gearfit
Latest
Samsung's next Gear Fit will track your swimming (updated)
We liked Samsung's Gear Fit 2, but it had its limits. You couldn't use it to track your swimming, for starters. It's a good thing, then, that well-known leaker Evan Blass claims to have a training deck detailing a sequel that should be unveiled at Samsung's August 23rd event. The Gear Fit 2 Pro would look much like its predecessor, complete with that tall, curved display, but would include some big design upgrades. Most notably, it would add 5 ATM water resistance and that hoped-for swim tracking -- it'll sync up with the Speedo On app. Accordingly, the Pro switches from a snap-on strap to a watch-like buckle to prevent it from falling off in mid-backstroke.
With the Gear Fit 2, Samsung tries again at workout wristbands
Samsung's original Gear Fit was as flawed as it was ambitious, but the market for fitness gadgets is still growing. Of course Samsung was going to try again! That's where the new $179 Gear Fit 2 comes in: Samsung took the fitness formula it developed two years ago, polished it up a bit and added a few features that have become de rigueur for higher-end workout wearables. You'll be able to pre-order one starting June 3rd, but join us here for a first look.
This is what Samsung's Gear Fit 2 (probably) looks like
As much as it's possible to know anything about a company before it's had the press conference, we know Samsung's got wearable ambitions. In addition to a pair of Bragi-like wireless earbuds, the firm is putting the finishing touches to an updated version of the Gear Fit smartwatch it released in 2014. If this leaked publicity shot is to be believed, then the Gear Fit 2 will look smaller and sleeker than its predecessor. It chimes with earlier rumors that claimed the device would pack a 1.84-inch AMOLED screen, integrated GPS and 4GB of built-in storage. As for a release date, it's pegged for June, but take everything written above with the traditional pinch of salt.
Google reportedly confronted Samsung over its approach to smartwatches
The strained relationship between Google and Samsung over Android customization has been apparent for a while, and it now looks like this discontent has spread to the wearable world. The Information claims that Google CEO Larry Page confronted Samsung last week over its decision to invest more in its Gear 2 and Gear Fit smartwatches than the Android Wear-packing Gear Live. While the details of Page's discussions aren't available, it's clear that Google wants its biggest hardware partner to devote more attention to its Android-based platform. Reportedly, Google had even wanted Samsung to avoid dipping into wrist-worn technology until Android Wear was ready. As we know now, the Korean company didn't exactly honor that request -- instead, it released the Galaxy Gear (initially using a heavily customized Android) and quickly threw most of its energy into peripherals running Tizen and other platforms.
Samsung plans an event 'around health' for May 28th
Health. It's the new smartphone -- or the current best excuse to buy a fancy new wearable. And apparently, Samsung isn't done with merely the Gear Fit and a (possibly unused) S Health app. We just received an invite to SF-based event on May 28th, where the company is planning a "new conversation around health". That' means it's scheduled just before Apple's annual WWDC, where it's expected to show off a health-centered refresh to its product family. Our invite came from Samsung's Strategy and Innovation arm so it could be about well, anything, rather than, say, Fit Version 2. (The original Galaxy Gear was kicking around for less than six months before the company wheeled out a sequel, so who knows). We'll be there and we'll tell you more when we hear it.
What the Galaxy Gear taught Samsung about smartwatches
With countless (well, a lot of) Gear 2 watch straps and just under eight wearables -- a mix of Gear 2s, Gear 2 Neos and Gear Fits -- on the table in front of us during our interview with Samsung designers, the impression is that the company taking its wearables very seriously. There were just six months between it announcing the original Galaxy Gear and its sequel; that's a pretty short lifespan. To make matters more... interesting, Android announced its own wearable platform, months after Samsung's Gear announcements. (For those not keeping notes, these Gears run on Tizen, a new mobile OS that hasn't yet appeared on a mobile.) Min Cho, Samsung's marketing director, explained that its wearables wouldn't be limited to the green OS. "We'll continue to work on the best solutions for our customers, including collaborating with Google and Android," he says. He slows his voice and looks at me: "We are working on it." Samsung already confirmed that it's got plans for Android Wear, but what about the current crop of wearables? What did Samsung learn after half a year of the Galaxy Gear?
Samsung Gear Fit review: a messy merger of fitness band and smartwatch
Fitness trackers and smartwatches come a dime a dozen, but devices that combine the best of both? Still exceedingly rare. Now, however, Samsung thinks it has the perfect solution in the Gear Fit, a fitness band with a beautiful, curved screen, as well as a heart rate monitor, pedometer and a few smartwatch features thrown in for good measure. It's an ambitious product, no doubt, but unfortunately, this $200 fitness-tracking smartwatch hybrid didn't quite meet my expectations. Here's why.
This is how Samsung thinks normal people use smartwatches
Samsung's track record on smartwatch marketing has been, shall we say, mixed. Its nostalgic sci-fi TV spot for the Galaxy Gear was a hit, but its awkward (and slightly creepy) romantic skier ad? Not so much. Give credit to the company for learning quickly, though, as its newly released TV commercial for the Gear Fit (shown below) mostly hits the right notes. The 30-second clip sticks to showing real-world use cases, such as tracking fitness data while running and turning down phone calls. It's still a bit silly -- really, who wears a smartwatch over a fancy bracelet? -- but it does make a good case for intelligent wristwear.
Samsung is giving the Gear Fit smartwatch a vertical display mode
The curved AMOLED screen on Samsung's Gear Fit smartwatch is alluring, but it currently has a catch: without a vertical display mode, you occasionally have to contort your arm to get a good view. That shouldn't be an issue by the time the wristwear officially launches on April 11th, though. Business Insider, Pocket-lint and SamMobile have spotted an update that lets you rotate the Fit's interface to a more watch-like (and sometimes more comfortable) portrait view. It's just one change, but it could make a big difference if the lack of rotation was steering you toward the Gear 2 and other less exotic-looking wearables.
Sprint gets the Galaxy S5 and Gear smartwatches April 11th, pre-orders go live today
Sprint's getting the Galaxy S5, too. And like fellow underdog T-Mobile, the carrier plans to offer Samsung's flagship handset for no dinero upfront on its Easy Pay plan. Which means, you still have to pay, but just in 24 monthly increments. Those pre-orders begin today for folks visiting Sprint's retail stores -- that is if you can still find one that isn't shuttered -- and begin shipping on April 11th. And to sweeten the pot a little for those that aren't entirely sold on the GS5, Sprint's even tossing in zippy 4G LTE for subs that live in Spark markets, as well as a "free" Galaxy Tab 3 7.0 for qualifying Framily (ugh, that word!) members. Though note you'll have to open a separate two-year agreement to get it. But there's even more Samsung gadgetry on the way. On the same day the GS5 becomes available, Sprint will also add Samsung's new line of Gear smartwatches -- the Gear 2/Gear 2 Neo and Gear Fit -- to its portfolio. As a relatively low-end impulse buy, you'll be able to get the Neo and Fit for $200, while the more "luxe" Gear 2 will go for $300.
Meet Samsung's new smartwatch family: the Gear 2, Neo and Fit
Samsung's new Gear smartwatches are no longer card-carrying members of its Android Galaxy. That's because Tizen, the company's open-sourced OS, has taken over the reins for the line begot by the barely five-month-old Galaxy Gear. And, in typical Samsung fashion, the company hasn't released just one new Gear, but three with very specific areas of focus: the fashionable Gear 2, the functional Gear Neo and fitness-focused Gear Fit. The newly announced trio was on display here at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, giving us a chance to get acquainted with their particular quirks and let you know whether or not to free up some space on your wrist.
