Sure, Samsung launched its new flagship Galaxy S5 and two new smartwatches running Tizen, but it’s the Gear Fit fitness tracker that sparked the most interest among MWC attendants.
Some could say that Samsung is late in the game of making smartwatches, fitness trackers and wearables, in general, but in my opinion, no one is late as long as they launch their products before Apple. Gear Fit also acts as a smartwatch, but it’s the fitness tracking aspect that interests people the most in this device, mainly because it comes with features that were never seen before in such a device.
The heartbeat sensor featured by Gear Fit is a unique feature among fitness trackers. The battery is also better than of the Gear smartwatches, as it’s supposed to keep the device alive for up to 4 days.
As smartphones with curved screens didn’t really catch up, the company decided to use the technology in other devices, as this fitness tracker is a prime example of that. It comes with a 1.84-inch 432×138 curved Super AMOLED touchscreen display that’s a beauty to look at. Due to how text, notifications and even the apps are displayed, it may take a while until you’re getting used to it, but in the end, getting a Gear Fit is worth it, supposing that it will have a decent price. Measuring 23.4 x 57.4 x 11.95 mm and weighing only 27 grams, the Gear Fit is something that people might actually forget that they are wearing. Still, this is how wearables should truly be designed: to be barely felt around the wrist, but ready whenever you need them.
Since Gear Fit isn’t a member of the Galaxy line, you could assume that it’s not running Android, and you would be right. Unlike Samsung Gear and Gear Neo, which run the South Korean company’s Tizen operating system, this fitness tracker is actually based on a proprietary operating system called RTOS (real time OS). Because of that, the device is only compatible with a limited number of smartphones, namely the ones from the Galaxy family.
Gear Fit has a replaceable strap, and this is yet another detail that differentiates it from the other fitness trackers. Judging by the youthful colors and patterns featured by the replacement straps, I’d say that Samsung has defined a precise target audience for this product: teenagers and young adults. To be frank, I can’t imagine someone above 40 getting away with any of the above straps.
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