Most fitness-oriented devices provide the user with information on their biometric readings - such as heart rate or the number of foot steps taken (pedometer). They tend to fulfill one of two niches: fitness tracking or smartphone notifications.
In a nutshell, wearables come in the physical form of a watch, while providing some kind of computer-like function. Smartwatches classify as "wearable tech", a term coined at the Consumer Electronics Show in 2013. While relatively novel, does the $200 Gear Fit match other wearables such as the $199 Basis Health Tracker (our Basis review), the Pebble smartwatch (our Pebble review) or the $199.99 Sony SmartWatch 2 ( Sony SmartWatch 2 review)? It's certainly among the more affordable of smartwatches, but does it provide a healthy middle ground between fitness watches and notifications watches? Read on to find out. With the majority of smartwatches offering either notifications or health metrics, a smartwatch offering both fulfills an almost untouched niche. Their previous entry into the fray, the Galaxy Gear, offered notifications only – the Fit provides a hybrid of notifications and exercise-oriented features.
Samsung's Gear Fit enters a smartwatch arena filled with blood thirsty, formidable competition.