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Samsung Gear Sport review: A versatile fitness-first smartwatch
As the holiday season approaches and New Year's and its inevitable fitness-related resolutions draw near, wearables makers are scrambling. Major brands like Apple and Samsung have realized that smartwatches need to at least be good activity trackers for users to keep wearing them. Samsung decided that "good activity tracker" wasn't enough, though, and built a device around exercise that also packs a slew of smartwatch features. The Gear Sport does so much that it's one of the most versatile health-centric smartwatches in this price range.
Samsung's refined Gear IconX earbuds now talk to Bixby
The Gear Fit 2 Pro and Gear Sport aren't the only products Samsung is unveiling at IFA 2017. Today, the company also introduced a revamped version of its Gear IconX wireless earbuds, which feature better battery life (up to five hours of streaming) and support for its virtual assistant, Bixby. That means you can now use your voice to control your music or paired phone, all by simply tapping and holding the side of the IconX earbud. And because runners may be into these, Samsung added a Running Coach mode that gives you real-time, in-ear status updates as you're working out.
Samsung's new smart earbuds track your steps and heart rate
The newly announced Gear Fit 2 is probably the fitness band Samsung should have made in the first place, but does the world even need another wrist-worn gewgaw? In case your answer to that is "no," Samsung is unveiling a second exercise-friendly wearable today: a $199 pair of smart earbuds called the Gear IconX. (And no, the name doesn't make any sense to us either.)
Can Samsung make truly wireless earbuds go mainstream?
Images doing the rounds this week suggest Samsung could be the first of the big names to get into the "truly" wireless headphones game. Until now, the fast-growing category has been dominated by new players like Bragi and Earin. We've covered many of them, and much as we love the idea of cable-free listening, cutting the last wire comes at a cost. Usually, short battery life; but flaky connectivity and even sub-par audio can be challenges. Samsung's not shy about having a go at something new, often with mixed results, so will the so called "Gear IconX" buds break that mould?
