Samsung Gear Fit 2 Review

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Samsung took a long time to release the new iteration of its Gear Fit smart health connected bracelet. And the new model, called Gear Fit 2, has as many qualities as defects … Complete Review.

Design and Hardware

I was not really a fan of the first model, but the Gear Fit 2 made me excellent visual impression. The first reason is its sAMOLED screen that makes it really good, whatever the light conditions. The screen is curved, it fits well the shape of the wrist and is pleasant to wear day by day.

The closing system is easy to use and gives a feeling of solidity. The Gear Fit 2 is available in 3 colors (black, blue and purple) and in 2 sizes (S and L). It is waterproof thanks to its IP68 (you can shower with).

The bracelet attachment system on the screen is identical to that of the Gear S2. The heart sensor is integrated into the body and hardly exceeds, unlike some competitors. The Gear Fit 2 comes with its proprietary docking dock, very simple to use.

The watch (yes, it is also a watch technically!) Includes an accelerometer, a barometer, a GPS, a vibrator, a Bluetooth chip and a Wi-Fi chip. The autonomy is very good with just over 3 days in normal use (beware the GPS is very energy-consuming).

In short on the hardware Samsung was not wrong on any point.

Compatibility

This point is a pity. To use the Gear Fit 2 you will need either a Galaxy or a model under Android (4.4+). The iOS compatibility is not on the agenda, even though Samsung had announced the future compatibility of the Gear S2 with the Apple OS at CES.

features

The Gear Fit 2 is a smart health connected bracelet before any fitness oriented. It allows you to capture daily calories burned, steps, floors and heart rate (every 10 minutes). For your activity sessions, he is able to automatically detect (on paper) when you go running, cycling, rowing, etc. During my Review, this automatic activity function malfunctioned. As the measurement of the floors which proved to be more than far-fetched, with a typical day that announces 66 floors and another more than 100 floors … Software-level adjustments are certainly underway at Samsung to fix this. Another classic function: a reminder after 50 minutes of inactivity, to move more (or not).

During an activity that requires it, you can use GPS which allows you to have a faithful plot of your race or bike ride. This is very nice, because the phone is not necessary at all in these situations, especially since you can send up to 4GB of music in the Gear Fit 2 to listen with a Bluetooth headset. If you want to keep your phone, the Gear Fit 2 can also control the music played on your terminal in a simple way.

In session mode, the heart rate measurement is permanent (it is taken every 10 minutes in the day), and is rather powerful.

Other features (configurable from the app) allow you to track your water, coffee consumption, or use the bracelet in timer or stopwatch mode. Unfortunately these are, for the moment, the only applications available for the Gear Fit 2 and it's more than a shame … Developers to play now!

The dials are also few, but those proposed are of rather good quality, it is to emphasize. Latest functionality of the bracelet, access to basic notifications, with possibility of scheduled responses. This is a plus, and the reading of mails is less unpleasant than on some Android Wear models of smart health connected watches.

The sleep function is, for its part, clearly not completed, the data are unreliable, and not very useful as they are …

Application (s)

To pair the Gear Fit 2 on the phone, you have to download the application Samsung Gear. It also allows to manage the update and the installation of the applications, and to make the basic settings, like to choose the notifications to receive.

For monitoring the physical activity, you must download the application S Health which is pretty well thought out. It works on a system of tiles, which you choose according to the data which interest you. For each one, we can see a graph and the raw data. For sessions with GPS, you can access the course and data on heart rate, splits, speed, etc. A real success on this point, but there is still some way to go to compete with Fitbit & co.

The missing link (in my opinion) is the ability to send this data to applications like Runkeeper or Strava, which would further enhance the experience by not limiting us to a closed ecosystem.

My opinion

When we take the Gear Fit 2 in hand, the feeling is excellent, whether for its design or screen. Unfortunately, some poorly captured data tarnish the experience. The good news is that software updates could correct these shortcomings. However at 199 €, few smart health connected watches / bracelets connect the heart rate + the GPS for a correct autonomy. The table below gives you the current best prices for the Gear Fit 2. Samsung has just announced its Gear Fit2 Pro, Review coming soon.

Samsung Gear Fit 2 at the best price

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