But struggling shoppers shouldn’t despair. Samsung has a vast range of exciting gift ideas to dazzle the whole family come Christmas morning.

Mobiles, tablets and wearables

For the powerhouse – Today’s fast-paced world made easy with the NEW flagship Galaxy Note9. Combining the skill of a tablet with the convenience of a phone, this dynamic device is powered to adapt to even the busiest of schedules

Galaxy Note9

For the socialite – Gift a loved one with the Galaxy S9 and let them discover the Augmented Reality version of themselves using the state of the art 12MP rear camera

Galaxy S9 and S9+

For the colourful character – For those who love to be bold, the Galaxy A9 is the perfect accessory

Galaxy A9

For the style guru – Give a friend’s Christmas a splash of sophistication with the Galaxy A7. A smooth-curved smartphone they won’t want to put down

Galaxy A7

For the performers – Hook a loved one up with the newest member of the J series. Whether they are jogging to their favourite playlist or watching a festive film, rest assured they will endure an incredible sound experience with the help of Dolby Atmos

Galaxy J6+

Galaxy J4+

For the tech whizz – For those that like to stay ahead of the game, the Galaxy Tab S4 is a must-have. The Samsung DeX is a key feature and enables a true desktop-like experience on a tablet

Galaxy Tab S4

For the whole family – Watch films be brought to life in your very hands with the powerful, Galaxy Tab A 10.5. What’s more, Samsung Kids Mode provides the ultimate digital playground for your little ones

Galaxy Tab A 10.5

For those seeking balance – Get a head start in finding a good life balance this new year with help of the Samsung Galaxy Watch. This clever gadget saves on time by offering a standalone experience across devices and enables users to easily track everyday wellness

Galaxy Watch

For those on the move – Whether you are exercising or simply going about your day, these cord-free earbuds are the ultimate on-the-go accessory

Gear IconX

For the fitness fanatics – Gifts that all sports-lovers want to find under the tree

Gear Fit2 Pro

Gear Sport

Home appliances

For the culinary master – Reward the family chef’s culinary efforts with a Dual Cook Flex oven. An innovative appliance which allows users to prepare dishes simultaneously without compromising on cooking performance

 Dual Cook Flex

For domestic gods and goddesses – Transform the household laundry ritual for life with the gift of QuickDrive, it can complete a wash in a 15 minutes

QuickDrive washing machines

For the hungry household – Add a splash of luxury to the household kitchen with Samsung’s slick selection of fridges

The Family Hub Fridge

RS8000 with SpaceMax Technology, 609L

Home entertainment

For the culture buff – Indulge a friend that enjoys the finer things in life with The Frame. The first TV to become art

The Frame 2018

For the gaming gurus –  Allow your best pal to get lost in the world of virtual reality with the ground-breaking gaming range

Gear VR with Controller

49″ CHG90 Curved HDR QLED Gaming Monitor

For the film fanatics – Spruce up family film nights forever with these ultimate household editions

QLED Q9FN television

Models available in 55” 65” 75”

Soundbar – HW-N400

Blu-ray – UBD-M9000

For you, because you deserve it – Make your home entertainment dreams come true with the HW-N650 cinematic soundbar. A powerful gadget using Acoustic Beam technology to deliver a panoramic sound experience

HW-N650 Cinematic Soundbar

Nothing beats a good old family meal: quality time everyday where you can sit down and share good food and the highlights of your day with your nearest and dearest.

But when you are trying to get in shape, it can also be one of your more stressful times: most people now know that half the battle with being fit and healthy starts with the food you eat, and chances are that when it comes to dinner time, we may all be reading off different menu cards…

But don’t worry, that is ok and it’s perfectly normal.

So with that in mind, here are my top tips for staying in shape, whilst keeping family meals at the heart of your household.

Be Aware of Portion Size

If you are trying to get in shape (or even just stay there), you need to get your head around portion sizes. Most people will come unstuck not because they are eating the “wrong” food, just rather too much of it…

This is where understanding your calorie need is a really important concept: knowing how many calories you need to consume in a day, and therefore how many calories you get to eat each meal, will be more than half the battle when it comes to managing your weight and waist line.

A good estimate to start at is to take your bodyweight in pounds and multiply it by 15. This will give you a rough estimate for how many calories you need to maintain your current weight and size. If you are looking to reduce your weight, simply subtract 350-500 calories from this daily total: the opposite must be done if you are looking to put on a bit of size or increase your weight!

Now that you have this number, split it up into how many meals you want to eat in a day and that will give you a good place to start for your family meal prep!

Get APP Happy

When it comes to staying on top of your eating habits and general health, there are so many really useful tools and apps out there to help you. Take the Samsung Health App for instance: on this platform you can track everything from how many steps you take in a day, to exactly what you are eating…

Getting used to tracking things like your food can take a bit of getting used to, but once you get your head around it, it can revolutionise your results. Most foods you buy in the shops now have pretty accurate nutritional information on the back, and the same for most places where you go to eat out.

Plugging in this information helps build a really accurate picture of what you are consuming in a day and takes out the guess work when it comes to eating for your health and fitness.

It also doesn’t have to be boring: I get my son to help me input the data from the food we eat into the apps… he loves the stimulation of the screen and it’s almost like a game for him, whilst at the same time getting him to engage with food and understand the concepts behind what we are eating.

Not only does it keep you on track and build up a really accurate picture of your dietary habits, but it’s starting to educate and get the next generation more aware about health, fitness and the role that diet has to play.

You Can’t Out Train A Bad Diet…

But you can buy yourself some flexibility when it comes to dinner-time!

The old adage of diet being the most important thing when it comes to your overall health and well-being is definitely something that rings true, but the way and frequency in which you exercise can certainly make it easier to relax at the dinner table.

If you go and hit a great workout, or even just be more active than usual, you can track all these stats on your smart watch or fitness tracker. I use the Gear Fit2 Pro on a daily basis, and whether I’m out walking the dog or up at the gym killing a spin class, it records all of the calories I have burnt in the day and stores them on my profile.

This for me is credit in the bank so when I sit down at dinner time with the family, I know where I am from a “Calories In vs Calories Out” point of view.

If I have credit in the bank from a good days work, that means an extra helping or grabbing a dessert to share with the kiddo. If not, I know to reign it in a bit and not go for a bowl of ice-cream after my main.

Being aware of how daily activity can allow you to relax your eating habits and still stay on track with your health and fitness goals is really useful and can allow you to keep some fun and freedom at your family dinners, without compromising with your results.

Get Support!

One of the best ways to bullet proof your chances of success with any health and fitness goal is to get a great support network around you: fill in your nearest and dearest with what you are up to and what you are trying to achieve.

If those around you are more aware of what you are working towards, they are less likely to encourage you to deviate from your plan… and they might actually think about joining you on your journey.

If everyone at the dinner table is working towards a more healthy and happy lifestyle, it will make cooking, eating and relaxing as a family much easier… and even if they don’t come along for the ride with you, it will be great to get their support and reinforcement every evening as you sit around the table enjoying your time as a family.

Eat Well

Annie Clark is a health and well-being advocate. She created her blog Mind, Body, Bowl as a space to explore holistic approaches to life, be that in eating, exercise or lifestyle. She is a qualified yoga instructor and lives in London.

Annie uses her Gear Sport and Samsung Health app to track the nutritional values of different food and ingredients, giving her an overview of her daily intake of food and drink.

She told us, “most mornings I am up and out of the house pretty early. I have always been a fan of eating a hearty breakfast and it is almost certainly my favourite meal of the day. I recently started using the Samsung Health app with my Gear Sport watch to track my nutrition on the go, in line with my marathon training.”

She shares a delicious yet simple breakfast recipe, along with tips to stay on track of your food intake.

View Annie’s recipes here.

Sleep Well

Lucy Wyndham-Read is a YouTube fitness expert with over 293,000 followers. She thrives off showing the world how easy it is to get healthy, fit and confident and keeps it real and fun along the way.

Lucy often has a bad night’s sleep and was excited to hear that her new Samsung Gear Sport and Samsung Health app offered sleep tracking and goal setting. Together with the devices, she shares her top tips to get a good night’s rest.

She says; “If you get a good night’s sleep you have so much more energy, which means we are likely to make healthier choices like choosing to exercise or eating the right foods. It also boosts your immune system and helps you to manage your weight.”

Here are Lucy’s tips for a good night sleep:

• Use the Samsung Health app to set yourself a bedtime and wake-up time. The app and watch will give you a reminder of when to go to bed so you don’t miss it. I challenged myself to be in bed from 10.30pm to 7am, Monday to Friday, so that I had a consistent routine.
• Avoid caffeine before bed. You can log your caffeine intake in your Samsung Health app and on your watch, so it’s really easy to keep an eye on those caffeine levels.
• Switch off from social; avoid taking your phone to bed which can lead to scrolling through endless feeds.

Move Well

As a World Champion fitness model, Shaun Stafford has attracted a loyal audience across his social media platforms. He has been involved in the health and fitness industry for the best part of 15 years and acted as a global educator and presenter for several brands and top magazines. When he’s not training hard at the gym, Shaun spends quality time with his wife and son Lucas.

Shaun has recently got hands-on with the Samsung Gear devices, using the Fit2 Pro and IconX to enhance his workouts. He shares with us his top 2018 tech fitness hacks:

• Put measureable goals on your workout, and track your improvement over time.
• Track your calorie/food intake in relation to what you are burning using My Fitness Pal in Samsung Health.
• Listening to music to drive your workout to help motivation.

He explains that “not only are the IconX great headphones and music storage, they are also a fitness tracker. They give you key variables like your distance and speed whilst you are running to give you general performance feedback”

Watch his videos here.

As an endurance athlete, Amy Hughes has raised awareness by her mammoth challenge of running 53 marathons in 53 consecutive days, in 53 different cities in the UK, back in 2014. Her aim is to inspire others and motivate everyone to get involved in fitness.

Amy shares her top tips to stay motivated and achieve her goals:

• Preparation – ensure to pack your kit/equipment the night before and get a good night’s sleep to ensure you are in the best frame of mind for your workout, I use the Samsung Gear Sport and Samsung Health app to measure my sleep efficiency
• Music – listening to a great playlist using the IconX encourages you to keep going and push yourself for longer
• Fitness tracking – setting goals and tracking your workout on the Samsung Health app and through my Gear Sport helps me to see my everyday improvements
• Planning work outs – ensure to plan when you’re going to do your workout, as well as what you’ll be doing, to help push past the January barrier and stick to your regime

Receive a 3 month The Gym Group membership when you purchase either a Samsung Gear Sport, Gear Fit2Pro or Gear IconX 2018 from a participating retailer. http://www.samsung.com/uk/offer/gear-gymgroup/ *

*Redeem online at www.samsung.com/uk/offer/gear-gymgroup between 30-60 days after purchase. T&Cs apply.

LIIT

HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) has had its fair share of the limelight over recent years but if all those burpees are getting boring, jump on the LIIT (Low Intensity Interval Training) bandwagon. HIIT’s calm little sister was big in the US in 2017 and now it’s set to hit the UK.

LIIT burns the same amount of calories as HIIT, but takes longer to complete and is nowhere near as brutal; it can simply be a walk or light jog. It’s quite a change to the high intensity version, which can take around 20 minutes and has us sweating it out with short, sharp periods of all-out work. LIIT however is almost relaxing and can actually be far kinder to the body.

Monty Simmons, Personal Trainer & Life Coach believes that undergoing endless HIIT sessions ‘isn’t sustainable’. Pushing the body can sometimes lead to injury, but LIIT is more about balance in your training regime.

‘When the body is pushed excessively, weaknesses in your system, muscle imbalances, skeletal misalignments and more will play havoc; leaving you riddled with aches, pains and injuries’, explains Monty.

He adds: ‘You don’t see world class MMA fighters training like they do in their pre-fight training camps all year round; they know it’s not sustainable. It’s no coincidence fighters notoriously injure themselves two weeks before a fight.’

Listening to your favourite tunes is great for LIIT motivation. Samsung Gear Sport and Gear Fit2 Pro have partnered with Spotify so you can listen to music without a smartphone nearby. Just download music onto your wearable and listen through the Icon X earbuds.

To make LIIT work even harder for you, change the direction you walk or walk in a curve. Research shows that walking in a curve can actually burn 20 percent more than walking in a straight line*.

So, grab your wearable tracker, get outside and start walking.

Virtual Reality

How about a scenic run along Australia’s Great Ocean Road, without actually leaving your front room? Although VR workouts have held their place on the fitness scene over recent years, Personal Trainer and Health Editor Lucy Gornall believes they will soon be more ‘readily available’. ‘Bkool is a virtual reality simulator that lets cyclists ride any route in 3D alongside other cyclists around the world, connected in real time. With the simulators, users actually experience the same sensations they would on the road,’ she explains.

There’s even the Omni by Virtuix- a small treadmill that when connected to a game, lets you jump, crouch and run with the treadmill keeping track of your every move.

Samsung have produced VR experiences in a variety of different areas including being able to experience a gym work out with Chris Eubank Jr.

Merged Workouts

We’ve already got Barry’s Bootcamp – think treadmills mixed with weights – and Barrecore, a brutal ballet-based workout that also incorporates light weights and resistance bands, but Diana Booty, Fitness Expert on behalf of The Harley Medical Group thinks we’ll see even more workouts offering the benefits of a variety of disciplines.

‘The forms it can potentially take are endless so it’ll be exciting to see which new concepts emerge over the next 12 months!’

Ashley Verma, Founder of DEFINE. London says clients are ‘getting bored at the gym’. In fact she’s created a workout that will keep people hooked. ‘I’ve merged the strength, fluidity, and endurance of ballet and other dance genres to create well thought out concept classes’, explains Ashley. So, what next? Tennis and yoga, perhaps?

Samsung wearable devices are perfect for workouts like this as they support dynamic workout tracking with auto activity detection including, squats, burpees and lunges, so as soon as you start moving, your watch will record it.

Rise of Recovery…

Relaxing the body post workout ensures we can keep training hard. Cryotherapy – defined as ‘the use of extreme cold in surgery or other medical treatment’ – has become the latest buzzword. According to London’s 111Cryo, muscles repair faster in the extreme cold and anti-inflammatory responses help alleviate swelling. Long term, Dr Sarah Brewer, GP and Healthspan Medical Director says whole body cryotherapy can improve athletic performance and recovery, aid sleep and weight loss and even slow the ageing process.

If being extremely cold doesn’t excite you, acupuncture and massages are other great recovery options.

…and Recovery Fitness

Yoga, foam rolling and stretching– to name a few – help iron out muscle imbalances and postural dysfunctions. You’re moving, as you recover.

Monty Simmons, Personal Trainer & Life Coach explains that ‘we must allow our body to replenish, heal damage and make ‘gains’. Otherwise you’ll never experience it performing at maximum output because you’ll constantly be washed out,’ he adds.

A gentle swim, done properly is great for opening up the range of motion for various muscles. Keep tracking your movement in the pool with the Samsung Gear Fit 2 Pro; water resistant up to 5 ATM2. With the Speedo partnership, wearers are able to track their stroke rate and pattern as well as laps and times.

Day to Day Fitness

Lunch break walks, standing desks or taking the stairs instead of the lift; it’s not just about thrashing out a 30-minute gym workout anymore – we need to maintain an active state throughout much more of the day. In 2018 we’ll see even more onus on day to day fitness, making sure we’re moving much more throughout the day.

With the rise of wearable technology, it’s easy to track movement and be reminded when we need to get moving; ideal for office workers who are often sat at a desk for hours. Trackers such as the Samsung Gear Sport, have reminders to move if we have been inactive for a period of time. They don’t just track fast paced exercise like running and cycling, but can track day to day fitness like walking and your daily steps. Plus with the caffeine and water tracking feature, you can keep on top off your hydration too.

Whichever 2018 fitness trend suits you, Samsung encourages you to #GoBeyondFitness, to push new boundaries.  Meaningful progress only comes from defying barriers. What can you achieve in 2018?

CREDIT: *Research by Ohio State University

Imagery sourced from iStock.com and available for editorial use.

Samsung’s new wearable devices:

• Gear Sport, a sleek and versatile fitness-focused smartwatch that is water resistant;
• Gear Fit2 Pro, an upgraded GPS sports band with smart features;
• Gear IconX, a second generation of the company’s ground breaking cord free earbuds.

Receive a 3 month The Gym Group membership when you purchase either a Samsung Gear Sport, Gear Fit2Pro or Gear IconX 2018 from a participating retailer. http://www.samsung.com/uk/offer/gear-gymgroup/ *

*Redeem online at www.samsung.com/uk/offer/gear-gymgroup between 30-60 days after purchase. T&Cs apply.

One of the great things about starting a New Year is that it provides each and every one of us an opportunity for a fresh start. An opportunity to wipe the slate clean, and to look forward into the bright prospect of a better 12 months than the one we have just finished.

It also gives you the opportunity to grab your health and fitness goals by the horns, and steer yourself on a more proactive and productive path to the one you have just recently trodden…

Take these simple tech tips, tricks and hacks to make sure that you keep on track with your New Year’s goals and end 2018 in your best shape yet.

Do What You Love, Love What You Do

Whether you love exercise or loath it, it is commonly accepted that if you are looking to get fitter and in better shape, it is one of those necessary evils.

However, it doesn’t have to mean pounding away on the treadmill or fighting over the dumbbells in the free-weights area: research shows that if you are doing something you find fun, you are more likely to keep doing it…

So rather than slogging away doing a program you don’t enjoy and will probably quit after a week or two, why not just track your progress doing activities you enjoy?

If it is running, track your time spent in a certain heart rate zone or the total distance covered on your jog. If you love Zumba or spinning, why not try and burn a certain amount of calories each class you attend? If you just love getting up from your desk and being mobile, why not see how many steps you can complete or floors you can climb in a day?

The Samsung Gear Sport & Gear Fit2 Pro allow you to track everything from your heart rate to how far you have run, how many calories you have burnt to have many steps you’ve taken in a day… so you can focus on your progress doing more of the stuff that you love, and less of the stuff that you don’t.

Input & Output

If one of the things that you are looking to do this year is lose some excess weight, or shape up a bit from the over indulgence of Christmas, you can never go wrong by getting your head around the simple equation of “Calories In Vs. Calories Out”.

To get a march on this, you need to be consuming slightly less fuel than you are burning, or as the fitness community would call it, be in a “calorie deficit”.

Now for this to be effective it has to be small enough that you are not starving your body and have no energy to function, but significant enough that your body starts to burn fat… and the commonly accepted value is approximately 500kcals a day or 3500kcals per week.

If you can consistently consume 500 calories a day less than you are burning, then your weight should drop by approximately 1-2 pounds a week. Simples.

However, people often go wrong when it comes to calculating not only how many calories they are eating or drinking, but also how many calories they are burning just by being alive! Why leave this to chance when there is technology out there that can accurately measure both of these things for you?

The Samsung Gear Sport and Gear Fit2 Pro not only track your total calorie expenditure for the day (including resting metabolic rate & additional exercise completed) but they also sync effortlessly with phone apps like MyFitnessPal that can track the calorie levels in all the food you are eating.

If you use these simple tools and can keep it up over time, you’ll be reinforcing all the good work you are doing in the gym and really fast track your way to some amazing results.

Move To The Beat

We all know that music can be incredibly powerful when it comes to impacting your mood: certain songs can leave you upbeat and full of energy, so let’s use this to our advantage when it comes to getting you more active.

Download a playlist of your favourite tracks, transfer them to your Gear IconX 2018  Wireless Ear-buds and get to it. The great thing about this bit of tech is that all your music (up to 1000 songs) is stored directly on the earphones so that you don’t even need to bring your phone to the gym when you are training. That’s one less distraction.

Also, being completely cord-free and navigated by simple tap controls, these ear-buds are so user friendly that you can just focus on training and being energised by your favourite music, without all the conventional hassle that used to accompany listening to your music in the gym.

Your favourite tracks will keep you motivated when the going gets tough, so you stick to it and keep pushing forward towards your goals.

When it comes to shaping up and getting your foothold with a new fitness regime, every bit of help and support counts. Take advantage of some of the amazing technology that is available, and make 2018 your best year yet.

To celebrate the launch of Samsung’s latest Wearables collection, an event was held at 1Rebel, London. The likes of Bradley Simmonds, Shaun Stafford and Olivia Cox attended to trial the new Gear Sport, Gear Fit2 Pro and IconX 2018 headphones during a Reshape workout session, which focussed on using the devices’ key benefits, including heart rate monitoring, auto activity detection and work out stat summaries.

Following the workout, Samsung held a dinner at top London restaurant, SushiSamba, with health experts Dr Guy Meadows, Rosie Sargeant and Toby Huntington-Whitely, who mingled with guests to discuss their long term health goals.

Samsung Electronics spokesperson said “At Samsung, we celebrate the everyday athlete – whether you’re going for a light jog or training for a triathlon. Our Wearables are designed to help people of varying fitness levels to meet their goals and aspirations.”

Samsung is working closely with this set of health and wellness influencers to achieve their health and fitness goals, supported by their new devices. The wearables are designed to help people get the most out of their day, and facilitate a healthier and more well-balanced life. Samsung will be following and supporting the influencers on their journey to achieve this.

Watch the event video featuring the industry’s top health and wellness influencers trialling out their new Samsung wearable device.

Receive a 3 month The Gym Group membership when you purchase either a Samsung Gear Sport, Gear Fit2Pro or Gear IconX 2018 from a participating retailer.

http://www.samsung.com/uk/offer/gear-gymgroup/ *

*Redeem online at  www.samsung.com/uk/offer/gear-gymgroup between 30-60 days after purchase. T&Cs apply.

The Speedo On tracking app measures key swim metrics including lap count, lap time and stroke type to easily track and incorporate swim achievements into personal fitness goals. Paired with the two new devices, consumers have options for what works best to complement their activity needs in the water; Gear Sport is a sleek and stylish smartwatch with premium features while the Gear Fit2 Pro is an all-new ergonomic fitness band with continuous heart rate monitoring and GPS tracking. The data from Speedo On is also compatible with Samsung Health, Samsung’s comprehensive fitness tracking platform, to deliver a broader picture of health and wellness information.

The new Samsung Gear Fit2 Pro features the Speedo On swim tracking app pre-installed, which is powered by Speedo’s expertly developed algorithm for optimum accuracy and seamless data transfer into the Speedo On web-based platform. Developed for data-driven fitness swimmers, the interactive swim tracking platform acts as a comprehensive training partner. It offers analysis of your swims and tracks your progress against your fitness goals, along with additional training programs, tips and advice tailored to you – developed by some of the world’s best coaches and athletes. Speedo On, also gives swimming a social dimension, allowing you to follow other swimmers, take part in challenges and share achievements. On both the Samsung Gear Sport and Gear Fit2 Pro the Speedo On app enables swimmers to complete time trials and get their SWOLF score (a swim efficiency measure).

“Our Gear customers have been looking for more water-resistant products, and now with the Speedo partnership and the Gear Sport and Gear Fit2 Pro, we are delivering the best experience to meet their demands,” said Kiseon Kim, Vice President of Wearable Product Strategy Team at Mobile Communications Business, Samsung Electronics. “As we look to meet the changing needs of consumers and their desire to track a range of activities and wellness factors – we are excited to bring these unique capabilities to consumers who love being in the water.”

“Speedo is committed to inspiring more people to get into the pool to achieve their fitness goals. Our collaboration with Samsung is the first of its kind and brings the very best of Samsung’s technological innovation together with Speedo’s swim expertise to provide fitness-focused swimmers with a completely new level of tracking,” said Rob Hicking, Brand Director at Speedo International. “We look forward to seeing what we can achieve together in the pool.”

About Speedo®

The world’s leading swimwear brand, Speedo is passionate about life in and around the water, creating revolutionary new technologies, designs and innovations and supporting swimming from grass-roots through to elite level.  In the 1920s Speedo made history with the Racerback: the world’s first non-wool suit. In 2008 Speedo redefined swimwear again with Fastskin LZR RACER – the fastest and most technologically advanced swimsuit ever created. In 2015, Speedo launched the Fastskin LZR Racer X, the first suit engineered to help swimmers feel their fastest. Its development was made possible through analyses of the physical and psychological aspects of competitive swimming with over 330 elite swimmers.  Speedo is owned by Speedo Holdings B.V and distributed in over 170 countries around the world; to find out more visit: www.speedo.com. SPEEDO, the ARROW device, FASTSKIN, AQUALAB, RACING SYSTEM, BIOFUSE, SPEEDO ENDURANCE, SCULPTURE and LZR RACER are registered trademarks of Speedo Holdings B.V. The LZR RACER suit has worldwide design rights and patents. The FASTSKIN³ cap, goggle and suit have worldwide design rights and patents pending. Speedo On is available on Android, iOS and web https://on.speedo.com.

About Speedo On

Speedo On is the new swim training platform from Speedo. Designed to improve the swimming experience and get more people swimming, more often. Users will be able to enjoy personalized recommendations to keep them on track towards their goals, motivated to carry on, and focusing on the best ways for them, personally, to be at their best.

Users will be able to:

• Set personal goals
• Share achievements with other swimmers
• Track their swims
• Analyze their swim fitness metrics
• Access workouts and training plans created by some of the world’s best coaches and athletes
• Consume content relevant to their personal goals and swimming performance
• Take part in challenges

Samsung Electronics today introduced three new devices to its industry-leading wearable portfolio: Gear Sport, a sleek and versatile fitness-focused smartwatch that is water resistant; Gear Fit2 Pro, an upgraded GPS sports band with smart features; and Gear IconX, a second generation of the company’s groundbreaking cord-free earbuds. Samsung’s new Gear devices were designed to help consumers get the most out of their day, and help them live a healthy and well-balanced life.

The new Gear devices assist with a range of activities – from robust fitness tracking to nutrition and sleep monitoring, as well as motivational coaching as a lifestyle companion. By introducing new smart capabilities and easy-to-use features, and by partnering with leading names in tech and fitness, Samsung is helping consumers go beyond fitness and accomplish big things.

“At Samsung, we celebrate the everyday athlete – whether you’re going for a light jog, or training for your next triathlon. We have a long history of embracing choice and innovation, and our wearables are designed to help consumers of varying fitness levels meet their goals and aspirations. We want to help remove the stigma that fit can only mean one thing and that fitness trackers are complex and for only the most intense of workouts,” said DJ Koh, President of Mobile Communications Business, Samsung Electronics. “Our new Samsung Gear wearables help consumers ‘go beyond fitness’ and enjoy an active, balanced and fulfilled life in a smart and seamless way.”

As part of this updated line-up, Samsung created new capabilities for Gear Sport and Gear Fit2 Pro:

• Industry-Leading Water Resistance and Swim Tracking: An ideal companion for any swim – from laps to playing in the pool – these devices are 5 ATM¹ certified for water resistance. Now with Speedo’s latest swimming training app, Speedo On, the Gear Sport and Gear Fit2 Pro also allow you to easily track key swim metrics including lap count, lap time, stroke type and more.
• Top-of-the-line Heart Rate Monitoring: With improved accuracy, the devices offer advanced real-time heart rate monitoring. They help you continuously monitor your heart activity – whether it’s enjoying a stress-free nap or an invigorating cycling class.
• Premium Partnerships: Daily activity can be supplemented with updated Under Armour and Spotify partnerships. Both devices provide access to Under Armour’s fitness apps including Under Armour Record, MyFitnessPal®, MapMyRun® and Endomondo² for activity, nutrition, sleep and fitness tracking functions – these apps provide users with a holistic picture of their health and fitness. Spotify’s Offline mode lets you listen to your favorite music online, offline or even without your smartphone so you can enjoy your favorite tunes regardless of location.
• Auto Activity Detection: Automatic activity detection built into the devices are in tune with your body and can recognize the following categories of activities: Walking, Running, Cycling and performing Dynamic Activities that could include dancing to basketball.
• Personalized Motivation: You can customize your own wellness plan with tailored goals and alerts.

Gear Sport: A New Versatile Smartwatch to Support an Active and Balanced Lifestyle 

Gear Sport is stylish, yet practical with a minimalistic, circular bezel, Super AMOLED 1.2-inch display and improved user interface that makes it easy to view information, even when on-the-go. With Gear Sport, users can work to achieve health and wellness goals, and receive nutrition management alerts and activity recommendations even when they are offline.

Designed with military-level durability, it can handle a wide-range of environments.³  With its sleek, ergonomic form that can be worn in a variety of colorful and easily changeable standard 20mm straps, it is perfect for any occasion so you can effortlessly transition from the gym to a night out with friends. Gear Sport will be available in Blue and Black and also includes Gear foundational functions:

• Control of Samsung IoT-enabled devices through Samsung Connect
• Act as a remote control, whether for a PowerPoint presentation or Samsung Gear VR headset
• Pay for goods with a flick of the wrist via Samsung Pay (NFC Only)⁴

Gear Fit2 Pro: An Advanced GPS Fitness Band

In addition to the new swim and heart rate monitoring capabilities, the new Gear Fit2 Pro features advanced built-in GPS tracking to capture your run or ride with accurate activity tracking. Gear Fit2 Pro’s Super AMOLED curved 1.5-inch display and a high-resolution color touchscreen make real-time updates and notifications easier to read. The all-new secure, ergonomic band is light weight and comfortable to use for all activities. Available in Black and Red, its versatile design also makes it a stylish accessory.

Gear IconX: Comfortable Fit, Cord-Free Earbuds

IconX cord-free earbuds let you effortlessly listen to your favorite music – making your daily commute more enjoyable and helping you get more from your workout. Music can be enjoyed on and offline by transferring songs from a Samsung smartphone⁵ or PC, or accessing your favorite tunes through Bluetooth connectivity. The earbuds are also your newest connection to Bixby.⁶ With a simple tap and hold of the earbud you can use your voice to control your music or your phone – without even having it in your hand.

The updated design comes in Black, Gray and Pink and is even more ergonomic and lightweight so they are effectively secure, comfortable and stylish to use. For the fitness enthusiast, the Gear IconX automatically tracks your running routines, and also features the standalone Running Coach function which can be activated by simply tapping the earbud to provide in-ear audio⁷ exercise status updates – in real-time and without your phone. With a fast-charging and improved battery life of up to five hours of music streaming or seven hours of standalone music playback, and up to 4GB of internal storage, you can enjoy a seamless and fully standalone music listening experience.

Get a first look at Samsung’s new Gear wearables in the official trailer available below.

For more product information, please visit news.samsung.com/galaxy or www.samsungmobilepress.com.

Samsung Gear Sport Specifications

Samsung Gear Fit2 Pro Specifications

Samsung Gear IconX 2018 Specifications 

¹Gear Sport and Gear Fit2 Pro have ISO 22810:2010 certification for 5 ATM rating of 50 meters (165 feet) under specific conditions. This means that both devices are safe to wear while walking in the rain or showering, and may be used for shallow-water activities like swimming in a pool or ocean. However, the Gear Sport and Gear Fit2 Pro should not be used for scuba diving, waterskiing, or other activities involving high-velocity water or submersion below shallow depth.

²Under Armour’s MapMyRun, Endomondo and Under Armour Record for Gear devices are not supported in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. Under Armour’s MyFitness Pal for Gear devices is not supported in Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait.

³ Gear Sport and Gear Fit2 Pro are MIL-STD-810G certified.

⁴NFC support only. Service availability may vary by country.

⁵The Gear IconX is compatible with devices running Android 4.4 and above.

⁶Limited to Samsung devices with Bixby voice capabilities including Galaxy Note8, Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+

⁷The Gear IconX voice guide supports nine languages including U.S. English, Chinese Mandarin, Spanish, German, French, Korean, Italian, Russian and Japanese.