Getting healthy is a goal that everyone should achieve. We are now living in a more sedentary lifestyle, so getting up and at ‘em to be a healthier person is a must. Technology is helping, as people as a whole are getting less exercise nowadays - hence a fitness accessory can serve as a tool to remind and motivate them to keep fit and healthy. The Samsung Gear Fit2 has all the basic fitness features, is it enough for the professional sportpersons or athletes or is meant more for the general user? We find out below.
Design – Light and Comfortable with a sharp display
Looks good on the wrist, doesn't it?
The Samsung Gear Fit 2 is the second generation curved screen health and fitness tracker developed by Samsung. The curved screen on the device makes it very natural to wear around the wrist, and it is comfortable to wear – even for long periods of time.
Easy to access buttons
While the locking mechanism on the strap may look a bit flimsy – don’t worry. The strap actually straps on tight. Even after some vigourous exercise with the Fit 2 – we did not see any problems thus far with the strap detaching mid stride while jogging or while using the stair machine. In saying so, we do feel that the strap is more for your daily exercise routines – not for extreme hiking as the strap does detach easily by just rubbing it the wrong way while in motion.
The Samsung Gear Fit 2 in its wireless charging cradle
You can just see the charging pins at the back of the Fit 2 here
To charge the Fit 2, Samsung has included a wireless charging dock, so one can just drop the wearable into the dock and it will charge wirelessly. Using the Fit 2 outdoor is a pleasure as the screen is bright and clear – even under the harshest sunlight possible. This shows the power of the Super AMOLED display that Samsung has opted to use on this device.
The interface at a glance
The touch performance is also good – every touch, swipe and scroll was fast and responsive, without any loss of accuracy. It even has IP68 rating so this can be used while on the beach and in the surf with no problem at all.
Tech Specs – Light in weight doesn’t mean compromised
The specs of the Samsung Gear Fit 2 are as follows:
- 1.5-inch touch curved display (super AMOLED @ 216 x 432 pixels)
- Dual-core processor @ 1GHz
- 512MB RAM
- 4GB storage
- 200mAh battery
- GPS, Heartrate monitor, Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Barometer
- Compatible with Android 4.4+ with minimum 1.5GB of RAM
- IP68 rating (water and dust proof)
As you can see, the Gear Fit 2 is one of the better equipped wearables in the market, and it shows in its feature list that it can withstand just about any medium-level scenario exercise routine. The curved super AMOLED screen is also unique among the fitness wearable devices out there as it offers both colour and high-resolution details.
The partner app features a wealth of information that is generated from data in the Fit 2
Accessing the data that is in the Fit 2 is easy – just pair it with your smartphone. The partner app will help transfer data from the wearable to your smartphone to give users full access over their data. When paired to the smartphone, the Fit 2 can make use of the phone’s GPS functionality to see the full map details of your route. The data stored can show you the route you taken right on the Fit 2’s screen.
Seriously - a lot of data
One feature that we would like to showcase is the heart rate interval recording feature. The Fit 2 will record your heartrate while you are wearing it, and then will give you data on the status of your blood pumping organ. This feature may be very helpful for those with a heart condition, or who just want to monitor their heartrate regularly. Check out the feature in motion right here:
We like that the menu is very user friendly – a function is just a swipe away from the home screen. It has several pre-installed apps that you can run, as well as several more apps that you can install straight into the Fit 2. There is 4GB of built-in memory that can support the apps, as well as music if you want to load up tunes for your next run. The AMOLED screen is an always-on display, which makes sense as it is also a capable time keeper for your daily use.
You get notifications and exercise goals for you to achieve
One feature that is appreciated with the Fit 2 is that the wearable will remind you when to do your workout – it will remind you that you need to walk around if you have sat down for long periods of time, and it even gives you encouragements when you have reached your set goal. How nice of Samsung!
Performance – Great for normal use with some caveats
We tested the Fit 2 in several ways – both as a daily time-keeper as well as part of a daily exercise routine. As a watch, the Fit 2, well, fits nicely as the screen is plenty sharp and bright – even in sunlight. It syncs with your phone so that the time is always right, and you will get notifications from your mobile appear on the Fit 2’s screen that needs your attention.
Easy run stats
To test out the health aspect of the wearable, we made a couple of runs while using the Fit 2. One was a moderate run, and one was an easier jog around the neighbourhood. When compared to professional running gears, the Fit 2 does show a slight difference in distance recorded – but the difference was only about 5% so for our intent and purposes, it is about the same. We are impressed with the record keeping capabilities of the Fit 2.
Moderate run stats
On the other hand, we do have some reservations with the heart-rate monitor that Samsung has included in the Fit 2. We are seeing big differences between the recorded heartrate in the Fit 2 and in professional running gear. We may write it off as just calibration differences but we saw the Fit recording 208 beats per minute for a moderate run and 197 beats per minutes for an easy jog. We expected the difference to be higher.
The Gear Fit 2 compared to a professional running tracker
Floor tracking with the Fit 2 is also quite accurate. Unlike some other fitness trackers – it tracks how many floors you have climbed, not the number of steps taken to reach to that floor.
Power-wise the Fit 2 will not last for a whole week on a single charge. However, it does last longer than its predecessor and has a similar battery life as its peers on the market. It can stand up to 3-4 days on a single charge, which includes two 5-KM runs in that same period. The battery consumption is on the average scale of things – it uses up 20% of the battery for a full 5KM run.
When you need the battery to be recharged, it can be done quickly too. The wireless charger can juice up the Fit 2 fully in only one and a half hours. The Fit 2 does not warm up when it is used daily, and this is true during day-to-day usage as well as during exercise scenarios.
Conclusion – Good enough to replace your traditional watch, with extra fitness tracking
The Samsung Gear Fit 2 is a fitness tracker designed for the masses. It is good enough to replace your traditional watch on your wrist. It is as comfortable as traditional watches and work even better in the dark thanks to its bright super AMOLED screen. Plus, it is interactive enough that you can help users keep track of their exercise, giving them reminders and more. It records heartrate, and along the way it motivates users with exercise goals that are achievable, not impossible.
Other products in the market currently with these selection of features are limited - there is the Pebble 2 and the Xiaomi Mi Band 2, but that is about it. Even the two models stated previously are limited when compared to the Samsung Gear Fit 2, so Samsung is a leader in the market manly because of limited competition, but at the same time a leader because they make good products. However, for professional sportspersons or athletes , the inaccurate tracking means that this probably isn't the fitness tracker for them but it should be great for white collar workers who are living the sedentary life in front of the computer, who need that small push to adopt a healthier lifestyle.
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