Samsung Gear Fit 2

Update: Samsung now offers iOS support for the Gear Fit 2 and is now ranking at position number two in our best fitness tracker round-up, conquered only by the Fitbit Charge 2 and its amazing companion app.

Original review follows below.

The first Samsung Gear Fit was a fitness tracker through and through, but with a tinge of smartwatch mixed in. Since its release in 2014, many similar options have jumped into the fray, including the Microsoft Band 2 and Fitbit Blaze.

And, in being one of the first to hit the scene, it actually got a lot right. The Super AMOLED display was (and still is) gorgeous, and its balance of fitness and smart functions helped to set a standard for devices to come down the line.

But for all that it accomplished, we were left wanting something with a little more substance. After all, when you make the promise of smart features, in come some mighty expectations and sometimes, the unfair comparisons to products out of its league.

After a two year break, we now have the Samsung Gear Fit 2. And while it might look like not whole lot has changed, Samsung has clearly learned from the last go-around. There are improvements at nearly every turn, and it all comes together as even better value in the process.

Samsung Gear Fit 2 price and release date

The Gear Fit 2 launched at $179 (£179, about AU$300) but you may be able to find it for a little bit cheaper now. We’ve seen the Gear Fit 2 go as low as $129, which is a great price for this device.

Samsung hasn’t seen fit to release the Gear Fit 2 in Australia yet, but both the US and UK have got the device readily available from most retailers now.

Display

Paramount to the Fit’s design ID is the curved touchscreen. Don’t worry, it didn’t go anywhere. It’s back with the Gear Fit 2, vibrant (and shiny) as ever, although slightly reshaped.

This rectangular display is now wider than before, offering more screen real estate for fitting in additional information. That means extra words in a notification, a more robust media player, and a full map of your run provided by the built-in GPS function, to name a few use cases that take advantage of it best.

The Super AMOLED touch-sensitive display found here is a bit smaller than before (1.5-inches down from 1.84-inches), but it boosts the pixel density up to 322ppi, which trounces the original’s 245ppi display.

The bezel surrounding the display has also seen a reworking to its benefit. It’s been reduced, giving the Gear Fit 2 a more edge-to-edge look. Unfortunately, this move cuts out the shiny visual elements of the original Gear Fit, if that was your thing.