards using Gemini as an umbrella under which its smart features sit. But Versa 3 and Sense owners don't get access to a Gemini assistant, they only lose the original. As noted by 9to5Google, this change was actually signalled by Google last year, when it announced voice control for the Versa 3 and Sense were due to be discontinued. The newer Fitbit Sense 2 and Versa 4 never had any smart assistant features, despite being sold in as an upgrade to the original Sense and Versa 3. 'In regards to the voice assistant, let me share currently there are no plans to deploy Google Assistant on Sense 2 or Versa 4. I understand how much you'd like to have this feature available and we look forward to bringing this feature to future devices,' a Fitbit moderator wrote on the Fitbit community forum shortly after the watches' launch in 2022. These watches were released after Google's acquisition of Fitbit was completed, and dimming down the Versa and Sense lines smarts may have been seen as a way to avoid in-house competition with the Pixel Watch family. In August 2024, Google denied having discontinued Fitbit watches, following news production of new Sense 2 and Versa 4 models had ceased. You'll no longer find either on the Google Store, just the Fitbit Charge 6 and Inspire 3. Google's Gemini assistant is expected to come to Wear OS watches, including the Pixel Watch 3, in the next major software update.
Yahoo
22-02-2025
- Yahoo
Fitbit Sense and Versa 3 users are reeling after Google's overheating fix
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Fitbit Sense and Versa 3 users have started to report issues following Google's mandatory patch. Versa 3 reports on a Fitbit forum thread states the device is barely functioning for an entire day on a single charge; some have to charge it twice in one day. Users claim the device usually survived for five to six days on a charge; however, the recent patch has dropped that dramatically. In January, Google warned Sense and Versa 3 users of overheating issues and stated the fix could cause the battery to last for "shorter periods." Reports are springing up from Fitbit's past-gen smartwatch owners about a severe battery life issue following a recent emergency update. As spotted by The Verge, users on the Fitbit forums have started voicing their displeasure regarding a drastic drop in smartwatch battery life. The thread's original poster (OP) states that following Google's mandatory patch for the Versa 3, version 36.128.6.21, their device lasts "less than a day." While this is coming off a full charge, the OP explains they turned "everything off" on the device, too. This means their Versa 3's notifications, snore detection, vibrations, and more were all disabled to try and squeeze as much battery life out of it. Unfortunately, the patch is causing the watch's battery to drop and (the wrong) record speeds. The user adds it's made their watch virtually "useless" as they're unable to accurately capture sleep data or go for a run. Several other users chimed in, stating their Versa 3 is experiencing the same downward trend following Google's mandatory patch. One user claims they had to charge their watch "twice in one day" as it can't make it without doing so. Similar to the OP, one user said their Versa 3 would last roughly five to six days without needing another charge. Following the patch, they're experiencing disconnects, a lack of notifications, and more frequent required charges. The publication spotted reports about the Fitbit Sense on Reddit, too. It's not like the sudden battery changes are coming from left field as, in January, Google sent a warning to all Sense and Versa 3 owners about severe overheating issues. Both devices were getting far too hot to the point that they could cause physical harm to the user wearing them. The company informed users that it was working on a patch to "reduce the risk" of the issue. More importantly, Google stated in its announcement, "the battery will last for shorter periods between charges." Granted, the company was never clear as to how short "shorter" means for either device. Versa 3 owners are reportedly struggling to even go a full day on a single charge after reaching a maximum of six. Fitbit Moderators on the forum have reiterated the same statement made by Google in January, as well. Further, one moderator recently instructed a user to Google's Sense and Versa 3 compensation page due to their battery life issues. Like the company's original warning, it told users to provide information, and if their device qualifies, they would deliver $50 in compensation for the issues. If your device's battery life draining severely, perhaps you could do the same. Fitbit has a long history of overheating devices, beginning with its old Ionic smartwatches from 2022. Its second lawsuit came in 2022, as well, a couple of months after the first as users were getting burned by overheating devices.
