On the last day of August, at the IFA trade fair in Berlin, Samsung presented a smart watch alongside the Gear Fit2 Pro fitness bracelet and the second generation of Gear IconX wireless headphones Gear Sport. The lightweight watch lacks some features of the year-old Gear S3. Thanks to this, it was possible to reduce the overall size of the Gear Sport. On the other hand, active athletes, whom Samsung primarily targets, will find their way. Gear Sports are more of an evolution than a revolution. Nevertheless, they offer a number of interesting functions, thanks to which they can boldly compete with competitors in at least some areas Apple Watch.
Package contents and first impressions
I had the opportunity to try the Gear Sport Black color version, which, unlike the blue variant, is less prominent on the wrist. Unlike its predecessor, the Gear S3, the Gear Sport is stored together with accessories in a square box. In addition to the watch itself, the package contains a stand for wireless charging, a charging cable with an adapter, a manual and a spare strap of size S.
At first glance, I was attracted by the steel design with a special surface treatment, which gives the watch a really luxurious impression. Immediately after placing it on my wrist, I appreciated the smaller dimensions and light weight. The control is very intuitive, the watch can be set up and learned to use in less than an hour from the first start.
Design and specifications
I already mentioned the compact dimensions of the Gear Sport. The compromise between a reasonable diagonal and overall dimensions makes the watch suitable for wearing on smaller wrists. On the right side of the body of the watch are two hardware buttons that have the primary functions of back and home. The rotating bezel is very practical. With this, it is possible to partially control the watch without having to touch the display and thus not leave fingerprints on it.
The original straps look rather cheap compared to the watch itself. Nevertheless, it is very comfortable to wear. If the original tapes still do not fit, Samsung offers a simple solution. Along with the watch, he started selling a number of different replacement bands. But it is not absolutely necessary to choose one of them. The watch can be fastened with practically any 20 mm strap.
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The display did not disappoint me. Thanks to the Super AMOLED display technology, it is readable even in direct sunlight, even at approximately half brightness. It is covered with durable Gorilla Glass 3. Viewing angles are excellent. 1,2 pixels were arranged on a diagonal of 360 inches. The resulting fineness makes distinguishing individual pixels virtually impossible. I was surprised by the pretty good response of the display to control in reasonably thin gloves. Active athletes, for whom Gear Sport is intended, usually do not interrupt their activities during the winter months. Therefore, he will definitely appreciate this element. It is possible to leave the display permanently on with reduced brightness and resolution, but this will significantly increase energy consumption.
I noticed that the technology to recognize when you are looking at the watch is far from perfect. I noticed quite a lot of accidental switching on of the display, especially when working at a desk, which ultimately had a negative effect on battery life. However, it is necessary to realize what type of wearing the watch is primarily intended for. Therefore, I have to add in one breath that the number of accidental switching on of the display during physical activities was really minimal.
The operating memory is sufficient. A considerable part of the 4 GB of internal memory is used by the operating system and pre-installed applications. Nevertheless, there is enough space left for installing your own applications and downloading music, which can then be listened to even without a connection to a mobile phone.
The watch is water resistant up to 50 m under laboratory conditions. This means that it is possible to swim with it without worry. However, it is strongly not recommended to expose them to fast-flowing and pressurized water. This corresponds to the IP 68 certification. Water resistance can be used mainly in water sports. The water lock is practical. If activated, the watch does not respond to accidental touches.
Only after connecting the watch to the smartphone is it possible to start using it to its full potential. The watch can be connected to a smartphone via Bluetooth technology. If the watch is within range of a Wi-Fi network, content can also be downloaded to it via it. The environment of the mobile application is pleasant, it allows you to comfortably perform a number of activities that would take a disproportionate amount of time on the small display of the watch. The GPS module is a matter of course. LTE connectivity had to give way to smaller dimensions, the absence of which can be quite annoying at times. Especially if the user is not in the habit of carrying his smartphone with him everywhere.
With a focus on athletes
Samsung's intention was to create a smart watch that even very active athletes would appreciate. It cannot be ignored. Every part of the watch is tailored to him. The watch is fitted with three important sensors – barometer, accelerometer and heart rate sensor. The last listed is located on the underside of the watch, which is made of high-quality plastic. It is elevated so that it can function better. Thanks to the sensors, the user has a constant overview of the ambient air pressure, the altitude at which he is located, the speed at which he is moving and his current, minimum and maximum heart rate.
The watch can be manually alerted to the intention to go in for sports (start recording a specific fitness activity), or it can automatically recognize basic physical activity within ten minutes. Subsequently, the progress of the activity can be monitored on the display.
The watch automatically constantly analyzes the data obtained through the sensors and can therefore count the elevation that has been overcome on a given day and the number of steps that have been taken. Their number needs to be taken with a certain reserve, it is not an absolutely accurate number. The watch calculates steps best with steady physical activity. These two data are continuously displayed on the default watch face.
Part of the sports activities involving active movement from place to place is monitored using GPS. Thanks to this, it is possible to view, for example, the route and the average speed after they have finished. Movement in the water helps to analyze the specially adapted Speedo on application.
An overview of all important data related to exercise and a healthy lifestyle is available in the S Health app. I can only recommend the excellent application Endomondo, which offers a full-fledged alternative to the default application.
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Operating system, controls and applications
The watch runs on the Tizen OS 3.0 operating system, which has 768 MB of operating memory. The transition between applications is smooth and the control is intuitive. Pressing the farthest button goes back, the second button redirects to the default watch face, where you can use it to launch the application menu. It first displays an icon that hides recently launched applications. The basic settings panel can be pushed out from the top edge of the watch display. From there it is possible to easily switch to advanced settings.
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During the testing of the watch, I tried to try as many applications as possible. unfortunately, I actually managed to try the substantial majority of those that make some sense to install. I consider the lack of an application and the frequent absence of alternatives to be one of the most serious shortcomings that need to be dealt with when using a watch. A number of specially tailored apps available for Gear and competing devices Apple Watch Unfortunately, it is not really possible to compare yet.
I will not go into detail about the default pre-installed applications such as text messages and contacts. Everyone has some idea of what to expect from them. The default watch face is undoubtedly the most downloaded type of app. I've tried dozens of them. But there aren't too many really good-looking free options available. I finally ended my search with the watch having enough default watch faces pre-installed.
I found the application useful, which turns the watch's display into a not very high-quality but still often sufficient light source. Of course, I didn't forget to install Spotify and the aforementioned Endomondo application. I used the calculator surprisingly often.
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Daily wear and battery life
I used the watch daily for approximately a fortnight. With their help, I had various notifications displayed, I used the Always on function, and I had the brightness set to the highest possible level. Every day I tracked at least one physical activity through them.
With that method of use, I ended up with a 300 mAh battery that lasts for approximately twenty hours. This is a value that will not surprise the user in anything. If you are one of those who charge your watch irregularly, I recommend reducing the energy consumption somehow. Otherwise, you simply won't be able to last two days with more intensive use. Power consumption will be significantly reduced when the power saving mode is activated. However, the user loses so many functions that it doesn't make much sense.
The charging itself did not disappoint me. Thanks to the magnets, the watch is elegantly attached to the stand for wireless charging. The only thing I would complain about wireless charging is its speed. The watch should always be left to rest for a little over two hours. During charging, its status is primarily indicated by a light-emitting diode, which is part of the stand. More detailed informace can be obtained on the display of the watch itself. Although battery life is usually a stumbling block for most wearable electronics, I find it to be adequate with the Gear Sport. It looks like the days when premium wearable electronics didn't last a full day on a single charge are thankfully behind us.
Summary
The Gear Sport ranks among the best pieces of wearable electronics I've ever tried. The price of around nine thousand is quite ambitious, but the impression the watch gives is truly luxurious. Before buying, it is important to consider whether you will actually use all the fitness functions, or whether you should go for a model with a focus on a wider range of customers. If you do end up downloading the Gear Sport, you will certainly be pleased with the minimalistic design typical of most Samsung products. It is partly thanks to it that it is not a problem to wear a watch primarily intended for sports every day.
I really liked the minimalist design, great display, intuitive operating system and high-quality processing of fitness functions.
The Gear Sport is a device that, unfortunately, has not avoided compromises. I definitely cannot praise the slow charging, the imperfect automatic display switching on, the absence of LTE and the smaller number of available applications. Nevertheless, I think the watch will find its buyers. Despite several shortcomings, it is one of the best possible alternatives to the Gear S3 Apple Watch, which currently dominate the smartwatch market.
