Samsung's Gear Fit 2 still looks hot as hell, now comes with built-in GPS
When Samsung takes its time to iterate on a product, wonderful things happen.
Samsung's new Gear Fit 2 is an improvement on the original Gear Fit in every way. But it's not just better specs, the Gear Fit 2 is better in the meaningful ways that users will immediately appreciate, much like the Galaxy S7.
You May Also Like
Less smartwatch and more fitness band, the Gear Fit 2 still has a curved display and still looks hot as hell. The 1.5-inch (432 x 216) screen is smaller and wider compared to the Gear Fit's 1.84-inch (432 x 128) screen. The wider screen displays more on the new vertical interface (the Gear Fit launched with an awkward horizontal UI), which is more natural to look at and scroll through.
It's still a Super AMOLED display so it's power efficient and colors really pop. Like the Gear S2, the Gear Fit 2 is smartly powered by Samsung's own Tizen operating system this time around, and it looks and runs really well. Scrolling was smooth and the interface looked slick in my brief hands on time with it.
The Gear Fit 2 also fits better on wrists. In addition to being thinner and lighter than the original, there are two different band sizes (small and large). While it's tough to tell in photos, the smaller band is contoured to be comfier on smaller wrists. Good job, Samsung.
The Gear Fit 2 has a built-in GPS.
In addition to the heart rate sensor, accelerometer and gyroscope, the Gear Fit 2 has a built-in GPS. Now you can get real-time location data when you go for a run or bike ride without needing to connect it to a smartphone. The tracking data is also conveniently presented as a map, which you can then share to Facebook.
The Gear Fit 2 is also smarter. A new auto-activity will automatically detect what kind of fitness activity you're doing after about 10 minutes and start tracking stats for it. A similar auto-sleep feature tracks sleeping data when you hit the sack.
Integration with Samsung's S Health app means the Gear Fit 2 can sync with all your other measurable data like stress, weight and diet. Tracked data from third-party apps like Strava and RunKeeper can also be be synced to S Health and then with the Gear Fit 2 for a better overview of your health.
The fitness tracker is IP68 water and dust-resistant. Samsung says the Gear Fit 2 can last up to 3 to 4 days of typical use. That's pretty good compared, and charging it is as easy as dropping it on a magnetic charging dock.
Also awesome: internal storage. The Gear Fit 2 comes with 4GB of internal storage for you to stash your own music. It's another way Samsung's lessening the device's reliance on a smartphone connection. You can still use it to control music playback streamed from your phone, too.
I only got to poke around with the Gear Fit 2 for about an hour, but I really liked what I saw. It's sleeker, fits better, and the UI, GPS, music storage and advanced activity tracking features are big improvements over the original.
The Gear Fit 2 will be available in three colors (black, blue and pink) for $179 and launch on June 10. Pre-orders start on June 3.
Have something to add to this story? Share it in the comments.
Topics Fitness Trackers Health Samsung
Raymond Wong is Mashable's Senior Tech Correspondent. He reviews gadgets and tech toys and analyzes the tech industry. Raymond's also a bit of a camera geek, gamer, and fine chocolate lover. Before arriving at Mashable, he was the Deputy Editor of NBC Universal's tech publication DVICE. His writing has appeared on G4TV, BGR, Yahoo and Ubergizmo, to name a few. You can follow Raymond on Twitter @raywongy or Instagram @sourlemons.
