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Dec 2018 - VA3 vs Fitbit Versa Any Different

After years in the Fitbit ecosystem, my 5th Charge series device literally falling apart from normal office and gym use... It's been a year of updates and functionality changes at Garmin and Fitbit. If you were buying with your Christmas bonus money - is it the VA3 from Garmin or Fitbit Versa?

(Yes, I've read each similar thread, none are recent.)

Im an IT geek father of three, working on un-messing-up my body after a couple decades of IT and consulting food, alcohol, travel, and stress.

I need basic to intermediate stats, swim 2x week and need to track lap pace and overall session length/time. Elliptical 1x week and indoor or outdoor walk/run 2x.

I care less about tracking lifts with this. Use the right tool for that. This ain't it. HRM and RHR accuracy count.

Need a few days to a charge, expect easy sync to phone, and stats to MyFitnessPal. Sync to other systems like Samsung health or google fit a bonus. Moderate durability wanted and so far not found with the last few generations of fitbit.

Couldn't care less about music on my watch, my smart phone goes everywhere with me but the pool.

What do you think - a year and a bunch of updates after release, which would you buy today?

0 WayneAnderson over 6 years ago

This may be why it's working for my wife and not for you. I guess it doesn't have anything to do with her custom stride length. This is from the support website.

Indoor Activities The vívoactive® 3 device can be used for training indoors, such as running on an indoor track or using a stationary bike. GPS is turned off for indoor activities.

When running or walking with GPS turned off, speed, distance, and cadence are calculated using the accelerometer in the device. The accelerometer is self-calibrating. The accuracy of the speed, distance, and cadence data improves after a few outdoor runs or walks using GPS.

TMK17 from an expectations standpoint, what should I plan on for the “accurizing” phase? A week? Couple?

Is there any indication from Garmin on what the lifecycle for the VA3 is? Do we know how long updates will come for the device? Upside of buying a device a year old - it’s mid cycle, with updates taking out some of the initial bugs. Downside of buying a device a year old, I feel fairly comfortable betting a paycheck on the replacement coming out - announce mid 2019 and release fall 2019. It would be nice to know that a lifecycle is out there for basic bug fixes coming for some period of time and service support for at least 2 years from now.

0 Former Member over 6 years ago

And what % error on this screen ? still same walk (1.31kms ) 1851 steps for 20 meters . (Some others pictures has 0.86 kms some others 0.92......)

Do you think I'm going to do the math for every picture you post? You posted 1.05km on a 1.31km walk and said it was off by 25-30%. That was incorrect. If you had other examples where it was off by 25-30% or more, than you should have posted that information and not the numbers you initially provided. Reader's of your post can only go by the information you provide them.

0 Former Member over 6 years ago

WayneAnderson I can't give you an answer about updates or life expectancies. I bought a FR235 the day it was released in 2015. Updates are seldom and its still going strong. I have a FR935 now. It's nearly 2 yrs old and updates are regular. Garmin has a tendency to release newer models every 2 years, but that's not set in stone. The Fitbit Versa was 6 months behind the VA3, so you may have the same concerns there too.

0 SylvainGa over 6 years ago

@ WayneAnderson, the same day I got my VivoActive 3, my VivoActive HR that I got in December 2016 got its newest update. Mind you it was several months since the last update but they are still happening. They even implemented a feature that bugged many for not having, which is manual setting for intensity minutes.

0 WayneAnderson over 6 years ago

Figured I would circle back - I jumped in with a black/gray VA3. Like the "stronger" look of the case rim on the VA3 vs VA3M, and since I generally hate the instability of BT audio, and my smartphone carries gigs of music ....

Worst case, I don't like the experience and abscond with my wife's versa when she gets it and stops using it a month into new year resolutions....

Thinking I may write a watch face. Perhaps a take-off of the DW-6900 from Casio's G-Shock line, with a few fitness stat overlays.