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The Samsung Gear Fit is not just a fittingness tracker , or a smartwatch — it ’s both . The gadget , which costs about $ 200 , fuse smartwatch feature article , such as call and alarm notifications , with the functions of a more traditional fitness tracker , such as the ability to track daily steps and small calorie cut . It even admit a heart pace monitor that exercise when you ’re at rest or exercising . But is this crossbreed better than a normal tracker ? I tested the equipment to find out .
Overall Rating: 5.3/10
The pros of the Gear Fit include its sleek design and interactive display , the ability to receive notification , and the cellular inclusion of a " coach " in some versions of the tracker app that provides tips on how to live a healthy modus vivendi .
The con of the Gear Fit let in the motivation for multiple apps to cope the gadget and watch information , bugs in the app used on older reading of the Galaxy phone , and a lack of motivational message .
Design / Comfort : 9/10
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The Gear Fit stands out among smartwatches for its design . It has a sleek , slightly wind , orthogonal screen that ’s big enough to learn , without feeling bulky . An adjustable shoulder strap lets you accommodate the twist snugly on your carpus . A individual button will turn the display on and off , but the screen will also light up up when you twist your wrist to look at the show , so you could see the screen even if your hand are full .
Since it is asmartwatch , wearing the machine is like have a minicomputer or smartphone on your radiocarpal joint . The showing is colorful , and you could consider unlike picture by swiping the screen . you could also pick from more than a dozen wallpaper to employ as the screen background , so it ’s easy to colour - organise the smartwatch with your outfit , if you ’re so inclined . ( The wristband also comes in three colors : pitch-black , orange or grey . )
Features on the equipment include a timer , stopwatch andpedometer . It also render a way to track your slumber and exercise ( including walking , run , cycling or hiking ) , and check your tenderness rate . ( The Gear Fit does not continuously dog your heart rate , except during exercise sessions . ) you’re able to regard most of your information on the Gear Fit itself . For instance , take the pedometer icon point you how many steps you walked ; you could see a history of your daily steps over the last week , too .
The Samsung Gear Fit allows receiving notifications of incoming calls, emails or alarms.
you may also set the gadget to obtain notifications , including alert of incoming calls , emails or alarms . The watch will synchronize wirelessly with your telephone set , though it only works with Samsung phones .
User - friendliness : 2/10
Using the smartwtach itself is fairly straightforward , but I encountered a telephone number of frustrating moment while specify up the gadget and working with the accompanying apps .
The Samsung Gear Fit and S Health app
First , if you expend the smartwatch with a sound as former as or old than the Galaxy S4 , you ’ll have to install not only an app to manage the machine ( the Gear Fit Manager ) , but also a separate app to catch your datum ( the Fitness with Gear app ) . I did n’t realize at first that I need to take this redundant step . If you have a Galaxy S5 phone , you could practice the watch with the S Health app , which come installed . disregardless of the version of your sound , you ’ll have to create a Samsung account.(Note : The Galaxy S4 does have an honest-to-god version of the S Health app , but for some reason , you are not propel to pair the Gear Fit with this app . )
The Fitness with Gear app had some bug . At first , I could not see the details of my data because the app told me I need to " synchronize with my Samsung account , " even though I ’d already done that . No further instructions were provided . Eventually , I was able to see these details , which included information like my total average steps and a monthly history of my activity . But the app would occasionally give me error messages , and I ’d just have to essay again by and by .
The S Health app is much nicer and does not have the same bug . But it ’s still not in particular user - friendly . For one , it does not mechanically synchronize with the pedometer on your Gear Fit . rather , it uses the phone ’s built - in pedometer . To sync with your Gear Fit ’s pedometer , you have to select Pedometer in the S Health app , then the three - point computer menu clit , then take " Phone data point to view " and then choose the Gear Fit machine . This is not particularly visceral .
The Galaxy S5 phone has a direction to mark yourheart rateas well , and every time you launch the Heart Rate department on the S Health app , it prompts you to place your finger on the earphone ’s heart rate sensor . If you ’re interested in view the heart rate selective information you roll up with the Gear Fit , you ’ll desire to look at the heart rate Log department of the S Health app . Also , the Exercise department of the S Health app observe a logarithm of the calories you bite in a physical exercise , and your modal warmheartedness rate , but not your footstep .
Although the older Fitness with Gear app has a incision to view details about your sleep data , the new S Health app does not . So if you track your sleep with your Gear Fit , you ’ll only be able to view the data on the Gear Fit equipment itself , unless you download a separate app call S Health Sleep . Three apps for one tracker ( Gear Fit Manager , S Health and S Health Sleep ) seems a bit much .
Finally , although the Gear Fit gadget has a pedometer , it does not set out look your steps until you stumble the Start icon on the gadget . Once you do , it will always numerate your steps , unless you hit intermission on the pedometer .
note value of Information : 4/10
The Coach section of the S Health app on the Galaxy S5 provides some information to put the data you ’re tracking into context of use . In this domain , you could do an judgement of your exercise , food and rest use , as well as your emphasis story and free weight . For example , if the assessment finds that you are not exercising very often , Coach will propose that you increase the figure of times you exercise a week , also put up specific " mission " that you’re able to carry out to fulfill your goal , such as exact a speedy , 20 - minute walkway twice a week or upping your steps to10,000 per day .
entropy from the physical exercise you track with Gear Fit or the Galaxy S5 itself will mechanically go toward fill out these missions / exercise goals , or you’re able to only tell Coach that you complete a goal that day .
If you ’re interested in improving your eternal sleep , Coach will suggest lead such as " dim your lights two hour before bedtime to produce a soothing environs that promotes sleep . " It also explain that Inner Light before bedtime " keep your genius fighting . " However , the machine does not actually use the information from your Gear Fit to see how well you ’ve been slumber . On the Gear Fit itself , you could track your total sleep time and " motionless slumber , " but as previously refer , this data does not sync with the S Health app ( only with a disjoined app ) .
Although both the Gear Fit and Galaxy S5 measure center rate , neither equipment explains whyknowing your nerve charge per unit is useful(such as how you could apply it to improve your exercise riding habit ) .
Finally , if you have an old phone and are using the Fitness with Gear app , you do n’t get the information from Coach , so you ’re left with a lot of numbers ( your day-by-day stone’s throw , time spent at rest , etc . ) and no circumstance for them .
Enjoyment / Inspiration : 6/10
The pattern of the smartwatch itself , include the colorful screen and interactivity , made me want to wear upon it every Clarence Shepard Day Jr. — to apply it as a watch , if for no other rationality .
The tips from the Coach section of S Health app and the ability to track progress toward my goals provided some motivating to keep using the gimmick . If you complete all five assessments in Coach ( exercise , food , sleep , stress and free weight ) , you ’ll get an overall " lifestyle score " ( out of 100 ) , providing a ballpark measure of your health .
However , unlike some other fitness trackers , the Gear Fit and S Health app do n’t provide you with motivational messages or tell you when you ’re close to nail your goals .
