Samsung swims forwards with Gear Sport, Gear Fit2 Pro and Gear IconX
Samsung's getting serious in its quest to keep you fit with three new wearables to keep you running, walking or swimming.
Samsung has announced three new wearable devices at the IFA show in Berlin, with a focus on sports and fitness highlighted by a partnership with Speedo that will see the Speedo On swimming platform featured on two of Samsung's new wearables.
While the Samsung Gear S3 Frontier is still relatively new, for those who want an even sportier approach with a minimal feel there's the Gear Sport, a smartwatch based on Samsung's Tizen platform that features a 1.2 inch circular Super AMOLED display with a 360x360 320ppi resolution.
The Gear Sport will take a standard 20mm strap, and is compatible with leading fitness apps as well as Spotify for music streaming functionality. The Gear Sport will be compatible with Samsung Galaxy devices running Android 4.3 or better, other Android devices on Android 4.4 or better, or iOS 9 devices.
If you don't want or need the full form factor of a watch, Samsung's newest sports band might be a better fit. The GearFit2 Pro's new feature set includes integrated GPS for tracking activity, as well as a curved 1.5 inch Super AMOLED 216 x 432, 310 ppi display. Like the Gear Sport, compatibility is with Samsung Galaxy devices running Android 4.3 or better, other Android devices on Android 4.4 or better, or iOS 9 devices.
Samsung claims that both the GearFit2 Pro and Gear Sport feature advanced heart rate tracking, as well as automatic activity detection for walking, running and cycling.
While they're not specifically going to track your fitness, Samsung also announced new wireless earbuds under the Gear IconX branding. The 2018 variants measure in at 18.9x 21.8x22.8 mm weighing in at 8 grams with a claimed playback time of up to 7 hours in standalone mode and up to 5 hours in Bluetooth mode. The carrying case also charges the earbuds with a standalone capacity of 340mAh, compared to the 82mAh capacity of the IconX earbuds themselves.
Samsung Australia hasn't announced local pricing or availability for the new fitness wearables just yet, but Samsung Australia did issue a statement from Garry McGregor, director for IT and mobile at Samsung Electronics Australia, that would seem to indicate that local releases for all three products were likely.
McGregor said: "In 2017, fitness means more than just burning calories in the gym. Thanks to features like water and caffeine intake recording and auto sleep tracking, our new range of wearables are designed to help Australians bring balance to their lives. Through exciting collaborations with iconic fitness brands like Under Armour and Speedo, the Gear Fit2 Pro and Gear Sport set a new benchmark for what Australians can expect from their wearables. Perfect companions to the Note8 and the Galaxy S8, our new wearables blend cutting-edge technology with the timeless style and craftsmanship our customers expect from Samsung."
Samsung has been very busy of late, having only launched the Galaxy Note 8 last week and then pitching full tilt into pre-orders for the new phone the very next day.
