Samsung Gear Fit2 Pro Leaked: To Feature Swim Tracking, Offline Spotify Support

Samsung is expected to reveal the Galaxy Note 8 on Aug. 23, but the company might also have something new to announce by the end of August. A new report claims that Samsung will be unveiling its new fitness smartband, the Gear Fit2 Pro, just before IFA Berlin 2017.

The launch of the Samsung Gear Fit2 Pro was first reported by Evan Blass on VentureBeat. He also shared some renders of the upcoming device. Despite the name, this will actually be the third iteration of Samsung’s Gear Fit. The first one came out in 2014, while the Gear Fit2 was released in 2016. Blass clarified on Twitter that the Gear Fit2 won't be announced alongside the Note 8 but will be announced by the end of the month just in time before IFA Berlin 2017.

The Gear Fit2 Pro will arrive with several improvements from the original Gear Fit2 while also being a bit more competitive with other smartwatches in the market. The Gear Fit2 Pro is said to arrive with 5 ATM water resistance, which means that it can be fully submerged in water. This also means that the device will now be able to track swimming workouts, a feature that’s never been on any the previous version of the fitness smartband.

The Gear Fit2 was only IP68 water and dust resistant, which means that it can survive exposure to liquids for a certain amount of time. Since the Gear Fit2 Pro will most likely be marketed to swimmers, the device is also capable of syncing with the Speedo On app.

The Samsung Gear Fit2 Pro is also said to arrive with support for music playback, specifically offline music playback for Spotify tracks and playlists. The report didn’t specify how exactly this will work, but it’s likely that users will have to sync their playlists through their phone.

Unsurprisingly, the Gear Fit2 Pro will arrive with GPS functionality. This is one of the main features of the original Gear Fit2 that has been carried over to the Gear Fit2 Pro.

As for the design of the upcoming device, the photos suggest that it will still have the same design as the original Gear Fit2 with monir changes. The Pro model will be available with a watch-style clasp making it more suitable for tougher workouts. The original Fit2 only had a snap-on clasp.

As for software, the Gear Fit2 Pro will still be powered by Samsung’s Tizen OS. No information was given on what version of Tizen OS will run on the device, but it’s likely to be version 3.0, which was just released this past May.

Gear Fit2 Pro will be compatible to both Android and iOS powered smartphones and will also come bundled with a one-year subscription to under Armour’s premium services. Samsung and Under Armour did announce back in January that the two have entered a collaborative partnership for Samsung’s wearable devices.

There was no mention of whether the Gear Fit2 Pro will replace or will be sold alongside the original Fit2. Pricing was also not mentioned. The original Gear Fit2 carried a $179.99 price tag when it was first released back in June 2016, as pointed out by Android Authority.