Samsung Gear

Author: Kaitlyn Short

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The Good

• Great features
• Water resistant
• Works with app

While Samsung offers a few wearable tech devices, only the Gear Fit doubles as a fitness tracker. It records steps, distance, duration, calories and sleep - and it tracks your heart rate, which many of the other fitness trackers don't do. The Gear Fit is water resistant, can go about three days without being charged and will save 5-6 days of tracking history if it isn't synced before then. You'll also get the benefits of a smartwatch, including alerts for emails, texts, phone calls and calendar appointments. And we'd be remiss if we didn't mention the Gear Fit's large, colorful display screen - it's the most attractive display that we saw while reviewing fitness tracker companies. The Gear Fit works with S Health, which is Samsung's personal fitness tracker app. Designed to "lead you through consistent, daily fitness routines," S Health breaks down your feedback into four main categories: heart rate, exercise, food and sleep. In each category, you'll be able to read details such as the duration of your workout, the speed of your run and an estimate of how many calories you've eaten today. The app is easy to navigate and features graphs and charts that allow you to check your progress with a simple glance.

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The Bad

• Samsung operating systems only
• Can be expensive

The major drawback of the Samsung Gear Fit and S Health package is that it's only compatible with Samsung operating systems - if you switch brands the next time you upgrade your cell phone, you'll find yourself dealing with the hassle of also needing to switch to a new fitness tracker company. At $149.99, the Gear Fit falls into the pricier end of the fitness tracker devices we've reviewed. The cost issue here is a toss-up: the limited compatibility of Samsung's fitness tracker package makes it seem like the device should be cheaper - however it also acts as a smartwatch, and this price is very reasonable for a wearable tech piece.

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The Bottom Line

As a leader in the electronic technology industry, Samsung is selling itself short by offering a proprietary fitness tracker program. Many of us purchase varying brands for our cell phones, tablets, laptop computers, desktop computers and watches - and Samsung doesn't garner the kind of across-the-board loyalty that a brand like Apple does. The average Samsung user might be very happy with a Samsung product or two, but is unlikely to stay committed to the brand just for the sake of a compatible fitness tracker - especially when most of the other options on the market work across a variety of operating systems and mobile devices. Samsung is on the right track with its sleek design, smartwatch features and clean app - but it will need to play nice with other operating systems if it wants to compete in the fitness tracker market.