(I used it with the Galaxy S5, which Walt Mossberg reviewed in full here.)ĭuring my testing, the device had even more serious flaws. That said, this is not a be-all wristband for fitness purposes - which sort of defeats the purpose, since it’s the Gear “Fit.” Right now, it records four types of activities, and some of those require a connection to a GPS-ready Samsung smartphone.
Unlike heart-rate monitors that require you to wear a chest strap, this type of sensor works by shining a tiny light through your skin to measure blood absorption, from which it infers your heart rate.Īnd I was impressed by the Gear Fit’s battery life, considering the size of the display. The Gear Fit also has an optical heart-rate sensor. I was genuinely surprised by the number of compliments I got while wearing it, from friends, colleagues and even the woman behind the register at the market. So, where does the Gear Fit fit in? For one, it’s arguably more attractive than some others, with its bright multicolored display. Right now, it’s a hot topic, and a growing area of consumer technology, but the general consensus is that wearables are still … nascent, and there is a lot of room for improvement. I’ve tested a lot of wearables over the past couple of years - iterations of Fitbit, Jawbone Up, the Basis B1 Band, smartwatches (including Samsung’s Galaxy Gear), running watches and more. The band will store some of that data, but it’s really meant to be used with an app or apps on Samsung mobile devices. In all seriousness, the Gear Fit measures steps, some exercise activities and also your heart rate. The $199 Samsung Gear Fit is a new activity-tracking wristband - or, as my boss Walt Mossberg calls these devices when they are particularly clunky, celibacy band. Considering that it’s one of the world’s biggest electronic makers, it was only a matter of time before Samsung hopped aboard the wristbandwagon.