When you’ve got two very similar devices on your hands, like the Samsung Galaxy Fit and Fit e, it can be challenging to pick a winner. We’ve taken a deep dive and gathered all the juicy details so you can feel more confident in your final decision.
All of the basics
Samsung Galaxy Fit
$100 at Amazon
Pros
- Week-long battery life
- Water resistance
- Smartphone notifications
- Wireless charging
Cons
- No GPS
- Minimal watch face options
- Realtime OS
If you’re dipping your toe into the fitness tracking pond for the very first time, the Galaxy Fit will serve you well. It tracks your steps, sleep, and heart rate, and it all comes in a simple, lightweight design with a bright color screen.
The bare essentials
Samsung Galaxy Fit e
$50 at Amazon
Pros
- Ultra-lightweight
- More affordable
- One additional band color
- Water resistance
Cons
- Tracks fewer activities
- No wireless charging
- No touchscreen
The Fit e is suitable for beginners and it’s cheaper, but you’ll only get the bare essentials here. A few of the sacrifices include an underwhelming monochrome screen, no wireless charging support, and no quick replies.
Most of the tracking features that come with the Galaxy Fit also come with the Fit E. There are a few exceptions to this, though. For example, the automatic tracking only covers a few activities, including walking, running, and dynamic workouts. The Fit, on the other hand, will automatically track when you walk, run, bike, row, use the elliptical trainer, or start a dynamic workout. Not to mention, the Fit also lets you select and customize up to ten preferred activities from a list of more than 90 workouts.
What’s the difference?
There are a couple of differences worth noting when it comes to specs. For starters, the Fit gives you a larger display that’s bright and colorful, additional memory, a gyroscope sensor, bigger battery, and wireless charging. Admittedly, these are some pretty nice perks to have in a standard fitness tracker.
| Band Colors | Black, silver | Black, white, yellow |
| Display | 0.95″ Full Color AMOLED | 0.74″ PMOLED |
| Dimensions | 18.3(W) x 44.6(H) x 11.2(T) mm | 16.0(W) x 40.2(H) x 10.9(T) mm |
| Weight | 24g | 15g |
| Battery | 120 mAh | 70 mAh |
| Charging | NFC Wireless | Pogo |
| Realtime OS | Yes | Yes |
| Water resistance | 5 ATM | 5 ATM |
| Reply to notifications | Yes (with preset responses) | No |
In addition to a few internal features, there are also some noticeable physical differences between the two. Both don’t have the most fluid touchscreen, but the Fit e comes with a basic monochrome display while the Fit’s is colorful. It also isn’t a touchscreen in the sense that there’s no swiping or scrolling. Instead, you have to tap the device. You can swipe through the widgets on the Fit but other than that, it’s also fairly restrictive.
The realtime OS on both of these devices is meant to support the basics — nothing more and nothing less. This means you’ll be heavily relying on the Samsung Health app to view specific details. If you’ve set some strict health goals for yourself, you can go as far as tracking food, water, and weight in the app as well.
When it comes to notifications, you’ll have to settle for the very limited information the Fit e provides. You also won’t be able to reply to notifications from your wrist, so be prepared to take out your smartphone. This isn’t much of a dealbreaker considering you’ll need your phone for navigating the app anyway. You’ll also have to part with wireless charging, which is a benefit many users have gotten used to by now. Again, it’s not the end of the world, especially with the more affordable price tag of the Fit e.
However, with the Fit you can reply to notifications with preset responses and have access to wireless charging, so that’s something to keep in mind.
Finally, and probably the most important: the tracking. Both do basic tracking for activities like walking, running, and dynamic workouts, but only the Fit can automatically track more specific activities, like elliptical training — up to six. While both have heart rate sensors, the Fit can track your heart rate more specifically while the Fit e cannot, although both can be used for sleep tracking. Neither has GPS support (although as we previously mentioned you’ll probably be connected to your phone anyway).
That’s really all there is to it. It’s not uncommon to lose a significant chunk of crucial features when there’s a cheaper version of a certain fitness tracker. Fortunately, that’s not the case with the Galaxy Fit and Fit e, which are both basic fitness trackers to begin with. Sure, you compromise on a few things here and there but it’s not a bad deal given the lesser price.
Which should you buy?
When all is said and done, it will come down to your personal preferences and what you expect from a fitness tracker. You might be totally content with a device that provides very basic tracking and doesn’t come with a lot of bells and whistles. If this sounds like you, we think you’d be more than satisified with the Fit e. However, if you want the better screen, more activity tracking, wireless charging, and preset replies to notifications, go for the Fit. Neither model is expensive, so you might as well spend more for a few more features.
The Fit is currently available for sale in the U.S. and other select markets. Those in the U.K. can purchase both the Fit and the Fit e. There’s no word on when or if the Fit e will be available to purchase in the states. Anything is possible in the world of fitness trackers, so stay tuned.
All of the basics
Samsung Galaxy Fit
The basics and then some
$100 at Amazon
If you can’t live without the additional activity tracking, a crisp color screen, and wireless charging, then you shouldn’t have to. The Samsung Galaxy Fit offers all of that and more.
The bare essentials
Samsung Galaxy Fit e
Keep it simple
$50 at Amazon
Looking to keep it simple? Look no further. You’ll have the essentials with the Samsung Galaxy Fit e, like activity tracking, sleep tracking, and heart rate monitoring. Plus, it’s more affordable.
