Samsung Galaxy Fit vs. Gear Fit2 Pro: Which should I buy?

Samsung Gear Fit2 Pro

Sometimes you need all the features you can get to make the most out of your fitness tracking experience. The Samsung Gear Fit2 Pro has plenty to offer in the way of fitness tracking as well as premium features, like built-in GPS and music storage. It's a couple years old now, so you can also get it at a great price.

Samsung Galaxy Fit

In some cases, you only need the basics to be content in your fitness tracking journey. That's where the Samsung Galaxy Fit shines. You'll have activity, sleep, stress, and heart rate tracking. It also offers excellent battery life and a compact, lightweight design.

There are many valid reasons to take a closer look and consider both of these options even if they're for different markets. When all is said and done, it's going to boil down to what your daily activity entails, what features you need to achieve your goals, and what your budget looks like. There are a fair amount of similarities between the Galaxy Fit and the Gear Fit2 Pro, so understanding the few differences that exist will help you determine which is a better fit.

Which fitness band should I buy?

Are you seeking a compact fitness tracker that covers the basics and nothing more? If so, you'll probably be content with the Galaxy Fit, which offers automatic activity tracking. You'll also be able to manually select from up to 90 activities. Six of these are auto-tracked workouts: walking, running, cycling, elliptical training, rowing, and dynamic workouts. Some other basics you'll enjoy are sleep tracking, heart rate monitoring, and stress tracking. This device is equipped with Realtime OS as opposed to the more powerful Tizen OS, so you'll need to rely on the Samsung Health App on your smartphone to view detailed tracking information.

On the other hand, if you consider yourself a fitness guru of sorts and you need the ability to do more with your tracker, you might be better off with the Gear Fit2 Pro. It can do all of the basics, like tracking steps, floors climbed, distance, calories burned, and sleep. However, thanks to the built-in GPS feature, you'll also enjoy a more rounded experience when you track full workouts, such as runs, bike rides, and hikes. It's also able to sync with fitness apps, including MapMyRun, Endomondo, MyFitness Pal, and Speedo On.

What's the difference?

While there are certainly some similiarities when it comes to tracking abilities, there are some key differences that could make or break your decision. One of them is the band design. It's quite nice having a gorgeous 1.5-inch AMOLED display on the Gear Fit2 Pro, but it comes with its disadvantages. For starters, it comes with a 24mm elastomer strap to accommodate the sizable screen, which isn't comfortable, but you can easily swap this out. You might be able to find a more skin-friendly band material, but it won't change the fact that it's pretty bulky for a fitness band. This could be cumbersone during high-intensity workouts, or if you just have small wrists. The touchscreen is bright and responsive. There are also two side buttons, one to go back to the previous screen and one to launch the app screen.

The Galaxy Fit design is much more user-friendly. It not only weighs less than the Gear Fit 2 Pro but it also has an overall slimmer fit. That being said, the screen is noticeably smaller. It's a small price to pay for a more lightweight and compact fitness tracker, but it also has some drawbacks. There are going to be limitations when it comes to what you're actually able to do with the display. You can swipe through the widgets on the screen, but that's about as far as it goes. The side button can be programmed to your preferred workout so that when you press it, it'll activate the exericse for you.

The other big differences come down to features available. There's the tracking features, of course, but that all comes down to the built-in GPS, which helps you better track certain workouts and allows you to leave your phone at home if you want.

As we mentioned earlier, the built-in GPS and music storage on the Gear Fit2 Pro are the stars of the show. There's no lesser version of these features available on the Galaxy Fit at all, which means you'll need your phone for both GPS and music. The Wi-Fi feature is a nice addition, but the Gear Fit2 Pro allows you to download Spotify playslists that can be listened to offline. This is a great perk for those who are often running or biking outdoors away from the land of Wi-Fi. Strangely enough, the Spotify app doesn't come pre-downloaded to the device, so you'll have to take care of that during the initial setup.

Picking sides

When the time comes to pick a side, you'll need to carefully assess your workout tendencies in order to figure out which fitness tracker will best serve your purpose. If you're casually working out and only need access to basic information, you really can't go wrong with the Galaxy Fit. It's the more affordable choice and offers a more compact design while still providing you with the essentials, like activity, sleep, stress, and heart rate tracking. Plus, you'll get more battery life out of this one.

If the basics sound nice but you'd like to spruce things up a bit more, you might find yourself gravitating toward the Gear Fit2 Pro. Not only will you have more detailed data and insight when it comes to your activity, but you'll also have some bonus features on your wrist. It can be challenging to find built-in GPS, Wi-Fi, and music storage on a fitness tracker, but the Gear Fit2 Pro has made it possible.

Even if you happen to be on a budget, there isn't a significant price difference between these two trackers right now, so you won't be saving that much money with the Fit. The Gear Fit2 Pro has been out for a couple years, so you can buy it for way lower than its initial price. It makes sense to stretch for the Gear Fit2 Pro, especially if you feel you'd benefit from the additional features.