Samsung Gear Fit 2 Pro Review: A Notch Above Competition

Samsung is moving forward on full steam when it comes to wearable tech. After showcasing its smart fitness band Gear Fit 2 Pro at IFA 2017, the South Korean conglomerate launched it in India recently. The Fit2 Pro has been priced at Rs. 13,590 for the Indian market which makes it a competitor to Fitbit Charge 2. That’s certainly a premium price to pay for a fitness tracker (considering that some popular smartwatches cost as much), and that exclusively makes Fit2 Pro a tracker for dedicated fitness enthusiasts.

Is it up for the task? Well, we have been using the Gear fit 2 pro extensively to know if its worth it and here’s what we think.

Bridges the gap between Smartwatches and Fitness trackers

Gear Fit2 Pro has a lot of smartwatch features integrated within, but, at the end of the day, it essentially is a fitness tracker. When connected via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi, it allows us to read our phone’s notification, gives alerts for incoming calls and option to answer or reject them, and even allows us to respond to texts with emoji’s and canned responses which is very convenient especially when something important pops-up during a workout session. We’d expect this much from a premium connected device that we need to wear through our day.

It lets you install additional apps and load music in its inbuilt memory. With built-in GPS and Bluetooth connectivity for headphones, Gear Fit2 Pro ensures that you don’t have to carry your smartphone during workouts.

With support for both iOS and Android, this Tizen OS-based fit2 Pro is certainly a Smart fitness tracker. It still can’t replace a smartwatch experience, but it isn’t meant to either.

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Gear Fit 2 Pro Review: What Impressed Us?

There hasn’t been any major changes in design and build compared to the Gear Fit2. The most noticeable difference is perhaps the new strap design on the Gear Fit 2 Pro. It is also compatible with last generation straps so if you have them lying around you can always use them.

Between two side straps is a central module with 1.5-inch curved touch-sensitive display and two navigation buttons on the side. This 33-gram bracelet is extremely comfortable on the wrist. All in all, the Gear Fit 2 Pro is best-looking fitness tracker in the market as of today. It’s IP68 water resistant certified and is also military-grade MIL-STD-801 certified against damage. And it has the best display we have seen on a fitness tracker.

Samsung has used a sharp OLED display (216×432 resolution) vertically and it once again blows away the competition with its punchy colors and deep blacks. Legibility is not a concern here even when the Sun beating down harshly. There is Gorilla Glass 3 on top, and based on our month of usage, it holds very well against daily wear and tear.

Underneath, it features an optical heart rate sensor which can be set to ‘auto’ or ‘always on’ or ‘frequent’ or ‘never’. We found ‘always on’ setting a bit of a power hog. What impressive us is that it was able to measure heart rate even when it is not tightly clenched on my wrist. We compared heart rate sensor accuracy by using Gear 2 Pro another Fitbit fitness tracker on the other wrist simultaneously. the readings on two were comparable.

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More importantly, the Gear Fit 2 Pro doesn’t disappoint where it matters the most. It’s quite accurate at measuring your activity stats. And it covers a very wide range of workout including running, cycling, swimming (can withstand 5 ATM water pressure), hiking, and more. GPS lets you map your runs, but you can’t use it for navigation. There is a paid third-party app for the same but it doesn’t work well.

Gear Fit2 Pro gently nudges you towards your daily goals and reminds you of inactivity. You can check your stats conveniently on the inbuilt display or on your phone. The software is pretty neat and intuitive. Samsung has added some nifty watch faces too.

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Samsung Gear Fit 2 Pro: What We Didn’t Like

The battery life left us wanting for more. On days when we were not that active, it manages to last up to 35-40hours. However, the mileage is a lot lesser when you are active, doing workouts, and are traveling around with the Gear Fit 2 Pro. In such scenario, it only manages to last up to 12-15 hours.

Samsung Gear Fit 2 Pro Review: Should You Buy It?

The Gear Fit2 Pro feels a bit expensive but it’s currently the best fitness tracker in its class. It looks attractive, is durable, has a gorgeous display, can accurately track a wide range of workouts, has a heart rate sensor, and an inbuilt GPS which is again very accurate. It’s meant for athletes following a serious training program and bakes in the right amount of Smartwatch features to keep things interesting.