I've got a pair of the original version which I only use for running and they're excellent for that - the built in memory means I can play music without my Phone (I use a Garmin running watch) and they are very small and very comfortable.
I've also got a pair of AirPods which are much better for general use, but the Icons beat the AirPods hands down for running IMO
I've been seriously looking into a fitness smartwatch and thought the Samsung Gear Fit 2 would be nice to have because I'm a fencer and walk a lot. The heartbeat sensor is vital for me because I suffered pneumonia two years ago with blood oxygen dropping that gave me a scare, although the oximeter is more important ( I'm quite angry at Apple for not having an oximeter built in the Watch. That's something people need ). Although I've read that the Apple Watch heart rate sensors aren't as accurate as they're claimed to be.
Plus being deaf, having notifications with vibrations are handy to have. I discovered that the Gear Fit 2 works with iOS and Android which is nice but the drawback was that certain features would be limited. The Tizen OS for the Gear Fit 2 is beautifully rendered and this device is something that Apple should have done a few years ago with a simplified watch that's more focused with a 3-4 day battery instead of 12 crappy hours.
Plus, it's far cheaper than the Apple Watch. And more practical without the 'fashion house' crap.
The other option I have been looking at is the Garmin Vivosmart 3 which is more comfortable and has better sensors compared to, say, Fitbit Charge 2 ( although that one is something I was looking into ).
But I'm glad Samsung's got the Gear Fit 2 Pro out now which should have some significant improvements and have better battery life, more improved iOS features unlocked, etc.
Here's the interesting thing I noticed. In Apple Watch, you can do quick replies via text messages on it but on Samsung's Gear Fit 2, you can't and it only works for Android ( I read Apple closed it off to them or restricted the company to certain things ). It makes me wonder if Pebble back then already figured out how to do the text replies on their watch for iOS and Android, how hard can that be for Samsung to open it up for iOS, or Apple, vice versa, to Android?
It sounds like there was a mutual agreement 'behind the scenes' between Samsung and Apple to restrict certain features even though they could easily open them up if they wanted to. This is one reason why I don't like Apple Watch because of feature 'overkill' and the high price tag. EDIT: And especially the 'entrapment' of a walled garden by investment. If Apple Watch was Android compatible, that would have opened up more doors for them. Closing the watch off to just iOS is, honestly, the stupidest thing they've ever done.
If Apple had went with a cheaper activity band like Samsung Gear Fit 2, I think it would have done better with less crap thrown in the watch.
The design for the Gear Fit 2 is subjective and I think it looks fine. It makes sense due to the large screen size for readability and the touch gestures for it. Same goes for the S3's rotating bezels which is genius. I can't believe Apple missed out on that design, opting for the crown which I think defeats the purpose of a touchscreen watch.
I know that Watch OS 4 is supposed to have more activities listed which has fencing in it, but I'm very leery on how accurate it can be in detecting the movement automatically. I don't care about checking emails, using siri, and other trivial apps on the watch when I can do it on the phone. I think Gear Fit 2's longer battery life had to do with it having fewer applications with more focus even though it's a color screen while Apple Watch had too many apps at once which sucks a lot of juice, even GPS.
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Or you could just buy a mouse that you can use when charging..
That is form following function..
THIS is exactly what Apple should've done with their Magic Mouse for charging on front of it. It's shocking that Jony approved the other design, getting the greenlight from Cook. That shows sheer laziness coming from Apple. They're getting away with stupid design choices without getting called out by the consumers. And Cook and his execs know it.
That, right there, is a proper mouse.