Fitbit Surge vs Samsung Gear S2

Samsung Gear S2 vs Fitbit Surge
Fitbit Surge vs Samsung Gear S2

The Fitbit Surge vs the Samsung Gear S2– how do you choose? Which of these is the best smartwatch for you? Fitbit and Samsung are both well-known giants in the smartwatch world, and each does fitness tracking capably as well. That’s why it’s decidedly difficult for fitness nuts, and regular smartwatch users to choose between leading Samsung and Fitbit products for sale today. That’s why we’ve put together this detailed fitness tracker comparison. We compare smartwatches and help you pick the one that’s the best fit for your needs. The Fitbit Surge is one of the top offerings from Fitbit today, and a leading tracker for buyers concerned with GPS tracking. The Samsung Gear S2 is one of the lead options offered by Samsung today, and is well-known for its fitness tracking capabilities along with all its additional features. We took a look at both smartwatches in this in-depth comparison, and we’ll help you pick which option is best for you below. Keep reading and find out what makes these watches different, and why you should take some time when choosing one watch over the other.

How They are Different

These very different looking smartwatches have many key differences that will make one of them better for you than the other. Get familiar with their differences so you can make the right decision for you.

Samsung Gear S2 vs Fitbit Surge: The Look

It’s hard to deny that both the Fitbit Surge and the Samsung Gear S2 are stylish devices, but each has a very different look. The Gear S2 has more of a traditional watch look with a thin band and circular face. The Fitbit Surge has a blocky look with a wide square screen and a band that’s the same width.

Battery Life

Fitbit Surge vs Samsung Gear S2
Fitbit Surge has great battery life

If battery life is important to you, you really need to pay attention to this section of our fitness tracker comparison. The Samsung Gear S2 is a more capable device, but it has a much shorter average battery life than the Fitbit Surge 2. You will go through your full battery in 2 to 3 days during moderate use with the Gear S2. The Fitbit Surge will last at least twice that time during standard use, and can make it as long as 7 days before requiring a charge once again.

Water Resistance

If you’re looking for a smartwatch that you can take to the lap pool, the Samsung Gear S2 is the better option of the two. With its IP68 water proofing, the watch is good down to over 4 feet for 30 minutes in the water. The Fitbit Surge should be kept away from water during use, making it a bit less useful for an avid swimmer.

Screen Technology

The Fitbit Surge uses an OLED display, while the Samsung Gear S2 comes packed with an AMOLED display. Both display types are very similar and offer excellent contrast ratios, but each has advantages and disadvantages over the other. For example, OLED displays are thinner and more flexible, while AMOLED displays offer quicker and smoother refresh rates. Our recommendation is to look at both displays yourself and decide which you like better personally, but either is top-notch.

Added Functionality and Support

Samsung Gear S2 vs Fitbit Surge
You can make calls on the sleek Samsung Gear S2

As far as fitness tracking capabilities are concerned, both the Fitbit Surge and the Samsung Gear S2 are highly capable devices, but things get skewed in favor of the Gear S2 when looking at additional capabilities. Both smartwatches can track notifications reasonably well, but the Gear S2 has a long list of supported applications developed for it, while the Surge has limited functionality in contrast. The Gear S2 can accept its own SIM card and can be used to make and take calls without a smartphone. It’s also possible to download apps right through the Gear S2 itself, without any smartphone. The smartwatch has built-in storage, and you can listen to playlists off the Gear S2 without a smartphone nearby, another capability that the Surge doesn’t offer.

How They are The Same

A fitness tracker comparison wouldn’t be complete without looking at how each of these smartwatches is the same as well. Even though these trackers have very different capabilities, they both are excellent for tracking fitness goals and staying on top of what you want to achieve. When making this smartwatch comparison we were impressed with how accurate and useful the heart rate monitoring is with both devices. They also come with useful apps for managing fitness levels and workout routines.

Managing and Tracking Fitness

It doesn’t matter whether you purchase the Fitbit Surge or the Samsung Gear S2, both work exceptionally well for tracking fitness goals and managing your future workout expectations. These watches have heart rate monitors, accelerometers and built-in GPS functionality. Both also have companion applications that can track different workout routines and even help you create custom routines to go through. That means, whether you have one smartwatch or the other, you can very accurately track all your workout stats and stay on top of your dieting goals as well.

The one you choose for fitness tracking specifically will really depend on which of the apps you like better, the proprietary Fitbit app or the S-Health app, and maybe what your friends are using so you can have a bit of healthy competition.

Stay on Top of Notifications

Our fitness tracker review makes it clear that the Fitbit Surge is less capable when it comes to smartphone features outside of fitness tracking, but that doesn’t mean it’s worthless for anything other than helping you get a good workout. Both of these smartwatches give you a good clear look at all your important notifications. You can even use both of them to manage your smartphone playlist and change the song that’s currently playing on your device. Wear these on your wrist and you’ll know what’s going on with your smartphone all the time.

Buying a smartwatch is a big decision, which is why it’s so important to look at the differences when you compare smartwatches. Hopefully this detailed review helps you choose between the Fitbit Surge and the Samsung Gear S2 effectively. The Gear S2 is ideal if you want a more capable smartwatch that does fitness tracking and much more. It will help you make those calls, bring music with you on the go, will be more useful even when your smartphone isn’t around. It also happens to be much more water resistant for all you swimmers out there. If you are just interested in fitness tracking, and you want the longest battery life that you can get, the Fitbit Surge might be a better option for you.

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