Featuring automatic activity detection and support for a variety of exercises, the Gear Fit2 GPS sports band keeps track of vital fitness data without breaking a sweat. But how exactly does it work, and how can it help you reach your personal health goals? Here are a few common questions and answers to help you get better acquainted with the versatile fitness tool.

Q. What kinds of exercises can the Gear Fit2 track?

Experts advise taking a well-rounded approach to personal fitness, which is why the Gear Fit2 was designed to be game for a wide range of sports and activities.

Automatic activity detection means that the Gear Fit2 can automatically sense a number of aerobic exercises as soon as the user engages in active movements for 10 minutes—the minimum amount of time for these exercises to be effective. The Gear Fit2 can sense up to five cardio exercises, ranging from running, walking, cycling as well as workouts on the rowing machine and the elliptical trainer.

As for anaerobic exercises such as crunches, lunges, and squats, users can manually set the Gear Fit2 to count the number of reps on behalf of the user.

Q. I’m trying out a regular exercise routine for the first time. Can the Gear Fit2 help me get started on the right foot?

The Gear Fit2 was designed for both fitness enthusiasts and casual exercisers alike. The Super AMOLED display allows you to check your performance, track reps and monitor your progress toward fitness targets while also providing feedback to help you better understand what that data means in terms of your overall health.

The curved, hi-resolution screen also serves as a highly effective visual aid, displaying, for certain exercises, handy animations illustrating proper technique to help you master their form and exercise more efficiently.

Q. How does the HR monitor help me exercise smarter?

As you exercise, or simply carry on with your day, the Gear Fit2’s heart-rate monitor automatically measures your heart rate at regular intervals, providing insight into your daily patterns of exertion.

During workouts, such monitoring allows you to keep track of how strenuously you’re exercising so you can adjust accordingly. The Gear Fit2 displays your current heart rate and helps guide you to reach your vigorous-intensity zone—your body’s optimal heart rate range for effective exercise— keeping you focused and motivated by ensuring maximum efficiency in your workout.

Q. What else does the Gear Fit2 monitor?

While your personal fitness is the Gear Fit2’s main focus, its function extends beyond the scope of gyms and morning runs.

The Gear Fit2 also boasts sleep tracking capability, automatically analyzing your sleep status whenever you doze for an hour or more and displaying relevant data on screen.

Additionally, the Gear Fit2 is capable of displaying your friends’ daily step status. Syncing the device with the S Health app allows users to engage in friendly step challenges with rivals. Graphs of both parties’ daily step progress can be displayed on screen, keeping you up to date on how far ahead—or behind—you may be, and adding healthy motivation to your daily exercise routine.

Q. How accurate is the GPS?

With built-in accelerometer and GPS sensors, the Gear Fit2 allows you to keep track of both how far you travel and at what speed, completely independent of a mobile phone.

GPS operates on satellite signals, and connections are sometimes obstructed by environmental variables such as an abundance of buildings in an area or particularly cloudy skies. The Gear Fit2, however, benefits from updated software that streamlines your GPS connection during outdoor exercise.

Q. Can the Gear Fit2 store my music as well?

Absolutely. The Gear Fit2 offers Bluetooth connectivity, allowing you to seamlessly navigate your phone’s music library as you power through your workout. But it also features a standalone music player and 4GB of internal storage, if you’d rather leave your phone at home.

And with the Samsung Gear app you can even transfer songs between your smartphone and your Gear Fit2. Just go to the Gear Fit2’s Music Player app, change the setting to Gear Music mode, choose the playlists or songs that best suit your exercise, and you’re good to go.

Q. Which strap is best for me?

The Gear Fit2’s strap comes in two sizes: small and large. For those with rather thin wrists, measuring anywhere from 125 to 170 mm, the small strap will suit you just fine. For bigger wrists, measuring anywhere from 155 to 210 mm, go with the large strap.

Both are light and easy to wear, completing a sleek and unobtrusive aesthetic that’s suitable for both the gym and everyday use.

Q. When it comes to hardware, what is most notable about the Gear Fit2?

Chaekyu Choe: To improve performance as a sports band, we added a GPS, an application processor (AP) on the level of a smart watch and improved sensors.

With an embedded GPS, the Gear Fit2 allows users can go out and more accurately track their activities, like walking or running, without bringing along their smartphones.

By separating the LED and photodiode, both of which are needed to measure heart rate, we were able to use a bigger photodiode and enhance heart rate accuracy. Generally, many wearable devices have a combined module for the LED and the photodiode due to their small size. Also, the Gear Fit2’s barometer sensor, which is now about 10 times more precise, made it possible to measure elevation accurately enough to know how many stairs people climbed.

Putting all of the functions into such a slim design was difficult because the space was so limited, especially with the curved design. There are two buttons on the side of Gear Fit2, which restricts the space even more. In order to overcome these limitations, we considered how best to arrange components, how to minimize the space between chips, et cetera. We also had to reduce the number of components.

Q. How were you able to embed full GPS capabilities?

John Kim: The antenna has to receive the satellite signals, but getting it to perform well was a challenge. Antennas work better when they are further from the human body. However, as the Gear Fit2 is slim and has a detachable band, it was challenging to find an optimal spot.

So, a new method was devised: a hybrid antenna. In order to place the antenna as far as possible from the wrist, the antenna was embedded inside the display, and an assistant antenna was installed in another area, thus forming a dual antenna that enhanced performance.

Q. How did you improve battery efficiency?

Hyukbeom Kwon: During the development, we found that power consumption can be reduced by controlling how often the GPS is accessed according to signal intensity. In general, exercise that requires GPS data is normally done outdoors where GPS signals are usually strong. So, we decided to make it turn on and off the radio frequency blocking function.

Through this low-power GPS technology, we were able to reduce power consumption significantly, so it uses about one-fourth the power of a regular GPS device.

Q. How does the automatic workout recognition work? And were there any challenges in developing this feature?

Wonhee Lee: The accelerometer sensor is used to identify the user’s motion first, and then the gyroscope sensor detects the direction and type of movement. Based on the sensor data, the Gear Fit2 can detect five types of workout – walking, running, cycling, elliptical trainers and rowing machine – and automatically recognize when those activities have been done for at least 10 minutes.

As there wasn’t any systematized database telling us “this workout is such-and-such,” we had to understand the data and figure out how to use it to identify each type of activity ourselves. To identify the exact type of workout, we had to get data from as many people as possible – because even for the same workout, the speed and intensity differ greatly depending on one’s age, height, gender, and so on.

Even after we found patterns for each activity, it was difficult to set a standard. For instance, when cycling, the Gear Fit2 detected not only changes in speed and direction, but also minute vibrations similar to what’s experienced when riding a small automobile. So we needed to find out how to distinguish between a car and a bicycle. Regarding workout equipment, there are so many types on the market depending on the manufacturer. Whenever we found an elliptical machine in a park or fitness center, we tried to use it.

Q. What are some of the benefits of using the Tizen OS for developers and consumers?

Keunsang Han: Based on our experience developing the Gear S2, we learned a lot, such as data processing methods, communication technology between a wearble and a smartphone, and the sensor API.

From the user’s perspective, many partners are participating to develop watchfaces, and users can download and use it – that’s because Tizen OS-related SDKs are provided and there is an app store. You can also find various fitness-related apps and watchfaces on Galaxy Apps.

Q. Was there anything unusual or different about the product development process?

Hyukbeom Kwon: Since the Gear Fit2 is a sports band, we had to test the performance firsthand, combining continuous field data with results from the lab. Even a minor modification to the hardware or software required more live testing. We would go outside, regardless of the weather, to conduct those tests. We walked and walked in the park, and exercised a lot.

Yonghak Lee: We had to consider how to customize the daily activity record for each region. For instance, we developed the screen in consideration of how Arabic script reads from right to left, and the 24-hour activity tracker needed to be modified according to time differences when going overseas.

(From left to right) Senior Engineer Chaekyu Choe, Senior Engineer Keunsang Han, Principal Engineer John Kim, Senior Engineer Hyukbeom Kwon, Assistant Engineer Yonghak Lee and Senior Engineer Wonhee Lee

6:00am – Rise and shine! It may be Monday, but after a good night’s rest, I’m feeling ready to take on the week. Before I’m out of bed, I switch off the alarm on my Gear Fit2. The device is lightweight, making it comfortable to wear throughout the entire day, even when I’m sleeping. It recognizes that I’m now up and moving around, and lets me check my sleep analysis about fifteen minutes after waking up.

6:30am – There’s no better way to start the morning than with a quick bike ride along the river. And, with the Gear Fit2, I can actually enjoy the scenery, as I’ve manually activated it to keep track of my stats. All I have to do is set the target duration of my ride; the sports band then detects my movements and lets me know when I reach my goal. Its built-in GPS also tracks my route so I don’t have to.

8:10am – After a quick shower and breakfast, I log my coffee consumption. I’m really trying to cut back on caffeine, and the sports band is a good way to keep track of how much I’m drinking coffee. Before I’m out the door, I stylize my sports band with a watch face to better match my outfit. I end up settling on Activity Sparkles—a pretty face that twinkles when I’m physically active.

8:35am – I use the half hour commute to work to read the news and update S Health on my smartphone. I use the Together feature to check the Steps challenge and Steps leaderboard updates. I see that I’ve won my latest one-on-one competition with my sister Ellie. It looks like she owes me dinner.

10:50am – It’s amazing how fast mornings in the office fly by. Sometimes, I don’t even realize how long I’ve been typing away at my computer. Fortunately, my Gear Fit2 vibrates to alert me when I’ve been sitting for too long, like now. I take a bathroom break and refill my water bottle to get moving.

12:15pm – I grab a salad for lunch and go for a walk around the neighborhood with my co-worker, Morgan. Ten minutes in, the Gear Fit2 notifies me that I’m walking at a healthy pace and automatically starts recording my walking session. Even when the sun is at its highest and brightest, the sports band’s display is clear and visible. When we conclude our walk, it automatically indicates the total walking time, distance, calories burned and average speed.

4:10pm – I’m in an important meeting when my Gear Fit2 vibrates, and a message from Sam pops up; he’s going to be late for our dinner appointment tonight. I send him a quick reply discreetly with a simple tap on the device to confirm.

6:40pm – The work day is officially over, so I head to the gym to blow off some steam. I put on my earbuds and pair them with my Gear Fit2, which I’ve already loaded with my workout playlists. Unlike other devices, I don’t even need to carry my phone, since the sports band is equipped with its own standalone music player. The high-energy songs keep me motivated during my Pilates session.

7:45pm – After my workout, I check my heart rate and tag it as an “After exercise” measurement. Monitoring my heart rate is a good way to optimize my aerobic fitness.

9:30pm – After dinner (and dessert) with Sam, I see that Ellie has shared the results of our Steps Challenge on Facebook via S Health. She has come out on top… this time. I send her a congratulatory text, promising her a tasty dinner. I appreciate having friends and family who constantly encourage me to be the healthiest I can be, and the Gear Fit2 only complements that support.

10:50pm – Before turning in for the night, I check the 24-hour Log to see how many calories I’ve burned for the day, and compare today’s activity with that of the past few days. It looks like I’m improving. I also see in my notifications that I’ve earned the floor reward for the third time this week, having climbed 10 flights of stairs.

I set the Gear Fit2 on its easy-to-use charging cradle so it can charge while I sleep. With an extensive battery life, it can last a good three to four days before recharged. I personally don’t have that kind of energy, but with a little help from my Gear Fit2, I’m slowly and surely becoming happier and healthier. Perhaps I’ll challenge someone else to a new steps challenge tomorrow, but for now, it’s bedtime.

The Gear Fit2 automatically and accurately tracks your everyday activities, from walking to squatting to yoga, to encourage a healthier lifestyle. It also comes equipped with a slew of features optimized for fitness enthusiasts and casual exercisers alike, such as a standalone music player and increased memory storage, as well as a comfortable and stylish design.

Functions That Blend Fitness and Fun

The Gear Fit2’s features make all-day fitness tracking more accurate and workouts more enjoyable. Utilizing a combination of sensors including a standalone GPS and heart rate monitor, the device lets you accurately gauge your fitness activities, including distance, pace, route and calories burned, as well as your heart rate.

Whether you’re walking, running, cycling, or even using an elliptical trainer or rowing machine, the Gear Fit2 can automatically detect the type of activity you’re engaging in and accurately track your progress toward your target goals. You can track and monitor 15 different activities including Exercise bike, Step machine, Treadmill, Pilates, Yoga, Lunges, Crunches and Squats, among others.

Depending on the activity, the Gear Fit2 displays animations to illustrate proper exercise techniques for more accurate tracking, and can also provide feedback at set intervals during your workout.

You can also check your fitness performance and trends with your Gear Fit2 or your smartphone through S Health, which easily syncs with the GPS sports band. Or, for an added boost of motivation, you can share your activity data on Facebook, as well as compete in a Steps Challenges with a friend.

Meanwhile, the easy-to-use interface lets you maneuver through information screens with just a few simple swipes.

Stay Fit with Better Style

The Gear Fit2 offers a simple, lightweight design that complements everyday wear.

With its ergonomic curve, the GPS sports band allows for a comfortable fit throughout the day. Likewise, the strap’s secure fastener and size—available in small and large—ensures that the device stays on even during the most vigorous workouts.

Featuring a stylishly slim and classically chic design, the Gear Fit2 is available in three fashion-forward colors (black, blue and pink) and boasts a variety of watch faces so you can choose the best look to complement your own personal style.

The Gear Fit2’s 1.5-inch Super AMOLED curved display, high resolution and color touchscreen let you easily monitor your progress, check the time or show off your impressive fitness stats, even in bright sunlight. And should it start raining, the GPS sports band’s IP68 rating—the premium standard of protection against water and dust—ensures that your workout won’t be interrupted.

Move to the Beat and Stay Connected

To enhance your workout even more, the Gear Fit2 offers Bluetooth connectivity for a seamless experience, providing a motivational soundtrack to keep you moving.

Or, if you don’t feel like carrying around multiple devices or getting tangled up in cords, the GPS sports band also features a standalone music player with internal storage. For ultimate convenience, the device can transfer music between the Gear Fit2 and your smartphone with the Samsung Gear application.

Understanding that most wearable device users are constantly on the go, Samsung designed the Gear Fit2 to be a device that can keep up with your fast-paced lifestyle. Check notifications at a glance from a single screen, and stay connected with family and friends by easily replying to text messages, emails and messaging apps—straight from your wrist.

* All functionality features, specifications and other product information provided in this document including, but not limited to, the benefits, design, pricing, components, performance, availability, and capabilities of the product are subject to change without notice or obligation.