I had a week with the Samsung Gear Sport, which came to our test office for a test drive. You can find all the positive and negative experiences I have during the week with the watch explained from the perspective of a devoted mechanical watch enthusiast.
I have an interest in mechanical watches for a long time and as a result of that I had the opportunity to experience many models from different brands and different price levels. Connected watches have been used by many people around me however my relation with them did not go further than scrolling the home screen. Until I had the Samsung Gear Sport...
I decided to wear the Samsung Gear Sport that arrived to our office for testing and wanted to share my thoughts here free from all prejudices. I think it made a good reference for me and those who were in the same situation as me.
I spent the first few hours by finding the right adjustment for my wrist and getting used to the menu. As a long time Apple ecosystem user, I found the interface extremely user friendly.
At first I was a bit distracted by the notifications and I was slightly uncomfortable for having a constantly vibrating device strapped to my wrist. But later on, I set all my preferences and everything became just as I wanted them to be. When I was driving, I did not have to check my cell phone. Looking at my watch was enough.
The most enjoyable feature of my connected watch experience was being able to measure lots of things during the day. I was very pleased to be able to check the statistics with the watch that I have been wearing constantly (even when I was sleeping) for two days. Step counts, heart rate, sleep intensity etc. As a result, you eventually try to achieve the daily step count target and sleep better.
During the week I spent with Samsung Gear Sport, the watch also motivated me to work out and exercise. I had swimming and running experiences. You choose the type of sport you will do on the sports screen, and when the training is over you can learn everything from GPS data to your heartbeat. As a result, each training session becomes a race that you do yourself, always encouraging you.
All the features I have mentioned so far were the pros. Let’s get to the cons now... Well, the best side of having a connected watch is also the worst side at the same time. If you have more than one watch like me and would like to wear them in a rotation, the statistics that your watch kept do not mean a lot to you. When you leave the watch in your drawer for two days, the data records get ruined. And you lose your motivation to wear the watch.
Despite many watch face options, none of them really matches with your suit and you end up wearing a regular watch.
If you are a “one watch guy” (and does not wear suits), Samsung Gear Sport may be the perfect choice for you. I am pretty sure that you’ll enjoy wearing it. And if you would like to add have it in your rotation of several timepieces, you may still enjoy having it on your wrist during work outs. The only negative aspect will be the data being limited to your work out duration only.
That’s all I can tell you about the Samsung Gear Sport model. I am thinking of updating this article in case my thoughts about the watch changes.
For further technical details you can visit the Samsung page here.
