SAMSUNG, SPEEDO A SMART FIT

SAMSUNG has made a big splash in Berlin, revealing a new partnership with an iconic Aussie swimwear maker and a trio of wearables.

The new products launched at electronics tradeshow IFA 2017 include Gear Sport, a fitness-focused smartwatch (yes, you can swim with it); Gear Fit2 Pro, an upgraded GPS sports band with smart features; and Gear IconX, the next generation of the company’s cord free earbuds.

Both the $549 Gear Sport and the $329 Gear Fit2 Pro have upgraded heart-rate tracking on previous models.

The Gear Fit2 Pro will be out in Australia from September 15, and the Gear Sport in November, with preorders available before then.

Samsung also announced a partnership with Speedo to help swimmers track activity with a new platform, Speedo On.

Samsung’s collaboration deal with leading music streaming service Spotify is also big news; it allows music tracks to be played on the devices, on or offline, even without a smartphone.

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.

Garry McGregor, the director for IT and Mobile, Samsung Electronics Australia, said: “In 2017, fitness means more than just burning calories in the gym.

“Thanks to features like water and caffeine intake recording and auto sleep tracking, our new range of wearables are designed to help Australians bring balance to their lives.”

GEAR SPORT

Gear Sport is stylish, yet practical with a minimalistic, circular bezel, Super AMOLED 1.2-inch display and improved user interface, making it easy to view information – including on-the-go.

Users can work to achieve health and wellness goals, and receive nutrition management alerts and activity recommendations, even when you are offline.

GEAR ICONX

IconX are comfortable fit, cord-free earbuds. And they are the newest connection to Bixby so with a tap and hold of the earbud you can use your voice to control your music or phone – without even having it in your hand. The Gear IconX automatically tracks your running routines, and also features standalone Running Coach which can be activated by simply tapping the earbud to provide in-ear audio exercise status updates – in real-time and without your phone.

GEAR FIT2 PRO

Has new swim and heart-rate monitoring capabilities and advanced built-in GPS tracking to capture your run or ride with accurate activity tracking.