Samsung Galaxy Match: a bit Fitbit, a bit Nike.
Sarah Tew/CNET
The Samsung Galaxy Match has lastly arrived right now, after being introduced again at Samsung’s Galaxy S10 occasion. I have been sporting the $99 tracker on my wrist for just a little over 24 hours. How does it evaluate to reasonably priced Fitbits, or to Samsung’s different new health watch, the Galaxy Watch Energetic? It feels, in a variety of methods, prefer it falls proper in between.
The Galaxy Match feels extra like a light-weight, finances health tracker than the spherical, higher-design Galaxy Watch. It is an evolution of Samsung’s longer-display bands going again to Gear Match. Regardless of its lower-key look, it has some spectacular specs: it is 5ATM waterproof, has onboard coronary heart price (and Samsung’s “stress stage” monitoring, which appears just a little unreliable/complicated), automated sleep monitoring, automated exercise exercise monitoring (for strolling, operating, biking, rowing, elliptical) plus cellphone notifications.
Watch this:
Samsung Galaxy Watch Energetic, Galaxy Buds and Galaxy Match:…
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Galaxy Match vs. Fitbit Encourage HR
The closest parallel in Fitbit-land is the Fitbit Encourage HR, which additionally prices $99. The Encourage HR additionally has water resistance for swimming, sleep monitoring, coronary heart price, and notifications. It has a black and white display as a substitute of a coloration display. In any other case, it is fairly comparable.
The Galaxy Match band is skinny, seems like agency rubber, and has proprietary connections. It felt cozy on my wrist and hooked up firmly, however perhaps it was a bit too slim. The included (proprietary) charger magnetically attaches to the again of the Match.
It isn’t at all times simple to see the textual content.
Sarah Tew/CNET
Navigation on the Galaxy Match occurs by means of touching and swiping: it really works nice, but it surely’s not at all times simple to do when transferring (the textual content is small). A aspect button goes again to the principle watch show, or fast begins a exercise when pressed and held: that is my favourite factor it does that, weirdly, the Fitbit Encourage HR would not.
I additionally like Samsung health units’ automated monitoring of walks and exercises, and the way the stats immediately seem onscreen. On a brisk stroll, I am abruptly in exercise monitoring mode with out doing something.
Loading a restricted set of 5 customizable watch faces is fairly simple, even on iOS, by way of a watch face gallery that seems like what the Apple Watch has. Steps, coronary heart price, climate and some different stats can seem on the watch faces, however you may’t cycle by means of them or see greater than a pair directly, which is annoying. Additionally, solely watch face may be on the Galaxy Match at a time. Watch faces are sooner loading from the cellphone than Fitbit Encourage HR, however Fitbit’s loads higher with including extra stat entry.
Very similar to Fitbit Encourage HR, you may swipe to see a fast dashboard of day by day stats: coronary heart price (and resting coronary heart price), steps, energy burned. There isn’t any stair climbing characteristic, although.
Galaxy Match vs. Galaxy Watch Energetic
The Galaxy Match would not have music storage or playback, any cell funds, GPS, devoted swim monitoring, or integration with third-party health apps just like the Galaxy Watch Energetic has. That is the place the Match turns into a bizarre alternative. The Galaxy Watch Energetic is basically, actually good, and would not price all that a lot ($200). Spending an additional hundred is not absurd in any respect.
The Match feels fairly primary in comparison with the Watch Energetic, which is my greatest concern with it. Battery life is meant to last as long as per week (versus about Four-5 days on Encourage HR). I have never worn it lengthy sufficient to know what the actual battery life is.
Swapping the (restricted) watch faces is simple, even on an iPhone.
Sarah Tew/CNET
Must you purchase it?
In the event you’re finances acutely aware, and need that smaller band design, and like Samsung hardware, the Galaxy Match could also be a sensible choice. However I nonetheless assume the Fitbit Encourage HR hooks right into a much better social health ecosystem with Fitbit, which is why you would be finest off with that as a substitute. (In the event you’re an enormous Samsung S-Well being fan, the Gear Match could also be one thing you’d desire.)
Samsung’s greatest benefit tends to be distinctive hardware options, and people are totally on the Watch Energetic. Extra to return in a full overview.
