The Samsung Galaxy Fit is a light activity tracking device — not to be confused with Samsung’s previously released Gear Fit devices, which were more expensive full-featured wearables that were targeted at serious athletes. Having tested multiple Fitbit devices in the past, and owning one, here is our experience with the Galaxy Fit, after a couple of months with it.
Design and Ergonomics
The Galaxy Fit has a tall rectangular screen with silicon straps and a single button on the left. A heart-rate sensor is beneath the watch-face and would sit directly on your wrist when worn.
The screen is a full-color Amoled measuring just under an inch. The resolution is 120×240 and is bright enough for use in daylight. The display quality is best-in-class, easily trumping the Fitbit Inspire HR. Overall build quality is also pretty solid, offering a good level of rigidity while remaining light at 24 grams.
The device is water-resistant, which means you can take it for a swim, or wear it during a shower. This is worth noting, as it shines during swim tracking; but more on that later.
Box contents are pretty minimalistic, with just the Galaxy Fit unit, and a USB charging cradle. There are no changeable straps.
Software and User Experience
Running Realtime OS, the Galaxy Fit is compatible with both Android (version 5 or higher) and iOS (version 9 or higher). Though the first-time installation requires a total of three downloads, it’s quick and hassle-free. The interface is quite intuitive and easy to get accustomed to quickly.
There are a few watch-face options, and all of them look attractive, thanks in no small part to the great screen. Using the phone app, you can add additional widgets to your band, beyond the basic ones like exercise, sleep, weather, etc.
Some smartwatch features are available, including notifications, with preset responses.
Features and Activity Tracking
Tracking sensors include a heart-rate sensor, an accelerometer, and a gyroscope. GPS is interestingly tracked on the phone using the phone’s GPS sensor and logged directly in the phone app. Unlike the Fitbit Inspire HR, it does not use a ‘Connected GPS’ solution, wherein the band utilizes the phone’s GPS sensor to track movement and record it on the band.
Where that makes a difference is during runs; though mostly comparable with the Fitbit Inspire HR, there are instances when the data is more accurately tracked on the Inspire HR. Also, due to the aforementioned implementation of GPS tracking, while the Inspire HR allows for setting a goal duration or distance on the band, with the Galaxy Fit you need to access the phone app for that.
On the flipside, Swim Tracking is excellent, as the Galaxy Fit can live display the lap count and recently detected heart rate. It locks the screen during the swim so that you can view the data at a glace without it being accidentally changed. You can review the info in additional detail on the app, going into duration per lap, detected swim stroke, number of strokes per lap, and SWOLF. Simply put, the Galaxy Fit absolutely blows the Inspire HR out of the water in terms of swim tracking capability.
As with other fitness trackers, the Galaxy Fit can do auto-tracking, for activities such as walking, running, biking, rowing, and elliptical workouts. You can also opt to manually trigger an activity. The Samsung Health app supports several different activities; the list is quite exhaustive and even includes windsurfing!
Sleep tracking is present and does the usual REM, light, and deep sleep. Heart-rate tracking allows for real-time, or user-set update intervals.
Stress level monitoring is also present, which serves as a good indicator of when it’s time to relax. During our testing, we did experience a miss when a bus ride was auto-detected and recorded as cycling!
Specs and Performance
The SoC powering the Galaxy Fit is the MCU Cortex M33F and M0; but as mentioned in previous wearable reviews, the specs don’t really matter, as it’s the fluidity and user experience that counts to that end-user. An average day with the Galaxy Fit is smooth and does not include any pauses between screens. Button responsiveness is good, and so are watch-face swipes.
Battery and Charging
The onboard battery has a 120 mAh capacity, and easily lasts a week. A full day of use, including exercise time, and a night of sleep tracking only consumed 20% battery. Your mileage will vary depending on whether you work out every day and how heavily you use it.
Charge time is slower than the Fitbit Inspire HR though, taking about 1 hour to reach 50%.
Value and Competition
At a price of P5,000, the Galaxy Fit is a cost-effective fitness tracker. It competes directly with the similarly priced Fitbit Inspire HR. The Xiaomi Mi Band 4 is a cheaper option. While they all have similar functionality, the build quality on the Galaxy Fit is likely the best, featuring the best screen, a quality silicone strap, and a sturdy button implementation.
On the flip side, the other two have the connected GPS functionality, while the Galaxy Fit doesn’t. What that means is the Inspire HR and Mi Band 4 use the phone’s GPS to track movement on the band, whereas the Galaxy Fit doesn’t track it, and the data is only recorded on the phone app.
Conclusion
Samsung is not known for making budget products, but the Galaxy Fit is well-priced, and a great entry point into wearable and fitness/activity tracking. Build quality and display are excellent; not to mention the comprehensive functionality. The swim tracking is notably standout. Given its modest asking price, you cannot go wrong with the Samsung Galaxy Fit.
- Model: SM-R375NKAMID
- Price: P5,000
- Verdict: A well-built, quality fitness tracker, at a great price from Samsung
