Samsung's S Band fitness tracker spotted in Germany

Gear Fit Clasp Close — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Samsung really wants us to get off the couch to do some kind of exercise, and its latest product to motivate us is the S Band. Oddly, the company hasn’t made any noise about this one, but it has been revealed at a Samsung Roadshow in Germany this week, and additionally put up for pre-order through Amazon.

Hold on, you may be thinking, Samsung already has a fitness tracking band: The Gear Fit. You’re right, it does, but the S Band is considerably more basic than the all-singing Gear Fit. At the end of last year, a report did state Samsung had a basic fitness tracker in the works, and attached the S Band name to it at the time. However, for now, without any solid, Samsung-sourced information to go on, our picture of the S Band has to be built using several recent leaks, plus the details coming from Germany.

A Samsung catalog page showing the S Band was leaked late last week, and stated the little device would count steps, measure distance traveled, note the amount of calories burned, and track sleep patterns. The S Band doesn’t have a display of its own – one of the key differences between it and the Gear Fit – so it relies on Samsung’s S Health 3.0 app installed on your Galaxy smartphone. The only visual aid on the S Band is a run of five, flashing colored LED lights.

The main module can be popped out of the standard watch strap and slipped into a FitBit-style clip to attach to your clothes. Samsung will produce the watch strap in several different colors, according to the leaked catalog. The S Band will also show basic alerts for incoming calls and messages, plus it’ll sound an alarm if it loses Bluetooth contact with the phone.

According to the Amazon Germany pre-order page, the S Band (known here as the Galaxy Activity Tracker) is compatible with devices running Android 4.3 or higher, has a five day battery life, and comes with both the strap and clip included in the box. It’s priced at 80 euros, which converts to around $110. Sadly, there’s no release date listed on the page.

All we can do now is wait for Samsung to confirm the S Band/Activity Tracker’s name, price in other currencies, and a final release date. We’ll keep you updated.

Samsung’s basic S Band fitness tracker is coming soon

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