Apple Watch Series 3 Rivals Samsung Gear Sport, Fit2 Pro Launched

Samsung Electronics has once again expanded its wearable portfolio after announcing two new fitness-oriented devices. Called the Gear Sport and the Gear Fit2 Pro, the new wearables from the South Korea giant are expected to go head-to-head with Apple’s upcoming Apple Watch Series 3.

On Wednesday, Samsung took the wraps off of the Gear Sport and Gear Fit2 Pro. The former is described as a sleek and versatile fitness-focused, water-resistant smartwatch, while the latter is regarded as an upgraded GPS sports band with very useful and smart features.

“At Samsung, we celebrate the everyday athlete — whether you’re going for a light job, or training for your next triathlon,” Samsung Electronics Mobile Communications Business President DJ Koh said in a press release. “We have a long history of embracing choice and innovation, and our wearables are designed to help consumers of varying fitness levels meet their goals and aspirations.”

“We want to help remove the stigma that fit can only mean one thing and that fitness trackers are complex and for only the most intense of workouts,” Koh added. “Our new Samsung Gear wearables help consumers ‘go beyond fitness’ and enjoy an active, balanced and fulfilled life in a smart and seamless way.”

The Gear Sport is a stylish smartwatch despite having a minimalistic design. It comes with a 1.2-inch AMOLED display with circular bezels. It houses a 1 gigahertz dual-core processor, 4 GB of storage and a 300 mAh battery. It is designed with military-level durability, so it can handle even the toughest environments. To be specific, the device meets MIL-STD-810G durability standards and has a 5 ATM water resistance rating.

Samsung’s Gear Sport-branded smartwatch is running Tizen OS, which can be paired with both Android and iOS smartphones. It has Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and NFC, and it supports Samsung Pay as well. Moreover, the device features a barometer and heart rate monitor and supports GPS, GLONASS and even China’s BeiDuo, according to Apple Insider.

The Gear Fit2 Pro is just as sporty as the Gear Sport. It comes with the same swim and heart rate monitoring capabilities as the latter and also has built-in GPS for accurate tracking of user activity. The Gear FIt2 Pro looks nothing like the Gear Sport however due to its non-circular design. The device has a Super AMOLED curved 1.5-inch display and an ergonomic band that is light weight and very comfortable on the wrist. Unfortunately, the Fit2 Pro comes with a smaller 200 mAh battery and it does not feature NFC.

Samsung promises that both of its new wearables can assist consumers with a wide range of physical activities including robust fitness routines. They are also designed to track nutrition and sleep as well as provide motivational coaching for a more health-centric lifestyle. The only thing that’s lacking from the two is support for Samsung’s new voice assistant, Bixby.

Pricing details for the Gear Sport are still unavailable as of late. However, the device is expected to hit the market sometime this holiday season. On the other hand, the Fit2 Pro is retailing for $199.99. Preorders for the device are opening this Thursday, and consumers can expect their orders to arrive on Sept. 15.

Meanwhile, Apple is rumored to be gearing up for the launch of the Apple Watch Series 3. The Cupertino giant’s new smartwatch is expected to launch alongside the new iPhone 8 and the “s” upgrades of last year’s iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus. Earlier reports claimed that the next Apple Watch installment will have LTE support.