The new Samsung GALAXY S5 with LTE & Gear2 Review (Part 2)

Hope everyone is doing really well this June Holiday!

I'm back today for the part 2 review for the new Samsung GALAXY S5 with LTE & Gear 2! It has been about a month since I've received them and here are more functions that I'm really loving.

Samsung Gear 2

The Gear 2 is not your ordinary fitness tracker that only allows you to track your fitness goals. This gadget can do so much more. 

Notifications

Being connected to my S5 via bluetooth, I am able to see what's happening on my phone without the need to take it out from my pocket. Notifications that I'll usually receive will be emails, text messages (SMS or Whatsapp) and even from Facebook and Instagram. 

Music player

With a 4GB memory space in this smart gadget, I have the exact same playlist on my phone and my gear 2. The gear 2 has a standalone music player with a built it speaker that allows me to play my favourite tracks with a decent volume. I can also connect my bluetooth headphones without the use of my phone.

Camera

#nofilter (It's a 2 Mega Pixel Camera but good for quick shots!) 

Another function that I really love playing with is the built in camera function. I feel like a private investigator whenever I use this function but I must say that it take pretty decent photos! Here are some of the photos that I took in the gym. 

There are many more functions in the Gear 2 and I'm sure that I will get to learn them all as I journey with this wonderful gadget.

Now with the Samsung GALAXY S5 with LTE, I'll like to take this opportunity to share with you some amazing apps that Samsung has created.

The Samsung Enhanced S Health App (Available for selected Samsung Smart Phones)

The Samsung Enhanced S Health App turns your device into a personal-health-management powerhouse. You can track health statistics and weight. You can also view and track environmental conditions, and even track your exercise regimen. All you need to do is to set up your profile to begin, and your BMI will be estimated and ideal daily calorie intake recommended. You can then work on achieving the recommended 10,000 steps daily with Pedometer, or choose from 4 types of workouts in Exercise mode and set fitness goals.

You can also activate the Coach application in S Health, which recommends improvements and challenges based on a simple assessment of your current lifestyle. On your journey towards a healthier lifestyle, you can complete fun activities by taking on missions and collecting achievement habits.

I didn’t know about the S Health App until I went for the product training and since then, I’ve been diligently keeping track of my meals.

GALAXY Gifts

GALAXY S5 LTE comes with a set of specially curated third party content and services via GALAXY Gifts (worth over US$500). Users can browse through a variety of content, download them and use in their daily lives to motivate them towards achieving their fitness goals.

Some of these third party content and services include the following:

·         Lark – Your Personal Wellness Assistant, which provides easy personalised recommendations on how to be fitter and healthier. GALAXY S5 LTE users receive free 12-month premium Lark services (worth S$45).

·         RunKeeper – Turn your GALAXY S5 LTE into a personal trainer in your pocket. Track your fitness activities, measure your performance over time and share achievements with friends. GALAXY S5 LTE users receive free 12-month membership (worth S$25) for RunKeeper Lite.

·         Skimble – Workout Trainer provides thousands of multimedia workouts led by expert coaches. Workouts come equipped with dynamic move-by-move videos, photos and text instructions. GALAXY S5 LTE users can enjoy a free 6-month Pro+ premium membership experience (worth S$52). 

·         MapMyFitness – Built to help runners, joggers and walkers of all ability levels and ages. Easily track pace, distance, calories and time with audio alerts and much more. Track running, cycling, and over 600 types of other activities. GALAXY S5 LTE users receive free 6-month ad-free MVP access (worth S$45).

PROMOTIONS

Purchase GALAXY S5 LTE in 16GB with contract

- Trade in current smartphone or tablet and get an additional $50 overtrade from 14 June to 30 June 14.

- FREE 16GB micro SD card (worth $26) on a while stocks last basis

Purchase GALAXY S5 LTE in 32GB without contract and receive

- FREE Wireless Charging Kit (worth $108) on a while stocks last basis

- Battery Pack (worth $88) on a while stocks last basis

*For GALAXY S5 LTE in 32GB purchases without contract at Samsung Experience Stores, there will be additional free gifts -

Accessory Pack (HDTV Adapter and Extra Battery Kit) worth $126

S View Cover worth $78

So, after the Samsung GALAXY S5 with LTE & the Gear 2 for almost 1 month, here are my ratings:

Samsung GALAXY S5 with LTE

Design: 9/10
Performance: 9/10
Features: 9/10
Value: 9/10

Samsung Gear 2

Design: 8/10
Performance: 9/10
Features: 9/10
Value: 9/10

Thanks for reading and till the next post, take care & God bless!

Product Review - Polar Loop

When I was given the opportunity to try out 4 fitness wearables: Phyode W/ME, Scosche Rhythm, TomTom Watch & Polar Loop, the Polar Loop was the 1st band that caught my eye!

With it's sleek & stylish design, is this band really as good as it looks? Let's find out.....

I believe everyone knows Polar as the brand that produces really good heart rate tracking devices. So when Polar first launched their Loop band, the heart rate tracking function is a clear must have in its list of capabilities.

So what is Polar Loop?

The Polar Loop is one of the first fitness/activity tracker that has the function of tracking your heart rate real time. It also provides users with the information of the amount of calorie burned based on the activities performed.

As I wan't given a brand new set with the box, I had to grab some photos from Polar's website for this part of the post.

Like most of the fitness wearable, the band will be connect to your PC/Laptop for charging as well as data syncing purposes.

When having the Polar Loop on my wrist, it felt really light weight and comfortable. The main body can be unscrewed from the strap if there is a need to have the strap replaced. Which I personally found really cool. 

The down side came when I found out that the size of the band can be adjusted by cutting the strap to your desired length. Owning a Nike Fuelband SE myself, I find that having size options will be much better than to cut up your brand new band!

One really cool feature of the Polar Loop has is that the charging point of the band doubles up as an activation sensor. Without the contact of skin with the metal ring, the LCD display will not work. I believe this feature will help to save on the battery life especially when the band is not worn.

Functions of Polar Loop

Heart Rate Tracking

Polar Loop can be used as a standalone band or paired with the H7 Heart Rate Sensor. I was quite disappointed to find out that the heart rate tracking function requires an extra device, which in my opinion, makes no technological advancement from watch & the heart rate sensor. What was even worse is that for people who currently owns a Polar watch & heart rate sensor, your heart rate senor will not be able to pair with the Polar Loop unless it is the H7 Bluetooth version. 

Activity Tracking

Polar Loop did a wonderful job tracking my daily activity. I was able to get the following information from the display screen:

- TIME 

- STEPS (Estimated number of steps that I've taken for the day)

I will like to spend some time to elaborate on the ACTIVITY LEVEL function.

At the Activity Level function, there is bar that shows my daily goal and how much more activities to be done to have it filled up. What is really cool is that the band will give you the 'To Go' information, telling you how much more activity that is required before meeting your set daily goal.

The 3 information given will be:

- Walk (Duration required to walk before you fill up the bar)

- Jog (Duration required to jog before you fill up the bar)

- Up (Duration required to stay active before you fill up the bar)

As compared to the Nike Fuelband SE that only displays your current fuel points, the Polar Loop took an extra step to advice users the amount of activities that is required.

So what's my take after trying out the Polar Loop?

Price: 10/10

Design: 8/10

Usefulness: 8/10
Battery Life: 7/10
Usage with the H7 Heart Rate Sensor: 8/10

I personally find the Polar Loop a really good product as compared to its competitors. If you're someone who's looking for a band that tracks your day to day activity and at the same time allowing you to set some activity goals, then the Polar Loop is the right band for you!

The Polar Loop is retailing at SGD 149 at all EpiCentre. A beautifully designed fitness/activity band that will match your every outfit!

I'm really excited to announce that next product I'll be reviewing is the Samsung Galaxy S5 LTE & Samsung Gear 2. If you're a Samsung fan and will like to find out more, please stay tuned!

Until then, take care & God bless!