The Samsung Gear Fit2 was released in 2016 and, by most accounts, it’s still a top-tier fitness tracker, especially if you own a Samsung smartphone. The new Samsung Gear Fit2 Pro doesn’t mess too much with its predecessor’s success. It has a similar two-button design, beautiful curved display and multiple sensors including heart-rate, built-in GPS and sleep monitoring. You can quickly respond to text messages and calls if your phone is nearby, too.
The improvements to the Gear Fit2 Pro over the Gear Fit2 are noteworthy-yet-incremental. It’s now water-resistant enough to go swimming with, and Samsung partnered with Speedo to include Speedo Go preinstalled on the device. Samsung also partnered with Under Armor to include running-focused third-party apps MapMyRun and Endomondo. The improvement I’m most excited about though its built-in music feature. That is, thanks to a partnership with Spotify, the Samsung Gear Fit2 Pro is one of the only fitness trackers that allows you to download songs to the device — if you’re a Spotify Premium member.
The Good: The Samsung Gear Fit2 Pro can work with any smartphone, you’ll just need to download both the S Health and Samsung Gear apps. It’s comfortable and aesthetically pleasing, with a striking curved AMOLED display. You can leave your phone at home and this fitness tracker will still accurately track your workouts and enable you to listen to Spotify (if paired with Bluetooth earbuds or headphones).
Who They’re For: It’s a great fitness tracker if you own a Samsung Galaxy smartphone; it’ll work with iOS and Android devices, but you might not be as familiar with the interface. If you want to listen to Spotify offline, you have to be a Spotify Premium member.
Watch Out For: The app experience on the Gear Fit2 Pro can be frustrating, partly because of its two-button design (navigation can be tough) and partly because not many of the available apps are all that desirable. The Gear Fit2 Pro utilizes a proprietary charger, unlike a micro-USB or USB-C cable that can charge other devices, so if you forget it at home you’re out of luck. Spotify isn’t downloaded on the Gear Fit2 Pro — you have to download the app and that process isn’t as straightforward as it sounds.
Alternatives: Even though the Samsung Gear Fit2 Pro isn’t a full-fledged smartwatch — it doesn’t support Samsung Pay or have access as many third-party apps, nor can it control your smart home devices or access your email — some of its main competitors are smartwatches: Apple Watch Series 3 ($329), Garmin Fenix 5X ($650), Fitbit Ionic ($299) or Samsung’s Gear Sport ($300). More dedicated fitness trackers include the Fitbit Blaze ($200) and the Garmin Vivosport ($199). Also, the now-older Samsung Gear Fit2 ($130) has been updated with Spotify support, so you can listen offline, and it costs $70 less.
