Why it matters to you
The Gear Fit 2 Pro set to become a more comprehensive fitness tracker than its predecessor with the addition of swim support.
Samsung may be focusing most of its efforts on the Galaxy Note 8, but rumors are gathering the company may have a new wearable device to announce alongside the big-screen phone. It’s called the Gear Fit 2 Pro, and it’s rumored to be an evolution of the Gear Fit 2, one of our favorite fitness tracking wristbands.
If the leaks are correct, it’s clear why the Gear Fit 2 Pro doesn’t really deserve the name Gear Fit 3. Its design is very similar to the Gear Fit 2, and the features are general updates over the existing model. The alterations made to the original Gear Fit to create the Gear Fit 2 were far greater. The gently curved screen stays on, and is snugly integrated with a silicone body with a plastic underside, presumably where a heart rate monitor will live.
There is one difference between the Gear Fit 2 and Fit 2 Pro that the leaked images highlight: The end of the press-stud fixing, and the introduction of a watch-like clasp. This makes the Gear Fit 2 Pro look more mature, and should make it more secure on the wrist. The leak shows a black and red Gear Fit 2, but we’d expect to see different colors offered at launch.
What’s new? The Gear Fit 2 Pro will be swim-proof, and water-resistant to 5 ATM, unlike the IP68 rated Gear Fit 2. Additionally, Samsung has apparently integrated support for a Speedo app, which we assume is the Speedo Fit platform. Aside from the swimming aspect, no other changes to the fitness tracking side have been rumored for the Gear Fit 2 Pro, though it may come with a subscription to Under Armour’s premium Record fitness management platform.
Samsung wants you to wear the Gear Fit 2 Pro and not have to carry your phone. In addition to introducing GPS on the new wearable, it’s expected to add offline Spotify music playback. This should mean you can download playlists directly to the band, and then listen using a Bluetooth headset when out running, without the need to carry your phone. Handy. Whether any other streaming music services will be supported is unknown. Like the Gear Fit 2, the Fit 2 Pro should work with Android and iOS devices.
While a launch date of August 23 is being rumored, it’s not known when the Gear Fit 2 Pro will be released. We’ll keep you updated here.