Fitbit’s new Versa 2 has an OLED screen and Alexa voice support

Fitbit has announced the Versa 2, and it’s a big step forward in the company’s quest to make a smartwatch that you might, for at least a few seconds, confuse for an Apple Watch. The glass covering Versa 2’s watchface spills elegantly over its sides, the number of side buttons has been reduced from three to one, and fewer complications on watchfaces give it a more premium look. Fitbit also (finally) got rid of its logo on the bottom bezel.

Inevitable comparisons aside, the Versa 2 seems to bring more than enough improvements and features to set it apart from Fitbit’s past efforts, as well as other recent smartwatches. It’s $199.99, the same price as its predecessor, and it features a new OLED screen as its most noticeable improvement. It’s bright, vivid, and the large bezels that wrap around it are tougher to notice than on the original Versa’s LCD display, but only if you’re using a clock face with a black background that hides them (most Fitbit-created watchfaces do).

Fitbit says that the Versa 2 should last over five days per charge, which is a small but welcome improvement over the prior model’s four-day lifespan. Something that will shrink the battery life is the new Always-On Display mode, which allows you to see a crisp, monochromatic view of the time, remaining battery life, and progress on a few vital metrics, like steps taken, without having to raise your arm up first. The Apple Watch, and most other smartwatches, require you to raise your arm or tap a button to turn on the display. Impressively, it can supposedly last multiple days if you don’t want to give this screen a break.

By lopping off two side buttons from the previous Versa, Fitbit wants you to use the Versa 2’s touchscreen more to interact with the watch. But it’s also hoping that you might use your voice since you’ll find Amazon Alexa support and a microphone added to this model. You can trigger Alexa by holding the Versa 2’s sole button. If you’re confused about not hearing Alexa’s voice chiming back, it’s not because it hasn’t responded; the Versa 2 lacks a speaker, so you’ll need to look at the display to see a response to your queries. Android users will be able to respond to texts with voice commands when the Versa 2 launches.

If you’re someone who is on board the contactless payment train, you’ll be pleased to know that NFC comes standard on the Versa 2, so this time around, you won’t have to pay more for a special edition that features it.

The Versa 2 shares a few traits in common with the original Versa, like the heart rate sensor and water resistance up to 50 meters of depth. Additionally, the Versa 2 is compatible with all straps released for the original Versa. Unfortunately, like the first Versa, the second-generation watch still doesn’t have built-in GPS, so you’ll need to lug your phone around if you want to log your runs and walks.

Fitbit used this announcement to detail two additional new features coming to its app in September. First is Sleep Score, an aggregate score that’s compiled by factoring your activities, and your overall time spent sleeping, including the amount of time in each sleep stage (light, REM, deep). Fitbit began testing this product last year, but it will soon officially release for the Versa 2, and all other Fitbit devices that use a heart rate sensor.

The other is Smart Wake, which is an intelligent alarm clock that finds the best time to wake you depending on your sleep habits. It won’t wake you if you’re in the middle of a restorative deep sleep, but it might wake you up 30 minutes before you’re scheduled to if the app determines it to be a time when you’ll wake up feeling alert and well-rested.

Along with the Versa 2, Fitbit also announced the Aria Air, a smart scale that is considerably cheaper than most other models, including its own Aria 2 scale. It’s $49.95, a price point that Fitbit thinks will get even more people on board.

This one works much like previous models, though its capabilities are pared down. It connects to your phone via Bluetooth instead of sending results to Fitbit over Wi-Fi, and it can track weight and body mass index (BMI). The Aria 2 costs $80 more than the Aria Air. If you’re okay with a scale that doesn’t look or feel as premium and can’t track body fat percentage, which is admittedly a pretty important metric for some people, this cheap scale might fit the bill nicely.

The Fitbit Versa 2 is available for preorder now for $199.95, and it will release on September 15th. A $229.95 special edition will release the same day, and it features two straps (one silicone, one woven) as well as a 90-day trial to Fitbit Premium.