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Fitbit unveils Sense 2, Versa 4 and Inspire 3 in smartwatch and fitness tracker refresh
Fitbit offers major updates to its Sense and Versa lines, and gussies-up the Inspire for good measure.
Fitbit quietly enables blood oxygen tracking on its wearables
Fitbit's devices from recent years have blood oxygen monitoring (SpO2) hardware, but they haven't used it -- until now. Users on Reddit and elsewhere have noticed that their Versa, Ionic and Charge 3 devices are suddenly (if sometimes temporarily) providing blood oxygen data to help track health issues like asthma, heart disease and sleep apnea. It's not clear who's getting first dibs, but it's not dictated by device type or Premium memberships.
Fitbit's next smartwatch could pack Alexa and an OLED screen
Fitbit said it would shift back to more innovative smartwatches after the Versa Lite floundered, and now we have an idea of just what it meant. Well-known leaker Evan Blass has obtained images of a future "Versa-class" smartwatch that clearly goes beyond the features of the standard Versa. Most conspicuously, it would support Amazon Alexa -- you could talk to your wrist much like you can with watches from the likes of Apple and Samsung.
Fitbit's updated smartwatch OS provides more fitness info at a glance
You clearly buy a Fitbit smartwatch for its fitness tracking, and the company wants to be sure you wring the most out of that tentpole feature. It just released a Fitbit OS 3.0 update for the Ionic and Versa that provides both more fitness info and enables more powerful exercise apps. You'll see more health info at a glance, such as a more detailed exercise view (including hourly activity and heart rate) and sleep data. You can quickly log your water intake and weight, too. Fitbit is also introducing menstrual cycle trends in early 2019 to help women track their reproductive cycles more effectively.
Smartwatch shipments grow 67 percent in Q3 thanks to Apple and Fitbit
The smartwatch market doesn't show any signs of slowing down, and it might have just hit a major milestone in the process. Strategy Analytics estimates that smartwatch shipments grew a whopping 67 percent year-over-year in the third quarter of 2018, with 10 million devices heading out the door. The frontrunner won't surprise you -- Apple is believed to have shipped 4.5 million watches (nearly a million more than last year) thanks to the debut of its overhauled Series 4. Fitbit proved to be the real upstart, through, jumping from zero to 1.5 million thanks mostly to the Versa.
Fitbit finally returns to profit thanks to the Versa
Fitbit was hoping it would return to profit after many months of losses, and it turns out that faith was well-placed. The wearable maker earned a net profit of $10 million for the third quarter of 2018, beating both its $2.8 million loss from a year earlier and the stiff 54.2 million loss from this spring. And it's not shy about why it went from red ink to black -- Fitbit mostly owes the recovery to smartwatches, and the Versa in particular.
The Versa smartwatch is saving Fitbit
There's little doubt that Fitbit's Versa smartwatch has sold well, but apparently it's selling so well that it might just dig the company out of its financial hole. Alongside its latest earnings, Fitbit provided a rosy outlook indicating that it expected to break even in the third quarter of 2018, and would return to "growth and profitability" sometime in the second half of the year. It didn't explicitly credit the Versa with the turnaround, but it wasn't shy about touting the importance of the newer, more affordable smartwatch to its bottom line.
Fitbit shipped 1 million Versa smartwatches in six weeks
The Ionic didn't do much to turn around Fitbit's ailing fortunes, but the Versa is faring decidedly better. Fitbit has revealed that it has shipped "more than" 1 million Versa smartwatches in the six weeks since the wristwear went on sale April 16th. While that's not about to make Apple break out in a cold sweat (Canalys estimated that Apple shipped 3.8 million watches in the first quarter) and doesn't guarantee a similar number of end-user sales, it's strong for a multi-platform smartwatch. It's also telling that Fitbit is willing to crow about Versa shipments in the first place. Companies tend to be quiet about smartwatch sales even when they're successful -- Fitbit clearly wants to show that the Versa isn't struggling like the Ionic was.
Fitbit's $200 Versa is a friendlier fitness smartwatch for the masses
Fitbit's first true smartwatch, the Ionic, was an impressive attempt that lacked the polish needed to make it great. That's often how it goes for first attempts, but Fitbit has learned a few key lessons and is trying to crack the smartwatch market once more. Its weapon of choice? The thoroughly leaked $200 Fitbit Versa, a wearable clearly designed to offer a little something for everyone. Fitbit's focus on health still forms the core of the Versa experience, but after some hands-on time at an event in New York, I left with the impression the Versa could be the hit Fitbit really needs.
Win a limited edition LG Versa Transformers phone from Engadget and LG!
We know what's been running through your head: "how do I go about winning that crazy Transformers edition LG Versa that Engadget reviewed?" Well, friend, here's your answer! Only 20 examples of this specially customized version of the Versa have been manufactured by LG to commemorate the launch of Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen featuring specially themed wallpapers, ringtones, and a one-of-a-kind design sure to fend off a Decepticon or two -- and we've been fortunate enough to be offered a unit to give to one very lucky reader. Read on to find out what you've gotta do!Special thanks to LG for providing the gear!The rules: Leave a comment below. Any comment will do, just keep it G-rated, if you know what we mean. You may only enter this specific giveaway once. If you enter this giveaway more than once you'll be automatically disqualified, etc. (Yes, we have robots that thoroughly check to ensure fairness.) If you enter more than once, only activate one comment. This is pretty self explanatory. Just be careful and you'll be fine. Contest is open to anyone in the 50 States, 18 or older! Sorry, we don't make this rule (we hate excluding anyone), so be mad at our lawyers and contest laws if you have to be mad. Winner will be chosen randomly. One (1) winner will receive one (1) limited edition LG Versa Transformers phone for Verizon Wireless. Approximate retail value is $750. If you are chosen, you will be notified by email. Winners must respond within three days of the end of the contest. If you do not respond within that period, another winner will be chosen. Entries can be submitted until Friday, July 17th, at 11:59PM ET. Good luck! Full rules can be found here.
Transformers Edition LG Versa hands-on!
There isn't much left to say about LG's Versa that we haven't already said, but we've gotta say that this limited edition Transformers one is pretty sweet. The custom battery cover has a cool themed motif with the movie's logo and Optimus Prime himself (itself?) and release date along the bottom, while the keyboard attachment has a reflective Transformers logo on the front and more branding on the back. The device itself has been customized with backgrounds and a new startup / shutdown image, but otherwise this thing's pretty standard. The coolest part may be the box itself, which is seemingly inspired by the Allspark, and is made out of metal and covered with glyphs like those seen in the film. Be sure to check out the gallery to see this thing up close and personal, and stay tuned for you chance to win this limited edition device in the near future!
LG Versa Gamepad hands-on
We've spent a week now fiddling with the LG Versa game pad module. How does the phone's first premium attachment fare? Does it amp up the gaming cred or join the ranks of ultimately forgettable peripherals? Unfortunately, we're inclined to think it falls in the latter category. Read on for full impressions.
LG Versa game pad module now available
If you've been getting bored of your Versa's QWERTY module, boy, have we got some splendid news for you: as promised, the snap-on game pad is now available. It slides along the back of the phone's body for storage (unlike the QWERTY, which requires that polarizingly-designed brown pleather wallet) and features an 8-way directional pad, four dedicated SNES-style gaming buttons, and the envy of absolutely everyone you've ever known. Grab it now for $29.99 -- you wouldn't want to be that one chump Versa owner who doesn't buy it, would you?[Thanks, Daniel]
Don't worry, it's not just QWERTY: Versa's game pad on track for next month
At this point, the Versa is little more than a glorified Glyde when it's in its QWERTY wallet (okay, that was harsh) -- but it looks like at least one other module is still on track for release. phoneArena has documentation suggesting that the game pad will go on sale for the rumored $29, which should help make the phone a formidable little entertainment device. Interestingly, rumor has it the pad isn't made by LG -- which leads us to wonder whether the company has made the Versa's interface specification available to third parties, which further leads us to wonder whether we'll see other devices using the same connector. Anyhow, unlike the keyboard, the game pad conveniently slides away when not in use, which is kinda nice, and it should be available around the first of April.
Verizon's LG VX9600 Versa hits store shelves today
Right on -- well, the predicted -- schedule, LG's unique Versa handset hits Verizon Wireless stores nationwide. We've specced, reviewed, and generally fondled this set enough to give us a pretty warm fuzzy feeling about it and if you've about made up your mind by now, plonk that cash down. Pricing is set at $199 on a two-year, $269 on one-year (both after online $50 rebate), and a whopping $449 if month to month is more your thing. Admittedly, while cool and we're really digging where it fits in the market, it is still a feature set and the off contract price is a bit heavy. If anybody has been dying to get their hands on this phone or picked one up today, do let us know what you think.[Via Boy Genius Report]
LG Versa hands-on
It takes a awful lot of ingenuity and creativity -- and maybe just a touch of dumb luck -- to come up with a unique, truly innovative phone form factor in the year 2009. Somehow, LG and Verizon have managed to hit that rare combo with the Versa, a full touchscreen bar that can be augmented with add-on modules for those times when function takes priority over form. Right now, the only module available is a full QWERTY keyboard -- a good first choice, we'd say -- and it's included with the package. Cool concept, yeah, but is it usable? Read on.
LG Versa heading to Verizon on March 1
If you're the type of individual who can never decide between the Cobb salad, the lobster bisque, and the sesame prawns and end up ordering all three, take note -- your phone has arrived. The long-rumored LG Versa lets you have your cake and eat it too by starting life as a full touchscreen slate, and when the time comes for some serious emailing, texting, or notetaking, you just snap on the included cover that includes a full QWERTY keyboard. The cover also features its own OLED display -- handy, since the Versa's 480 x 240 main display is concealed while the cover's closed -- while the phone itself rocks EV-DO Rev. A with tethering capability, a 2 megapixel cam with face detection and video recording, microSD expansion, and GPS. It'll be available starting March 1 for $249.99 on contract before a $50 mail-in rebate.%Gallery-45893%
LG Versa finds its way out of a Verizon box
At least on this Gregorian calender sitting here in the office, March 1st is still a few days off. True though that may be, it hasn't stopped at least one LX9600 (or Versa, if you prefer) from getting unboxed from its Verizon Wireless packaging. There's no indication of what truck this fell off of, nor if these phones may actually go on sale a few days early, but one thing's for sure -- this unboxer definitely did the honors in a high school cafeteria. Classy, no?[Via phoneArena]
LG Versa press shots, full specs, accessories in the mix ahead of March debut
The Versa could end up being one of the more fascinating North American devices to launch this year, and it turns out that Dooney & Burke agrees. New documentation arriving on our doorstep this week indicates that Verizon's launch of the unusually adaptable device will be supported by fashion accessories from Liz Claiborne and Dooney & Burke, not to mention the usual host of water resistant, sport, and plain leather cases to keep your multi-hundred dollar investment safe from harm. More importantly, though, we're seeing that it'll launch on March 1 in all sales channels for $199.99 on contract after a $50 rebate -- but that funky dedicated game pad controller will set you back another $29.99, and you better get it while the getting's good since it's labeled as a "limited stock" item. Can't get caught playing Monopoly without a dedicated 8-way pad, can you?%Gallery-44820%
Verizon rebate form further substantiates four new phones
We've had bits and pieces of this for days now, but it's finally starting to come together. Right in the midst of the year's craziest cellphone show, Verizon Wireless has outed its latest rebate form, which sheds some overly legitimate light on four presumably forthcoming handsets. Casio's Exilim C721, which we've already seen pictured, should arrive mighty soon alongside the LG Versa, Nokia 7205 Intrigue and Samsung's Smooth. Obviously, there's no definitive ship dates and prices listed, but considering that the offers are valid from February 15th through March 28th, we'd say your wild imagination can probably handle it from here.[Via phoneArena]