$299.99 seems to be the price point that many sporty smartwatch makers believe the market can bear and still deliver them large sales volume. Only time, and Father Christmas, will tell if that’s true.
Opinion
I’ve included the Samsung Gear Sport Specifications below for reference but there are no surprises.
You can have a click on the image to the right to look at the Gear S3 that was announced a few weeks ago. The design of the Gear S3 clearly says ‘Classic Watch’/’Dress Watch’ and the design of the Gear Sport clearly says ‘SPORT watch’.
That’s a GREAT play.
- Q: What is the Garmin Vivoactive 3?
- A: 90% sport watch
- Q: What is the Fitbit Ionic?
- A: 35% Sport Watch
- Q: What is the Apple Watch?
- A: 30% sport watch
You might want to argue over the percentages and I would concede ground very quickly. But the point I am making is that the Samsung watches don’t really need to make that justification to the consumer. That makes marketing a lot easier for Samsung and a lot more difficult for their competition.
Whilst the Gear S3 had streaming music, the Gear Sport has 4Gb of onboard music storage. I think you’d agree for a sports watch that it is fine for offline music storage when working out with the Gear Sport. And Samsung’s offline storage also works with SPOTIFY (selected GEOs) which, to me, seems a globally superior solution to Pandora (Fitbit Ionic)
It’s got all the connectivity it needs with Bluetooth 4.2, WiFi and NFC and all the sensors with accelerometer, barometer, gyro and an ambient light sensor. It’s got GPS and GLONASS (& Beidou), it’s waterproof for swimming use, and naturally has an optical HR monitor too. Heck, it even controls stuff in your house with Samsung’s IoT.
- Q: Has it got the battery life?
- A: 300mAH … hmmm. Not sure how that translates to reality.
- Q: Has it got the apps?
- A: Well, it’s got a SPEEDO swim app! And it’s got more apps than the Fitbit Ionic. Samsung DO have some quality apps (link to: Samsung.com). But it has NOT got the depth of functionalities offered by Apple apps.
- Q: Has it got the looks?
- A: Not sure
So they haven’t got as many of the marketing- and technical-bits in place as Apple. But they should be ahead of Garmin, Fitbit and others. But will that translate to second place at Christmas? Historically, we would have said NO, even without not knowing for sure what Apple’s Watch sales were 😉
Promotional Video
https://youtu.be/Pew9e9VrDRA
Might this be a contender for best running watch? Perhaps not. But maybe a contender for the best sport-focused smartwatch?
Samsung Gear Sport Specifications & Design
Color |
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Dimensions
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 Weight : 67g (with strap) / 50g (without strap) 42.9 mm44.6 mm11.6 mm |
Display |
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Performance
AP |
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Storage |
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OS |
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Battery |
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Sensors |
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Connectivity |
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Water Resistant |
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Apps |
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Strap |
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External Parts |
 Rotating BezelBack KeyHome KeyHR Sensor |
In the box
Gear Sport |
Gear Sport (Large Strap)
Charging Dock Travel Adapter Small Strap |
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Last Updated on 19 January 2026 by tfk the5krunner
Small things I always use
- Garmin 90-degree charging adapter: Charges your Garmin from any USB-C cable. Essential when travelling. I use one.
- Body Glide: The blue anti-chafe stick swimmers and runners carry. I use it.
- Speedo earplugs: Fewer ear infections and no cold-water dizziness. I use them.
- Dryrobe Advance: My winter changing robe for open-water swims. I use one. A cheaper option is the AONYIYI changing robe.
- Maurten: Race fuel that stays easy on the stomach. I use them.
- Garmin charging puck: The quickest way to top up before a session. I use one.
- Injinji: Toe socks that stop rubbing, so you run more. I use them.
- Ultimate toe protectors: Stop black toenails on long runs. They work. I use them.
- Compressport R2 v2 calf sleeves: My calf sleeves of choice. I use them.
- Cellucor C4: My pre-workout before hard sessions.
- TPU tubes: Schwalbe Aerothan, Tubolito and Pirelli SmarTube. Light, tiny spares. I use all three.
- G8 insoles: Adjustable insoles that are good. I use them.
- Cycplus Cube: A 97g electric pump that gets a road tyre rideable in two minutes. I carry one. 5% off with code THE5KRUNNER.
Watches and sensors
- Polar H10: My daily driver for waking HRV.
- Polar Verity Sense: My backup arm-worn HR sensor.
- Nomad bedside charger: Charges my iPhone and Apple Watch overnight. I use it, and many of their bands.
- Train.Red: The best muscle oxygen sensor I’ve used.
- Tymewear: Accurate heart rate and reliable ventilatory zones. I use it to pace endurance rides over an hour.
- Garmin Forerunner 970: A pro-grade triathlon watch. I use this.
- Apple Watch Ultra 4: My daily smartwatch. No phone needed on rides.
- Garmin Fenix 9 Pro: I’ve just bought one.
On the bike
- Continental GP5000 for everyday riding, and Aero 111 on the front for special occasions.
- Helmets: Specialized S-Works Evade 3 for road riding, and Rudy Project Wing for TT-style races. I use both.
- Ravemen FR300: A front light that mounts under your Garmin or Wahoo. I use one.
- Wahoo TRACKR Radar: I use it on one bike and Varia on the other. They perform the same.
- Garmin Varia RTL515: Radar that warns you of cars from behind. I use this model.
- Wahoo ELEMNT Roam 3: The bike computer that’s easy to use. I use mine on most rides.
- Favero Assioma Pro RS2: Accurate power pedals that swap easily between bikes. I use this model.
Home and indoor training
- NPE Runn: Makes my basic treadmill smart, sending more accurate speed and distance to my watch and Zwift. I use it.
- Google Wifi: Keeps Zwift connected in my pain cave. I use it.
- Apple TV 4K: Zwift on the big screen. I use two.
- Google Nest Doorbell (wired, 2nd gen): My video doorbell, running in both Google Home and Apple Home. I use it.
Health, recovery and sleep
- FreeStyle Libre 3 Plus: Shows how my blood sugar responds to diet.
- hDrop: Measures my sweat loss in summer and indoors.
- Fourth Frontier Zone: Checks my heart under load in hard sessions.
- Oura Ring 5: My partner’s recovery tracker of choice.
- Kineon MOVE+: Red light therapy for niggles. It works.
- Eight Sleep: A cooling mattress cover my partner and I use nightly.
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tfk is the founder and author of the5krunner, an independent endurance sports technology publication. With 20 years of hands-on testing of GPS watches and wearables, and competing in triathlons at an international age-group level, tfk provides in-depth expert analysis of fitness technology for serious athletes and endurance sport competitors. ID
If they placed the 6 led polar ohrm on the samsung gear sport then it would have beat the garmin vivoactive 3 easily, or even if they just made it compatible with bt chest straps and foot pods. As it is now its just a nice smartwatch with crappy hr accuracy.
i’m not having much luck with the VA3, but i hear you !! Ionic is also guilty of zero accessory-compatibility. I guess these things must be hard to do. even the Applewatch 3 seems to have issues with multiple BLE sensors (apprently…not seen by me for sure)