Samsung fitness focused smartwatches take on Fitbit

Samsung introduced two new devices to its wearable portfolio, the Gear Sport and Gear Fit2 Pro.

The Gear Sport is a sleek and versatile fitness-focused smartwatch that is water resistant.

This device is a direct competitor to Fitbit's Ionic, which was revealed just a few days ago.

The Gear Sport aims to be stylish, yet practical with a minimalistic, circular bezel, Super AMOLED 1.2-inch display and an improved user interface that makes it easy to view information on-the-go.

Samsung says that with Gear Sport users can work to achieve health and wellness goals, and receive nutrition management alerts and activity recommendations even when they are offline.

The device is supposedly designed with military-level durability, so it should be able to handle a wide-range of environments.

The ergonomic form can be worn in a variety of colourful and changeable standard 20mm straps.

The Gear Sport will be available in blue and black, it also includes Gear foundational functions.

This means that users can use the device to control Samsung IoT-enabled devices through Samsung Connect.

Essentially turning your watch into a control panel for your smart home.

It can act as a remote control as well, whether for a PowerPoint presentation or a Samsung Gear VR headset.

The second device is the Gear Fit2 Pro, an upgraded GPS sports band with smart features.

This device has new swim and heart rate monitoring capabilities, as well as advanced built-in GPS tracking.

The Gear Fit2 Pro also has a Super AMOLED curved 1.5-inch display and a high-resolution colour touchscreen which aim to make real-time updates and notifications easier to read.

The device is available in black and red.

These devices follow shortly on the heels of Fitbit's big product announcements.

This is undoubtedly an attempt to grab attention as consumers approach the Christmas season.

This does make me wonder if the release of the new Samsung products will impact the sales of the Fitbit Ionic.