Samsung is making a new cheap fitness tracker – but this Fit 3 needs improvements

Woman wearing cheap fitness tracker
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Among Samsung’s repertoire of forgotten devices is its line of fitness trackers, although it could refresh that line soon with the potential release of the Galaxy Fit 3.

This information comes from the Korean side of the Samsung Community forums where someone asked if there will be a Galaxy Fit 3. A community manager let the cat out of the bag by saying the Fit 3 would launch by the end of the year or early 2023 if there’s a delay. The new device is slated to have the same price point as the Samsung Fit 2 which launched at $59 in the US.

Apart from those tidbits, not much was revealed about the Fit 3, and since this information comes from a community manager, take it all with a grain of salt. Assuming the launch window is accurate, this would mean the Fit 3 will not release alongside Samsung’s next major wearable device: the Galaxy Watch 5.

The Watch 5 is expected to launch this August. If anything, the Fit 3 may release close to the Galaxy S23 smartphone, which has an early 2023 launch window. It’s still too early to tell if a similar launch window has any significance, like compatibility between the phone and the Fit 3, or if it’s just a coincidence.

We reached out to Samsung to see if it has anything to reveal about the new device, such as what kind of features it will have, its screen size, or even a picture of the Fit 3. Unfortunately, they never got back to us.

Analysis: Room for improvement

It’s hard to know, right now, if we should be excited about the prospect of a Samsung Fit 3. If the Fit 2 is anything to go by, it’ll probably be a pretty decent budget device. Critically, the Fit 2 built on what the original Fit offered and got some favorable reviews.

Critics enjoyed the improved screen and its ease of use. On the other hand, the Fit 2 had “questionable heart rate accuracy” and shorter battery life than expected. 

Compared to the Fitbit Sense and Garmin Fenix 6 fitness trackers, the Fit 2 had a higher heart rate reading than the other devices. As for battery life, Samsung claimed the device could last a little over two weeks on a single charge, but it was actually around a week, according to reviews. So there’s definitely room for improvement with the Fit 3.

Needless to say, Samsung’s renewed interest in wearable devices is welcome. The Galaxy Watch 4, for example, got the new Google Assistant ahead of schedule with more features on the way.

If you’re interested in cheap fitness trackers, TechRadar recently updated our list of the best ones.

Cesar Cadenas
Contributor

Cesar Cadenas has been writing about the tech industry for several years now specializing in consumer electronics, entertainment devices, Windows, and the gaming industry. But he’s also passionate about smartphones, GPUs, and cybersecurity.