Fitbit Sense
Fit for scheduled disassembly.
Fitbit Sense
The new Fitbit Sense competes against the Apple Watch Series 6, but what happens when the Fitbit gets sick? Well, that’s why we’re here today – to determine how difficult the surgery will be.
Major tech specs
• 1.58-inch AMOLED screen
• 4GB internal storage
• A new ECG function as well as a skin temperature sensor, and the standard optical heart rate sensor
• Wi-Fi, NFC, Bluetooth 5.0, and built-in GPS
• Water resistant up to 50 meters
• Also part of the package are a gyroscope, altimeter, three-axis accelerometer, and ambient light sensor
Key findings
• Like the Apple Watch, the Fitbit Sense’s ingress protection means the very thin gap between the display and the housing of the watch is lined with adhesive. Even with a heat gun and extremely thin prying tools, it is difficult to get the display to budge. A semi-unprotected OLED display underneath the glass and booby trap cables near the edge add to the challenge.
Though it is precariously placed, the display cable is long enough to allow us to lift the screen with ease once the hard part is done. Underneath we’re greeted by a small bracket fastened with tiny T2 Torx screws covering the connectors we need to disconnect – no problem for our Pro
Tech Toolkit.
• The motherboard doesn’t come out alone – the battery hitches a ride, lightly adhered to its underside. The battery is a 1.02Wh (266 mAh @ 3.85V) cell, slightly less potent than the 1.17Wh cell of the Apple Watch Series 6, and a far cry from the 2.16Wh cell in the Xiaomi Watch. We get the sense that this Fitbit is considerably less complex than any Apple Watch. That’s good for these repairs – battery, board, and screen are all accessible within a few steps!
• Two more brackets tucked up against the sides of the housing keep a few more key components in place: loudspeaker and pressure sensor on one side, and a microphone, vibration motor, and pseudo-button on the other. Apart from the vibration motor, all of these components connect to the
Far Left: Torx screws and connectors attach the motherboard.
Left: Even if you’re handy with a soldering iron, everything is locked in with some serious adhesive. sensor board at the bottom of the housing and terminate in soldered connections. It’s unlikely you’ll be able to remove it without damaging something. The edge around the display features two separated metal brackets for reading your EDA levels (electrodermal activity) and taking that ECG.
• While the opening procedure is far from ideal, most of the critical components in this Fitbit are accessible and replaceable, and disassembly is very straightforward. Unfortunately, some components are integrated into the sensor board, which is fastened with permanent adhesive. Let’s wrap up this quick teardown with a score…
• Repairability Score: 5 out of 10 (10 is easiest to repair). Watch bands are easily replaceable (though not standard issue). Standard screws are used prudently throughout the device. The display-first disassembly procedure means screen replacements require only a few steps, but those steps are difficult, and can easily damage the display. The battery is buried under the main board, but it can be disconnected immediately upon opening the watch, and is easy to remove once you get to it. Components underneath the battery aren’t modular, and will be very difficult to remove because of their strong adhesive.