When Xiaomi released its Mi Band 2, I decided to “migrate” from my first fitness bracelet, Gear Fit. The decision seemed deliberate: it added a screen, a long battery life and an affordable price, but... Samsung released an updated version of the Gear Fit2 (that's right, without the spacebar) and I had the chance to test it on an autumn trip. Below the cut you will find my impressions of use, live photos and a short review.
In fact, the Gear Fit2 was released back in June, two years after the release of the first version. Quite a long period of time, during which Samsung managed to become significantly more proficient in producing various versions of smartwatches.
What's new in the bracelet? In fact, almost everything: from the hardware component to the updated software, which (finally!) has ceased to suffer from pathological bias towards the Galaxy series and works on any Android smartphone (Android 4.4+ and more than 1.5GB of RAM are required). The release of the application for iOS is expected later, so the new Gear Fit2 will not work with the iPhone 7 yet.
Design and display
The first Gear Fit was equipped with a 1.84" screen, but with a resolution of only 432x128 pixels. The Gear Fit2 has a slightly smaller diagonal - 1.5", but with a resolution of 432x216 pixels. Color rendering and brightness have also improved. The difference seems insignificant, but the bracelet body has become more compact, the screen clarity has increased, and the bend has become a little stronger. The edging of the display visually merges with the body - the shiny edge that peels off after a year is no longer there. The body can be painted in one of three colors: black, blue and pink. I have a black one - it looks good, I can’t say that the bracelet looks “too sporty”.
I got the black color. Briefly about the case - yes, it can be scratched, which I successfully did by dropping the bracelet on the asphalt - it’s nice that the fall did not affect the glass at all, nor did it affect the rubber strap.
The rubber strap is attached to the case with clever latches; two versions of sizes are available for sale - large and small (letters L and S on the device box, respectively). I have the “large” version, but even on a small hand the bracelet attaches well and “shaking” it off your hand by accident is very problematic.
The pixel density is 353ppi - the picture is clear and rich, but... it fades in the bright sun. This can be solved by setting the brightness to maximum (there are eleven brightness divisions in total, but after five minutes of work on the 11th division, the bracelet automatically reduces the brightness in order to save battery). In somewhat cloudy weather, and even more so indoors, the problem disappears by itself. There is no brightness sensor in the bracelet, but it can be easily adjusted from the notification shade.
Software, interface, control and alerts
Samsung Gear Fit2 can connect to a smartphone via Bluetooth or remotely via Wi-Fi. Moreover, during a remote connection, messages are transmitted via Samsung servers, so the bracelet and the phone do not have to be within the coverage area of the same wireless network. All networks for which passwords are saved on your smartphone become available to Gear Fit2. The Wi-Fi connection is also used for debugging purposes and for setting up your own watch faces. Additional programs and watch faces for Tizen (the OS on which the watch runs) can be accessed and downloaded via Bluetooth through the Samsung Gear app.
The fact that Gear Fit2 has learned to work with any Android devices is a definite plus. But there are questions about the convenience of “pairing” - for full operation you will need to install three (!) applications: Samsung Gear, the GearFit2 Plugin application and Samsung Accessory Service, and only after that the bracelet makes friends with MIUI on Xiaomi. I already feel all the pain of purists in the system...
However, when trying to connect, a new surprise awaited me - the GearFit2 Plugin application kept crashing when trying to connect. The error logs suggested what the problem was, “GearFit2 Plugin” does not know about the existence of the “UK_uk” locale. I did not delve deeply into whose side the problem is - in MIUI or in the program itself, but simply changing the Android language to Russian allowed me to get rid of the connection error.
The Samsung Gear application itself is well known to owners of Samsung S2\S3 smart watches: here you can change the watch face, select which notifications from your smartphone should be displayed on the bracelet screen, send music from your smartphone to the Gear Fit2 memory, and also change various settings. Why send music? Gear Fit2 is not only a valuable fitness tracker, but also an mp3 player that allows you to listen to your favorite tracks through Bluetooth headphones (or even a Bluetooth speaker).
The player itself has playlists, and songs with a rhythmic tempo automatically fall into the “workout” playlist. From the music player interface you can also control music playback on your phone - everything is standard here, you can switch tracks, adjust the volume, and the screen displays what song is playing. There is just over 2GB of free space in the bracelet - of the built-in 4GB, half is occupied by the system and pre-installed watch faces with programs. There are few third-party programs, including those in the Samsung Apps market - these are several timers, an alarm clock, a stopwatch, and a program for displaying turn-by-turn navigation on the Gear Fit2 screen. It is clear that Samsung places the main emphasis in this device on built-in functions, and encourages developers to release programs for the round smartwatches S2 and S3.
GIF demonstration of quick reply options for a Whatsapp message
Managing the bracelet is simple: from the “main screen” of the watch, you can scroll the screen to the left: notifications and messages about your sporting achievements are hidden here. This is much more convenient than a faceless icon or notification “you have a message from one of 100,500 programs on your smartphone” - most text notifications are displayed in full on the screen, you can respond to them with pre-prepared phrases or an emoticon (if it is a message from a messenger or SMS). Additional functionality is also supported if provided by the program - for Gmail this is archiving and deleting letters, for Skype - replying with an emoticon, and so on.
If you scroll to the left, panels with widgets will open. No more than eight widgets work simultaneously. By swiping from top to bottom, you can call up the panel: the brightness adjustment, do not disturb mode, and player controls are hidden there. There are two physical buttons in the Gear Fit2: one is responsible for taking a step back, and the second for turning it on and off, quickly calling the main menu or returning to the main screen. They are convenient to use, and during training, the buttons are responsible for pausing the current exercise.
Fitness functions
Samsung is focusing on the Gear Fit2's sports features, and for good reason. Firstly, the bracelet is equipped with a bunch of tracking capabilities: it has a built-in GPS sensor, accelerometer, gyroscope and barometer, which allows you to count steps and even ascents.
Gear Fit2 can detect physical exercises such as running, treadmill running, walking and hiking, squats, lunges, exercise on machines (stepper, stationary bike and others), Pilates and even yoga. For those who did not find the desired workout in the list, there is an “other” mode - then in S-Health you can indicate what you did, and the watch will record the time and the approximate number of calories burned.
A separate feature is a GPS sensor, which is built directly into the bracelet. Some reviews concluded that its presence will save the smartphone’s battery, but this is not entirely true. If the bracelet is paired with a GPS device and you train with it, the GPS sensor on your smartphone will be activated. However, if you decide to go for a run without a smartphone, then the GPS in the bracelet will work. By turning off location detection on your smartphone, you can forcefully activate track recording on the watch itself.
The battery built into the Samsung Gear Fit2 has a capacity of 200 mAh: this is enough for 5 days of operation of the bracelet in normal mode (as a watch and tracker, without a heart rate monitor and GPS), two full days of operation with small daily workouts with automatic heart rate measurement turned on, or for one day when activating GPS, automatic heart rate monitor, music player and continuous notifications. If you force the bracelet to write a GPS track for many hours while cycling, you can discharge it in a few hours. I was not able to discharge the Gear Fit2 in one daylight.
In addition to the instructions and bracelet, the box contains a magnetic charging dock. It is much more practical than the “snap-on charger” on the first Gear Fit, connects to any USB and can fully charge the bracelet in about an hour. The bracelet has symmetrical contacts for charging, so you can place it on the docking station on either side. Comfortable!
The results of your walk, hike or run can be seen on the watch itself: in the form of a map (using Here Maps) and in the form of a graphical summary of the results. During training, the heart rate monitor also works, prompting not only the results obtained, but also a brief hint on how to interpret them.
Speaking of the heart rate monitor, it also measures your heart rate throughout the day. I read that drops of sweat on the skin prevent the optical sensor from reading information correctly, but during my long walks this problem was not observed, nor during short workouts. Maybe I should have worked harder :)
The most useful feature is the absolutely automatic recording of activity (this function can be disabled in the settings if desired). How long have you been walking? The bracelet will start recording your walk. Did you start running? Expect an encouraging message! Climbing stairs? Don't worry, everything is recorded. Only before starting specific workouts do you need to start recording them manually. This eliminates the need to monitor and be distracted by the bracelet - convenient and effective. On the trip where I took the bralet for a “stress test”, in the end, nothing went unnoticed - all the walks, runs and even climbs up the hills near the Dnieper were recorded.
Water and dust protection
The Gear Fit2 case is protected against water and dust according to the IP68 standard. And this is good! You don’t have to be afraid of rain and dust, but you shouldn’t swim or dive deep in it for a long time.
Users have already tried it in pools - they write that everything is ok, but I myself would not swim in Gear Fit2. But you can swim in the fountain without any problems, it’s been checked:
Through Gear Fit2 you can track the number of cups of coffee and water you drink. This data, like workout records, is synced with the S Health app on your smartphone. Entering them couldn’t be easier—with just one touch. It's easier than taking your smartphone out of your pocket every time.
Keeping the bracelet on while you sleep will help determine its effectiveness. On the bracelet itself, information about sleep is minimal (duration and heart rate interval), but inside S-Health all the details are hidden (sleep time, time of restless and deep sleep and a schedule), and, in principle, about everything that happened with the bracelet. There is no “smart alarm clock”, but there is a regular one. Like incoming notifications, it wakes you up with vibration. If you turn on do not disturb mode, the alarm will still go off.
Among the social activities, we can note the Together mode - this is a widget that allows you to compete with other S-Health users (no matter whether they have Gear Fit2 or not), as well as compare your achievements with the average performance of all users. At the moment, to enter the top 12%, you need fairly modest results.
In the Together mode, you can set the goal of the competition and even tease your opponent; in general, everything is implemented simply and beautifully:
So is Gear Fit2 the cake?
To summarize, I want to address the title of the material: yes, this time Samsung did everything right. The Gear Fit2 is definitely a successful bracelet - it has potential for development, and the fitness functions implemented in it are much superior in convenience to the first version of Gear Fit. In retail, the bracelet costs about 12,000~13,000 rubles, and of course cannot compete with the cost of the Mi Band 2, but among the segment of “smart watches” with a similar price and among fitness bracelets with much more modest screens, the sports solution from Samsung looks just great.
If you want a beautiful accessory for occasional exercise, with built-in GPS and convenient informative notifications on the screen, with an unusual curved screen and with a ton of communication capabilities, try the Gear Fit2. I tried it, and after a two-day trip, I decided to keep it for good. Thanks to the store
A full review of the Samsung Gear Fit 2 fitness bracelet and instruction manual in Russian will help you learn and set up this sports watch the right way.
The Fit 2 has a nice display, a decent design, a heart rate monitor, and also built-in GPS. In addition, it is possible to store music and play it directly from the device. With so many features, this fitness bracelet is more like a smartwatch.
The package includes the Fit 2, a USB charging cradle, and a user manual.
Design and comfort
The bracelet has an attractive and fashionable design, offering a curved responsive display with oleophobic coating and a rubber strap with a sporty style. The Super AMOLED screen size is 1.5 inches with a resolution of 432 × 216 pixels.
However, reviews regarding this form factor vary. On the one hand, this can make it difficult to absorb information, especially when displaying large text, such as in a message notification. Sports watches or fitness trackers that have a large square screen have a clear advantage in their ability to display information, as content from a wider display is more comfortable to read. But on the other hand, its curvature makes it easier to work with the gadget when you have to scroll through content with your finger.
At the same time, the bright colors of the Super AMOLED screen are so intrusive that they even interfere with falling asleep, outdoors in direct sunlight the display does not look as expressive as we would like. Of course, monochrome or reflective displays are better suited for sports bracelets, but in this way the user loses the functionality of a fitness tracker.
As for the strap, it is very flexible, made of soft, comfortable elastomer material and is attached to the case using a proprietary connector. This means that it can be replaced with a bracelet of a different color or size, but only designed specifically for Fit 2.
Samsung ships the second-generation Gear Fit in two sizes:
- small S - for wrists 125-170 mm
- large L - for wrists with a circumference of 155-210 mm
On the “back” of the tracker there is an optical heart rate monitor. Next to the sensor are two point contacts for the wireless charging pad, which holds the Fit2 horizontally while charging. The tracker does not have ports for wired connections.
Two physical buttons on the side of the device are used to return home and move back to the previous screen. Each other button function depends on the active screen.
Interface
The Fit 2 has a series of horizontally scrolling screens, each with a specific function. You scroll through the screens with your finger, and an additional way to interact with the bracelet is the “back” and “home” buttons located on the side of the device.
You can also cover the screen with your palm to turn it off.
Informs about the time, and also provides data on the number of steps completed, steps and calories burned.
Swiping left brings up the notifications screen, while swiping right lets you scroll through widgets, which we'll discuss in more detail below.
- 24 hour log. Shows a linear progression of your activity over the past days: periods when you were inactive, active, asleep, or not using the fitness tracker on your wrist.
- Exercise. Allows you to start a sport or workout by setting the type of activity, time goal and other parameters. You can also view a history of previous active activities.
- Steps. Step counter and indicators of how close you are to your daily goal.
- Steps. The number of steps you have climbed/descended today is shown, with the ability to view historical data for the week.
- Heart rate. Shows your most recent heart rate and when it was recorded, as well as your highest and lowest heart rate for the day. You can view weekly data here.
- Water. Record the number of cups of water you drink per day.
- Caffeine. Note how many cups of coffee you have consumed today.
- Together. Set up challenges to tally your scores against your friends' scores and track your progress against them.
In addition to these screens, by pressing the side-bottom home button, you can bring up Music Player, Find My Phone, Timer, and Stopwatch. There's also the option to record how many cups of water or coffee you've drunk, start a timer, or use the Find My Phone feature.
Here you can see icons for network indicators, battery indicator, screen brightness level and more by scrolling down on the Home screen.
Applications
You can use all the functionality of the tracker if you download the mobile application to your phone. Paired with a sports watch, it will help you keep track of all your workouts and will generate graphs and display statistics of your daily physical activity and other activities.
Samsung S Health app
S Health displays everything the Fit 2 collects, and also opens up even more options for inputting data through your phone, like your weight or food intake. It's a fairly user-friendly piece of software that displays information well, but keep in mind that if you've used a fitness tracker before and already have a lot of data stored elsewhere, importing into S Health won't be possible. The program is freely available.
The separation of functions between S Health and another application called Gear can confuse the user. In this case, you can use the Gear to control the Fit 2's connection to your smartphone without having to resort to S Health.
On the other hand, Fit 2 is capable of working autonomously, without a connected phone, but it is unlikely that anyone will wear a fitness bracelet without the ability to view statistics in the mobile application.
The Gear mobile application is a channel for connecting a smart bracelet to a phone and is available for almost any smartphone running Android 4.4 KitKat and higher. You can download it.
Here you can control which apps can send notifications to Fit 2, change quick replies to messages, switch and customize watch faces, change app layout, and install more apps when they become available.
With the Gear, you can use music files from your phone to play them on your device without using your smartphone.
If your Fit 2 gets lost, the software's Find My Gear feature will vibrate the tracker to help you find it. In addition, before the smart bracelet is detected, you can remotely block it from reconnecting from another device.
Functions
Fit2 is not just a gadget that counts steps and distance, shows time and heart rate, but also a multifunctional tool for monitoring health and communicating with other users of the same device.
Notifications
Fitness watch Samsung Gear Fit 2 (Gir Fit 2) provides the ability to receive notifications sent to your smartphone. However, responses will be limited due to the small screen size of the device. Through the program on the phone, the user is given the opportunity to choose which software can send alerts to the smart bracelet. You can only reply with quick messages, which are also configured in the mobile application.
Alarm
Despite the fact that the device detects sleep phases, the bracelet does not have a smart alarm clock. And in order to use a regular alarm clock in your watch, you need to install it by first downloading it from the Gear Market.
According to user reviews, the tracker emits rather weak vibration signals to wake up the owner. Therefore, if you sleep soundly, you may not feel the slight vibration on your wrist.
Heart rate monitoring
The heart rate monitor requires several seconds of standing still to measure your heart rate. Fit2 automatically records and tracks your heart rate when you're at rest, but when you're active you need to stop for a moment to check your pulse.
The optical monitor also performs automatic tracking, focusing on your heart rate through measurements every 10 minutes.
When Auto HR control is turned on, Fit 2 will track your heart rate whenever it detects rest periods. The results are displayed in heart rate widgets on the tracker itself, and you can also view them in the S Health app.
In order for the tracker to track your sleep, you must make sure everything is set up correctly in the S Health app. If you are an iPhone owner, this may be difficult since the device is designed to work with the Android app.
Launch the program and go to the “Options” section, select “Manage Elements”, activate the “Sleep” item.
You also need to register your device to create a connection between your phone and Gear Fit2. In the mobile app, the device breaks sleep quality into three categories - restless, light and restless - and displays them on a graph with a corresponding timeline.
Active Activity Tracking
Samsung has packed various sensors into the Fit2, including a pedometer, GPS, and a heart rate monitor. Most of these sensors function automatically depending on the selected function or fitness panel. They also automatically detect when you exercise and what exactly you do. Fit2 clearly tracks walking, running and lap running. Additionally, it recognizes when the user has been stationary for too long and advises them to move a little (these notifications, as well as exercise detection, can be turned off if desired).
There are various activities that you can choose from and they include:
- walking
- hike
- Bike Lane
- orbitrek
- exercise bike
- elliptical trainer
- treadmill
- lunges
- twisting
- squats
- Pilates
- rowing
- other workouts
You can set goals based on pace, duration, distance, calories, or core workout. Whatever aspect you choose as your goal, the Samsung Gear Fit 2 fitness bracelet will show you your best result. Once you start an exercise, you'll get updated information with important metrics like pace, calories burned, time elapsed, and more. It also notifies you when you reach half of your goal and when you complete a given goal. If you are stationary for more than an hour, the tracker nudges you to take a walk.
During and after a tracked workout session, the user can access information such as:
- duration of training
- distance
- calories
- speed
- maximum heart rate
- % time in active intensity zone
Training with GPS
With built-in GPS, Fit2 can track your walks and runs and record the route you take. However, it will not track location when automatically detecting exercise. You need to manually set up your runs through the Exercise panel. After entering your activity type and desired run time, Fit2 will track your movements as soon as you press Start.
The tracker will record your location and display the shape of the route you choose yourself (you can check it in the watch's exercise log). But it won't display a map to provide details and surroundings of your route until you sync it with your smartphone so it can download map information. Once this is done, the results will be detailed and accurate.
Your heart rate and speed graph, along with a map of your tracked GPS session, are shown on the display of the Fit 2 itself, provided location detection is turned on.
During the GPS-enabled workout itself, swipe the screens right or left to view duration, distance, heart rate, pace, speed, and calories burned.
Static exercises
There are a total of three types of exercises that can be performed under the close supervision of the tracker: lunges, crunches and squats. By following the recommended methodology for performing them, you can be sure that the device will accurately count the number of repetitions and record them directly into the tracker.
The ideal method of execution is displayed immediately before the start of classes on the bracelet display.
However, it is not entirely convenient to start and end each time by pressing a button on one or another exercise and move on to another. It would be much more practical if the user was given the opportunity to create his own training sets from these three proposed types.
In addition, training mainly focuses on the legs and abs, neglecting the arm muscles. Although you can download third-party software from the Samsung app store.
Peculiarities
The fitness bracelet has some features that allow the user to use it comfortably: these include battery life, moisture protection, the ability to play music without pairing with a smartphone, and others, which we will discuss in detail below.
Hardware
The Samsung Gear Fit 2 comes with a bunch of extras a proper fitness device needs, including GPS, Bluetooth, a heart rate monitor and 4GB of internal storage.
While the Gear Fit2 connects to your smartphone via Bluetooth, it also has a Wi-Fi connection, allowing your network data to be automatically transferred from your phone.
Compatibility
The Fit 2 has one drawback: it only works with Android smartphones (4.4 or higher).
Samsung notes that it can be used independently of a mobile phone, so if you have an iOS device and would really like to wear this particular fitness tracker, it can be done. But in this case, you will not receive smart notifications from your phone, and you will have to view your workout data directly on the bracelet display.
You don't have to use a Samsung smartphone to enjoy the benefits of the Fit 2, as the device can be paired with other phones that have Gear Manager and S Health installed. From other devices you can also view the information transferred to them through the S Health program installed from the Play Store.
The sports band is certified and IP68 water resistant, meaning you can submerge it up to 1.5 meters for 30 minutes without worrying about water damage. However, this does not mean that it is seaworthy. It is also not recommended to wear the tracker while showering: water pressure varies depending on the type of shower head, and the device may not be able to handle high pressure.
Moisture protection is designed for intense sports with high sweating and accidental splashes when washing hands and rain.
Fit 2 without phone
You can use Fit 2 without a mobile device. However, some functions will not be available without connecting to a smartphone.
Obviously, notifications, music downloads, and fitness information syncing won't be able to happen when the tracker is in phone-free mode, but it can still do a lot. Fitness elements will be available, including heart rate monitoring, as well as many options and customizations, such as different watch faces and changing the order of apps in the Fit2 menu. The fitness band also works great, allowing you to set the display to always-on and manually set the time via the touchscreen.
Battery life
According to the company, the tracker is able to hold a sufficient charge of its 200 mAh battery for 3-4 days of use. Standby time is 5 days. Samsung estimates that running GPS during exercise drains the battery within 9 hours. But even turning off GPS while tracking your exercise will reduce battery life expectancy to about 2 days.
Keep in mind that the brighter the display, the faster the battery will drain. The display is not always on, you can choose a timeout of 15 seconds, 30 seconds or 1 minute.
Fortunately, the manufacturer has included a special power saving function for the gadget, which is very similar to the Ultra Power Saving mode for smartphones. When the power is insufficient, you'll be prompted to turn it on, effectively disabling most features (except exercise and time) and turning the interface into a single workspace, entirely in grayscale.
The proprietary charger includes a magnetic stand in its design. It has a magnetic clamp, which should hold the tracker well in a vertical position. The charging cable connects to a standard USB port.
Full charge time is about 40 minutes.
How to extend battery life
Your device provides various options to help you save battery power.
- When you're not using your device, switch to standby mode by covering the screen with your palm.
- Turn on power saving mode.
- Turn off Bluetooth
- Deactivate the Wi-Fi feature when not in use.
- Reduce screen brightness.
- Deactivate the "always on" function.
- Configure notification settings in the Samsung Gear app on the connected smartphone.
Besides GPS, one of the best features of the Fit 2 is the 4GB of onboard storage, which you can use to upload music to your band. Those who listen to music while working out can use the Spotify app on the Fit 2, but it requires the phone to be in range. On the other hand, users can transfer local music files to the device through the Gear Manager and listen to music that way - just connect a Bluetooth headset to the Gear and it will play music from the built-in music player.
The player works quite well and provides a convenient way to stream audio while playing sports without having to rely on your smartphone. Audio prompts about how long or how far the physical activity has progressed are also transmitted through the headphones, which is very convenient and useful for the user.
Gear Fit 2 specifications
| Weight | 28 g, 30 g |
| Band size | Large: 108 mm x 95 mm (4.25 x 3.74 inches), for wrists with a circumference of 155-210 mm Small: 84 mm x 95 mm (3.3 x 3.74 inches), for wrists with a circumference of 125-170 mm |
| Screen | Super AMOLED 1.5-inch display with 432 x 216 pixels resolution |
| CPU | Dual-core, 1 GHz Exynos 3250 |
| Battery | Li-ion 200 mAh. Charging time 40 min |
| Battery life | Up to 4 days |
| Bluetooth | v4.2, USB 2.0, NFC, Wi-Fi: 802.11 b/g/n |
| GPS | Yes |
| WiFi | Yes |
| Sensors | accelerometer gyroscope heart rate monitor barometer |
| Smart alarm clock | No |
| Player | Yes |
| Audio formats | MP3, WMA, WAV, AAC, M4A, AMR, AWB, OGG, OGA, 3GA |
| Protection | IP68, not suitable for swimming |
| Color | Black, blue, pink |
| OS | Tizen |
| Memory | RAM - 512 MB For storing music - 4 GB The Samsung Gear Fit2 SM-R360 fitness bracelet comes in dark gray, blue and pink and costs $179. For a mid-range sports watch from a major brand, the price is quite reasonable, although e.g. , Fitbit Alta as an alternative to Samsung Fit 2 is more attractive with its price of $130. While the tracker has features like GPS and a music player and is priced lower than some competitors, the lack of iPhone support and short battery life limit its appeal. Assuming Samsung can work out some of the issues, the Gear Fit 2 could be one of the best fitness trackers out there, although it does need a lot of work. |
Samsung Gear Fit2 invites users to "sweat smarter" by accurately tracking a wide range of exercises and providing information that helps them take charge of their own fitness. The GPS sports bracelet's latest software update improves heart rate monitoring and exercise tracking capabilities, and motivates every user to exercise more.
The Gear Fit2 software update allows you to track a variety of fitness activities in a more intuitive and efficient way. For example, if a user performed an exercise with the Gear Fit2 on their arm and looked at the statistics after the workout, they would see a color graph displaying the time spent in different heart rate zones. Divided into three difficulty levels - Moderate, Vigorous and Maximum - the chart takes into account the user's maximum heart rate to provide an easy-to-read display of exercise performance specifically for them.
The developers have also improved the automatic activity detection function. Whenever the user remains active for more than ten minutes, the Gear Fit2 automatically turns on workout tracking features. Additionally, with a software update, the map that appears after an auto-tracking workout will show your approximate location.
To help users get into their heart rate zone during runs, the update also includes support for customizable running pace goals. You can create a personalized workout program that will help you achieve your goals by simply entering your desired distance and time using the Samsung Health app on your smartphone. Users can choose between running workout options designed to burn fat or increase cardiovascular endurance, and determine the intensity level that will help them achieve their goals. Once the Gear Fit2 owner sets a goal, the device will help every step of the way, guiding him like a coach until the finish line.
The update also allows you to customize the display of information during workouts. Gear Fit2 offers simple and logical options for presenting a variety of useful workout data, including distance traveled, calories burned, exercise duration, and heart rate. To customize the data display, just swipe your finger across the Gear Fit2 screen. Tapping the bottom of the screen once will show other options for presenting information.
Users who need to be reminded from time to time to get up from their chair or sofa will benefit from another new feature of their smart fitness bracelet. After 50 minutes of inactivity, notifications will appear on the Gear Fit2 screen with step-by-step instructions for simple stretches to help you get back on track and increase your activity levels throughout the day.
Of course, getting the most out of your workout is essential. But a good night's rest afterwards is just as important. Carefully tracking your sleep processes will give you a deeper understanding of how you sleep and how to improve your sleep.
Nighttime sleep is now displayed on a simple, multi-colored graph. There are several phases of sleep - “Anxious”, “Light” and “Deep”. The fitness bracelet will show how much time you spent in each phase of sleep. Users can view sleep data directly on the Gear Fit2 or through the Samsung Health app on their smartphone.
Other notable innovations include the ability to quickly send SOS alerts with current coordinates by triple-clicking the main Gear Fit2 button, viewing and downloading watch faces directly to the device, as well as through the Samsung Gear app.
The new version of the Gear Fit2 software can now be downloaded and installed using the Samsung Gear app for your smartphone.
Ease of everyday use
The Gear Fit 2 uses a 1.5" screen with a resolution of 432x216 pixels. It performed excellently in any conditions: the brightness and display quality are always at their best. As for the metal painted body, it is quite difficult to scratch it; we had to use a bracelet for this (almost deliberately ) dropped onto the asphalt. And even in this case, the scratches remained unnoticeable, and the curved glass was not damaged at all. The edging of the display visually merges with the body, and the body itself can be painted in one of three colors: black, and.
The rubber strap is attached to the case with clever latches; two versions of sizes are available for sale - large and small (letters L and S on the device box, respectively). The bracelet is attached well and it is very difficult to “shake” it off your hand by accident - even during training or while sleeping. We tested the version with a large strap - it fits well for adults. But for a child’s hand, you should choose a smaller strap.
We had a black bracelet in our test - it is practical and does not catch the eye even with a shirt. If you wear the bracelet with a T-shirt, it attracts the attention of others, because you can activate the screen by raising or shaking your hand. There are two physical buttons in Gear Fit 2: one is responsible for taking a step back, and the second for turning it on and off, quickly calling the main menu or returning to the main screen - it’s easy to get used to them, after a week they are controlled completely blindly. The strap is comfortable and does not interfere much, even if you do not remove the bracelet at night (the first version of Gear Fit had to be removed at night). Without removing the bracelet at night, you can track your sleep and use the alarm function. When notified, the bracelet vibrates gently; you can set the duration of the vibration.
The pixel density is 353ppi - the picture is clear and rich, but fades a little in the bright sun. This can be solved by setting the brightness to maximum (there are eleven brightness divisions in total, but after five minutes of work on the 11th division, the bracelet automatically reduces the brightness in order to save battery). In somewhat cloudy weather, and even more so indoors, the problem disappears by itself.
But there is no brightness sensor in the bracelet, but it can be easily adjusted from the notification shade. In general, this does not cause any inconvenience - in gloomy autumn weather, the brightness can be set to the third level and it will be enough for both indoors and outdoors.
A magnetic docking station is used to charge the bracelet. It is much more practical than the “snap-on charger” on the first Gear Fit, connects to any USB and can fully charge the bracelet in about an hour. The bracelet has symmetrical contacts for charging, so you can place it on the docking station on either side. The bracelet charges in about one hour, and while charging it displays the time.
Samsung Gear software, additional features and alerts
Samsung Gear Fit2 can connect to a smartphone via Bluetooth or remotely via Wi-Fi. Moreover, during a remote connection, messages are transmitted via Samsung servers, so the bracelet and the phone do not have to be within the coverage area of the same wireless network. All networks for which passwords are saved on your smartphone become available to Gear Fit2. Additional programs and watch faces for Tizen (the OS on which the watch runs) can be accessed and downloaded via Bluetooth through the Samsung Gear app.
The number of different watch faces in the Samsung Apps store for the Gear Fit 2 is simply huge - both free and paid. Craftsmen have also launched other applications for Tizen on the watch, but in this case you will need to install them on the watch manually via a PC.
The fact that Gear Fit2 can work with any Android device is a definite plus. But there are questions about the convenience of “pairing” - for full operation you will need to install three (!) applications: Samsung Gear, the GearFit2 Plugin application and Samsung Accessory Service, and only after that the bracelet makes friends with MIUI on Xiaomi. This is true for all devices except Samsung.
The Samsung Gear application itself is well known to owners of Samsung S2\S3 smartwatches: here you can change the watch face, select which notifications from your smartphone should be displayed on the bracelet screen, send music from your smartphone to the Gear Fit 2 memory, and also change various settings. Why send music? Gear Fit 2 is not only a fitness tracker, but also an mp3 player that allows you to listen to your favorite tracks via Bluetooth headphones.
We tested this feature with - it works great, allowing you to easily play music without looking for your smartphone. The player itself has playlists, and songs with a rhythmic tempo automatically fall into the “workout” playlist. From the music player interface you can also control music playback on your phone - everything is standard here, you can switch tracks and adjust the volume. This function has shown itself to be excellent when driving a car (and in public transport too) - while you are stuck in a traffic jam or when it is inconvenient to take out your phone, you can switch the track on your smartphone with a slight movement.
Managing the bracelet is simple: from the “main screen” of the watch, you can scroll the screen to the left: notifications and messages about your sporting achievements are hidden here. This is much more convenient than a faceless icon or notification “you have a message from one of 100,500 programs on your smartphone” as in - most notifications are displayed on the screen in full, you can respond to them with pre-prepared phrases or an emoticon (if it is a message from a messenger or SMS). Additional functionality is also supported if provided by the program - for Gmail this is archiving and deleting letters, for instant messengers - replying with an emoji smiley, and so on.
A separate convenience is the ability to display passwords for two-factor authentication on the screen (if they arrive as a message or a regular Android notification). Looking at the password on the bracelet and entering it on a laptop is much more convenient than using a smartphone for this purpose. You can also quickly reply to a message with an emoji or customize your own replies. The most popular (except for emoji emoticons) in our case were the phrases “I’m writing from my watch, I’ll answer later” and the standard answers “Yes” or “No”. Another useful function is to activate the search for a smartphone from the bracelet - while the phone emits a loud signal. Helps you find a lost smartphone among other gadgets in the house!
If you scroll to the left, panels with widgets will open. No more than eight widgets work simultaneously. With a gesture from top to bottom, you can call up the panel: there is a brightness adjustment, a “do not disturb” mode and player controls. Additional programs (for example, an alarm clock) are hidden in the settings menu. This is confusing at first, but considering that there are only two places to “search” for programs (menus or widget screens), this does not cause much inconvenience.
You can change the watch face very easily - just hold your finger on the main screen. And to turn off the screen you need to cover the bracelet with your palm - you quickly get used to this gesture and it works flawlessly.
We actively tested the Together mode - this is a widget that allows you to compete with other S-Health users (no matter whether they have a Gear Fit 2 or not), and also compare your achievements with the average performance of all users. Setting competition goals, egging on your opponent - all these functions are implemented simply and beautifully. You can select goals by steps - from 10 to 100 thousand steps and monitor the progress of your friends. You can compare your performance with all users, with your friends, or with the performance of users in your age group.
Fitness functions
The bracelet is equipped with a bunch of capabilities for tracking fitness functions: it has a built-in accelerometer, gyroscope and barometer, which allows you to count steps, heart rate and even climbs.
Gear Fit 2 can automatically detect such physical exercises as: running, running on a treadmill, walking and hiking, squats, lunges, training on exercise machines (stepper, stationary bike and others), Pilates and even yoga. For those who did not find the desired workout in the list, there is an “other” mode - then in S-Health you can indicate what you did, and the watch will record the time and the approximate number of calories burned. Information about daily activity is presented in the form of a round chart.
Of all this variety, we actively used tracking of squats and lunges - it’s nice that before starting the exercise, the bracelet suggests the optimal position on the hand for accurate tracking. We had no questions about the accuracy of tracking when running and walking - everything worked stably and without surprises.
A separate feature is a GPS sensor, which is built directly into the bracelet. Some reviews concluded that its presence will save the smartphone’s battery, but this is not entirely true. If the bracelet is connected to a device with GPS, and you train with it, then the GPS sensor on the smartphone will be used. However, if you decide to go for a run without a smartphone, then the GPS in the bracelet will work. By turning off location detection on your smartphone, you can forcefully activate track recording on the watch itself.
The battery built into the Samsung Gear Fit 2 has a capacity of 200 mAh: this is really enough for more than 3 days of operation of the bracelet in normal mode (without an automatic heart rate monitor), a full two days of work with small daily workouts with automatic heart rate measurement turned on (the bracelet will ask to be charged when the end of the second day) or for one day when GPS, heart rate monitor, music player are activated and with continuous notifications. If you force the bracelet to write a track for many hours while cycling, you can discharge it in a few hours.
The results of your walk, hike or run can be seen on the watch itself: in the form of a map (using Here Maps) and in the form of a graphical summary of the results. During training, the heart rate monitor also works, prompting not only the results obtained, but also a brief hint on how to interpret them. The heart rate monitor also measures your heart rate throughout the day - this allows you to track your heart rate in various situations: for example, while driving, while watching a movie, and even while sleeping. You can view the results of these measurements both on the bracelet and through the S-Health application. You can track dynamics and separately indicate markers during manual measurement, for example, “After training.”
Over the course of a month of testing, we were never able to discharge the bracelet in less than a day, with a fairly active mode of use - without GPS, but with automatic tracking of heart rate, workouts and with a constant connection via Bluetooth. When the battery is deeply discharged, the bracelet prompts you to switch to energy saving mode - the screen turns black and white and displays only basic information, and alerts and sensors are turned off.
The most useful feature is the absolutely automatic recording of activity (this function can be disabled in the settings if desired). How long have you been walking? The bracelet will start recording your walk. Did you start running? Expect an encouraging message! Climbing stairs? Don't worry, everything is recorded. Only before starting specific workouts do you need to start recording them manually. This eliminates the need to monitor and be distracted by the bracelet - convenient and effective! We checked - everything is so. When walking quickly, recording starts after 10 minutes of activity, which eliminates too short movements (for example, when you catch up with the last bus).
Water and dust protection
The Gear Fit 2 case is protected against water and dust according to the IP68 standard. And this is good! You don’t have to be afraid of rain and dust, but you still shouldn’t swim or dive in it. Also, through Gear Fit 2 you can take into account the number of cups of coffee and water you drink. Let’s answer honestly - we didn’t track data on the water we drank, but it was interesting to track caffeine consumption.
All this data, as well as training records, are synchronized with the S-Health application on your smartphone. Leaving the bracelet on while you sleep will allow it to determine its effectiveness. On the bracelet itself, information about sleep is minimal (only duration and pulse interval), but inside S-Health all the details are hidden, both about sleep and about everything that happened with the bracelet.
conclusions
Based on the results of our long acquaintance, we liked the Samsung Gear Fit 2; it is definitely a successful bracelet. The fitness functions implemented in it are much superior in convenience to the first version of Gear Fit, and among the segment of “smart watches” with a similar price and among fitness bracelets with much more modest screens, the sports solution from Samsung looks just great. However, we also found several shortcomings, for example, there is still no application for pairing the bracelet with the iPhone, and there are comments regarding the ease of installing branded applications for Android.
But there is a way out in this situation - Samsung Gear Fit 2 can be used as a separate device! In this case, notifications from the smartphone are not received, but you can track exercise, calorie consumption, heart rate, steps and sleep. This is a big step up from the previous version of Gear Fit or other bracelets, which in principle cannot work as standalone devices.
If you need a beautiful accessory for occasional sports, with GPS and convenient informative notifications on the screen, as well as an unusual curved screen and many communication capabilities, we recommend choosing. If you need additional functionality, but fitness capabilities are not a priority, pay attention to.
