‘Auto Pause’ Exercise

With the Gear Fit2’s new Auto Pause feature, the device will recognize when a user who is engaging in a cardiovascular activity such as running or cycling suddenly stops—say, for a traffic light, or simply to take a break—and will pause its fitness-tracking functions accordingly.

As the Gear Fit2 recognizes exercise status automatically, users are not required to interact with the device in order to pause or resume their workout. Rather, as soon as the user resumes the exercise, the Gear Fit2 will register the change and pick up tracking functions right where he or she left off.

Automated Dynamic Workout Tracking

The update also expands the number of exercises the Gear Fit2 is capable of automatically registering. Already recognized repetitive-motion exercises such as running, walking and elliptical and rowing sessions are now joined by a diverse range of fun, high-intensity activities such as basketball, table tennis, badminton, dancing and soccer.

The Gear Fit2 tracks these activities with its motion sensor, and whenever a user engages in one for more than 10 minutes, it logs the session as a “Dynamic Workout”. The device is capable of recording several other common and engaging fitness activities as well, providing users with more freedom—and motivation—to optimize their exercise in the manner they prefer.

Streamlined Sets for Indoor Activities

Because every step, set and rep counts when pursuing one’s fitness goals, the Gear Fit2’s new Set feature streamlines the management of repetition-based exercises such as crunches, lunges, squats and star jumps—an activity for which support was added with the update—to help users train more effectively.

Users can input their desired number of repetitions and sets per exercise and the Gear Fit2 will start tallying their progress as soon as they begin. Moreover, because getting adequate rest between sets is key for efficient training, the device will display appropriate break intervals between sets to help users catch their breath and maximize their effort.

Assistant Manager Jiho Lee (left) and Manager Sanghyun Kim

Q. How did you come up with the Gear IconX’s “independent” concept?

Sanghyun Kim: For many people, preparing for exercise entails grabbing three devices: their smartphone, fitness tracker and earphones. But managing all three during a workout can be cumbersome. So, in an effort to streamline the experience, we dreamt up a wireless music player that could work independently, minimizing any hassle.

We began by envisioning a standalone device that could function simultaneously as a music player and fitness tracker and provide real-time exercise data. We decided to make it cordless in pursuit of complete convenience, and ran numerous ergonomic tests to find a design that would fit every ear.

Q. What was the most difficult aspect of incorporating the fitness tracking technology?

Jiho Lee: The earbuds feature built-in acceleration and heart rate sensors, but when it comes to heart rate, accuracy can vary depending on where the sensor is positioned and how it comes into contact with the body.

It was therefore difficult to find a spot to install the sensor that would work universally, for all ear shapes. What’s more, it was actually our first time utilizing such a sensor on ears. Our existing devices were designed to collect heart rate data from fingers or wrists.

While we could have placed the sensors in greater contact with users’ ears, we believed that doing so would compromise the device’s attractive aesthetic. We therefore carefully honed the product to strike a perfect balance of accuracy and design.

Q. How did you design the earbuds to support crisp music playback on their own?

Sanghyun Kim: In order to facilitate an ideal standalone listening experience, we included built-in memory storage in both earbuds. In use, the device draws from both, and does not suffer from the loss of sound quality due to data compression that’s typical with other wireless earphones. This is how the Gear IconX manages to deliver better sound despite being completely cord free.

Jiho Lee: To streamline file transfers, we decided to launch dedicated PC software—for the first time in the history of the Gear collection—and modified the Gear Manager app to foster the direct transmission of music from users’ phones to their earbuds.

Q. What led you to opt for touch-based controls?

Jiho Lee: Adding physical buttons for different commands would’ve been the easiest route. However, we decided not to put up with the possible inconvenience that hard keys could bring, including requiring a larger design to properly accommodate them and creating irritating pressure on the ear when pressed.

We wanted the earbuds’ controls to be easy to use, conducive to a small design and unlikely to malfunction, which made a touch-based interface ideal. Ultimately honing the controls’ design and selecting what command to assign to each variation of swipe, tap and press took a great deal of deliberation.

Q. What steps did you take to optimize battery capacity?

Jiho Lee: The Gear IconX is capable of running for 3.8 hours in Standalone Mode and 1.6 hours when streaming from a smartphone. According to our research, people usually listen to music for no longer than 1.5 hours at a time.

Because the earbuds are completely cordless, we decided to provide a dedicated case that would allow users to safely and conveniently store and charge them when they’re not in use. By designing the product to recharge during storage, we allow it to be more available for users’ enjoyment.

Q. How do you hope the Gear IconX will contribute to users’ listening experience?

Sanghyun Kim: What makes me happy as a product planner is when people find a device utterly easy to use. The Gear IconX, for example, automatically pairs to users’ phones via Bluetooth as soon as they put the earbuds on, meaning no long button presses to initiate connections. The built-in storage also means immediate access to music—no fishing for a phone or untangling earphones required.

Our goal was to enrich the listening experience during exercise with convenient and intuitive functionality, and we believe users are seeing that. I was especially proud when, at the Rio Olympics, I saw a visitor to the Samsung Galaxy Studio grab the earbuds without any instruction, plug them in and start grooving to some music.

Senior Engineer Kidong Hong (left) and Principal Engineer Jiyoung Kong (right)

Q. How did you come to add a fitness tracker to these Bluetooth earbuds?

Jiyoung Kong: We wanted to make the Gear IconX the most convenient choice for users to accurately measure their activity. A new, cord-free standalone device.

Because music playback is a must to keep boredom at bay during workouts, it was only natural for us to develop the Gear IconX as a combination of a music player and fitness tracker.

As a developer of S Health, I’m delighted that we now have another line of fitness trackers to add to our wristbands and smartphones. Though smartphones excel in computational functions, we usually find them bothersome while at the gym. I am glad to see more diversity in wearable devices because it will surely help us meet our users’ increasingly diversifying needs.

Q. What was the main focus when incorporating S Health support into the Gear IconX?

Kidong Hong: Although the earbuds may look simple, it took a lot of collaboration with other teams to incorporate support for fitness tracking features—such as exercise recording and heart rate measurement—while ensuring that the Gear IconX still delivered a top-rate Bluetooth listening experience.

Since we have numerous fitness tracking options available in other Samsung wearable devices and smartphones, S Health now has more sources to help users collect and optimize exercise data. So we also focused on ensuring optimal usability when the Gear IconX is connected to the app. For instance, we had many discussions regarding how the earbuds would send information to S Health and how that data would be displayed.

Q. How exactly does the Gear IconX’s fitness tracking technology work?

Kidong Hong: The Gear IconX comes with a built-in acceleration sensor and a CPU. When the sensor detects your movement, the CPU calculates speed and distance based on that information.

The device tracks walking and running by detecting how your feet leave the ground. While wristband-type fitness trackers usually measure how much your arms swing, the Gear IconX, being earbuds, does its job by noting how much your head shakes.

We set our measurement standards based on verification with a dedicated sports lab and also consulted our own database, which features relevant data we’ve gathered since launching the Gear series.

Q. What kind of information does the Gear IconX’s voice guide relay during workouts?

Kidong Hong: The voice guide tells you the duration, distance and speed of your exercise, as well as your heart rate and the number of calories you’ve burned. You can check all of this information on the S Health app.

You can choose the items you’d like to have announced, and set a time or distance interval for updates. The voice guide also notices when you’ve reached the high-intensity workout zone corresponding with your heart rate. All of these features provide users with more significant information and reinforce the Gear IconX’s extensive capabilities as a standalone fitness device.

Q. What’s the difference between using the Gear IconX on its own and with a smartphone?

Jiyoung Kong: While the Gear IconX certainly supports independent use, we have also carefully considered how it works with a smartphone. To this end, we are working on a situation-based framework to work out how to best alternate functions between the two devices, determining in which circumstances one will operate as the main fitness tracker and the other will support.

For example, when you press the Gear IconX’s button and start running, the framework prevents your smartphone from recording your activity, deeming that you clearly expressed your intention to rely on the earbuds instead. On the other hand, when you choose not to activate the Gear IconX and start walking or running, it automatically turns the fitness tracker on your smartphone on. In this case, the earbuds function as accessories to measure your heart rate.

Heart rate is certainly one of the most useful bits of information for people who enjoy working out; it serves as a sort of stamina indicator. By incorporating valuable, advanced functions into S Health, including the Program feature, which helps you get accustomed to regular exercise more easily, and Pace Goals, which offers runners guided training through different intensity zones, we tried to help people use their smartphone and wearable together to work out smarter.