Samsung Gear Fit Review

Samsung Gear Fit: On the minus side

Samsung currently holds the lion’s share of the Android market, and that’s not something it’s going to give up lightly. Like last year’s Galaxy Gear smart watch, and this year’s Gear 2 and Gear 2 Neo, the Samsung Gear Fit will only work with Samsung devices. It definitely works with the Samsung Galaxy S5, which is what I tested it with. Samsung notes the following models with potential compatibility:
Samsung Galaxy S5/Galaxy Grand 2/Galaxy Note 3/Galaxy Note 3 Neo/Galaxy Note 2/Galaxy S4/Galaxy S3/Galaxy S4 Zoom/Galaxy S4 Active/Galaxy S4 mini/Galaxy Mega 6.3/Galaxy Mega 5.8/Galaxy Note 10.1 (2014 Edition)/Galaxy NotePRO (12.2)/Galaxy TabPRO (12.2/10.1/8.4)

But then goes on to note that “Device compatibility may vary by country”. Given in Australia that we’re the “beneficiaries” of the stupid locked dock on Samsung devices, I’d suggest keeping the receipt if it didn’t work with your Samsung device, because that would be a slam dunk case of not being fit for purpose… or in this case, Gear Fit. Also, am I the only one who finds the concept of pairing a small fitness band with a 12.2 inch NotePRO tablet just a little on the ludicrous side?
The display screen on the Samsung Gear Fit is undoubtedly nice, but there’s a price to pay for all that brightness and colour. Running it comparatively against an original Pebble smartwatch both connected to the same Galaxy S5, the Gear Fit managed to run for three days, at which point the Pebble was still reporting more than 50 per cent charge. It’s a big step up from the disappointing original Galaxy Gear smartwatch, but it’s still not top of the range in terms of charge.
The Samsung Gear Fit uses its own proprietary charging pin array, which isn’t uncommon amongst smartwatch style devices, but it’s still a little annoying. There’s at least space on the side of the Samsung Gear fit for a standard microUSB charge port, but it’s not a feature of this year’s model. Maybe next year.
The Gear Fit also sits in an interesting space when it comes to “Smart” devices, because it’s really just a “Feature” device, if anything.
While you can add apps, and third parties can develop them for the Gear 2 and Gear 2 Neo, the Gear Fit’s feature set is locked down by Samsung itself. It’s always feasible that they may issue future firmware upgrades that alter this, or at least add a few new functions, but my standard advice around these types of devices remains to buy them for what they can do now, not what might might be possible in the future.
Next page: Samsung Gear Fit: Pricing and conclusion