Hands-On

Fitbit Versa hands-on: A better smartwatch attempt?

Is this your next wearable?

Published

April 24, 2018

Isa Rodriguez

Fitbit’s second attempt at smartwatches is looking (and feeling) pretty good.

A sequel to the Fitbit Ionic, the Fitbit Versa is the company’s newest addition to its wearables roster. It has a more discreet look and the promise of an updated interface. Will this finally be Fitbit’s successful venture into the smartwatch space? I recently got hold of the device and here are initial reactions to the brand’s newest device.

The looks department

Let me cut to the chase: I love how the Versa looks.

My main gripe with the Ionic is that I simply hated how it looked. The Versa doesn’t share that same sentiment — this beautiful tiny thing sits perfectly on my wrist and I enjoy wearing it as much as I enjoy looking at it to check the time, steps, notifications, you name it.

It’s simple and sleek; some would argue it’s reminiscent of the Apple Watch, but whatever, it looks good and it comes with a rose gold face.

There’s also a black and gray face with matching serious-looking straps but, of course, I went for the more colorful option. This face usually comes with a pink silicone strap but the Limited Edition Versa comes with a lavender woven strap like this.

By the way, speaking of straps, there are so many strap options in different colors and materials! Unfortunately, not all regions have these straps in stores as of now.

Navigation

There are three buttons on the device: back button on the right and two shortcut buttons on the left.

Gestures are still a thing, but this has been tweaked from the previous device. A swipe down now brings you notifications, a swipe up gives you the day’s summaries, and a swipe right leads you to the menu where you can access different apps.

Everything is smooth, quick, and responsive. The screen has seamless transitions, colors are bright, and details are pretty crisp.

What can it do?

It still works the same way: Connect your Fitbit to the Fitbit app, set goals, and download apps to help you live that healthier lifestyle. The same Fitbit app functions are available — from here, track your sleep cycle, active minutes, steps, and even food intake. A health crowd favorite, the continuous heart rate monitor is another feature I love and battery time is estimated at a whopping three to four days, despite this running in the background.

Of course, the Versa allows for smartphone connectivity which also means you get alerts on your wrist, so long as the watch is paired with your phone. Also expect to be able to do quick replies with the Versa, a function that wasn’t previously available on the Ionic. This feature is coming as an update in May for both smartwatches.

What I’m pretty excited about is Fitbit’s newly announced Female Health Tracking. This feature supposedly ties in info specific to women (*ehem* like your monthly cycles *ehem*) to the info that the wearable gathers which will make for more accurate data and predictions health-wise. I cannot stress how long I’ve been waiting for a feature like this! Though this feature isn’t available yet as of writing, expect it to roll out in the coming months.

Unfortunately, not all of these devices are created equal as not all are equipped with NFC. In the US, only the Special Edition watches are NFC-enabled. Good news for the European and Asian markets, though: All versions are equipped with NFC.

Initial Thoughts

At a hundred dollars cheaper than the Ionic, are there any compromises to this device? Will the overall performance be as good, or even better than the Ionic’s? Who is this wearable designed for? I’d have to spend more time with this smartwatch to answer these questions.

But, it’s been a few days with the Versa and I’m loving it so far. When you plan to wear something 24/7, looks matter and Fitbit finally seems to have caught on to this truth.

Of course, it’s not only looks that matter so I’d still have to do a full review on the Versa’s performance, but if you ask me right now, it’s looking pretty good — literally and figuratively.

The Fitbit Versa retails for US$ 199.95 in the US and PhP 13,890 in the Philippines. At that price point, this watch is looking even better.

Related Topics:featured Fitbit Versa Versa

Hands-On

OPPO Reno15 F 5G hands-on

More question marks than exclamation points?

Published

March 6, 2026

Manila Connoisseur

The OPPO Reno15 Series 5G made its way to the Philippines last month, and reception has been pretty great so far.

With a powerful camera package, AI, and a slew of upgrades, there’s a lot to love and not much negative to say. But that’s with both the standard and Pro models.

On the other hand, with the Reno15 F 5G — the series’ supposed budget-friendly “lite” variant —there were more question marks than exclamation points.

I attack this piece once more from a consumer standpoint: shelling out PhP 23,000 to PhP 26,000 for a midrange smartphone that feels and performs like it’s a few notches below its segment doesn’t sound too pleasant.

Performance

With a Snapdragon 6 Gen 1 processor, the OPPO Reno15 F performs pretty much like any sub PhP 20,000 mid-ranger. It’s acceptable, but does not punch above its weight as expected.

No major hiccups for light and casual usage. But performance struggles a lot for demanding video games.

It also heats up significantly just 10 minutes into a title like Honkai: Star Rail. This is a stark contrast to the marketed 25℃ and up to 10 hours straight of smooth gameplay.

Although, the experience was still enjoyable with several wins and MVP runs in Call of Duty Mobile. It only means the F variant remains a more camera-centric phone rather than an a hard-hitting all-arounder.

As with other devices, the 7000mAh battery with 80W SUPERVOOC is a strong suit. You’re fueled from dawn ’til dusk, with much to spare. Recharging takes a breeze, too.

Display

The OPPO Reno15 F has a 6.57-inch 120Hz display, with a 92.8% screen-to-body ratio. At least, that allows you to focus on content on the screen.

Content leans more towards the cooler tone, so you’ll have to adjust it manually if you want a warmer or more vivid look.

The 397ppi pixel density is fine to ensure sharper visuals, while the 1400 nits peak brightness is helpful outdoors.

Camera

The device’s 50MP main camera captures decent quality. The color science leans on being natural anew, without being too dull nor washed out. You can pull off smooth portraits too.

I hardly used the phone for stills as I focused on videos, but here are some samples, on the occasions I was able to take the handset with me:

The 50MP front camera is an intriguing add-on, as it is capable of up to 4K video and a wide 100° field of view.

What this does is it essentially removes the need to flip your phone for the popular “0.5” shots. And the quality doesn’t get compromised given the pixel count.

Here are some selfies from different focal lengths:

To its credit, filming with the back camera at 60fps does look and feel smooth, although it can be improved.

Same with the front camera; and the zoom range can be switched from 0.6 to 2x without cutting the recording.

Although, it’s still best to use a selfie stick or small tripod if you’re just after talking head videos.

Speaking of which, here are a few I’ve made with just this device:

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But for travel and on-the-go captures, as OPPO markets for the series in general, even the Reno15 F can cover a lot of background along with your or your groups’ faces.

Make no mistake, there are some useful AI editing features here. In particular, AI Portrait Glow gives your raw capture an effect to make it look it was taken with flash.

I do not recall the device heating up as well when taking many photos or videos, so you can say it’s more optimized for that task rather than gaming.

Connectivity issues

Meanwhile, AI LinkBoost 3.0, as in the case of the OPPO A6 Pro, doesn’t seem to punch above its weight either.

Once, I also played Mobile Legends: Bang Bang and the session opened to a jittery start despite being on Wi-Fi and having a stable connection. I don’t know what triggered this.

Design, feel

We got the Aurora Blue variant which does kind of resemble the northern lights when you tilt the phone a certain way and when light hits its back panel.

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The cursive “Reno” on the large, protruding camera island gives it more style.

However, it’s all just aesthetics. On the downside, the phone is all sorts of slippery.

I couldn’t hold it properly without think of it slipping away from my hands; nor could I put it on my lap with confidence.

So I guess it’s good that it has structural integrity and waterproofing, because you’ll need that.

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The 6.57-inch body does have a good balance between being too compact and too large, like ultras and pro maxes.

It has a squarish body and has already adapted to the premium, aluminum frame look from the sides.

Is this your GadgetMatch?

Sadly, the OPPO Reno15 F 5G is a Swipe Left unlike its bigger, more capable siblings. There are plenty of plus points for the camera package but take that away, and I don’t see much difference between the Reno15 F and something like the A6 Pro.

Granted, the asking price of this phone will drop significantly in a few months. But throw in a little more, and you’ve got a legitimate mid-ranger that’s more on the premium side rather than the cheap end of the spectrum.