I just got my hands on the new Samsung Galaxy Fit3, a sleek and diminutive fitness tracker loaded with high-end features and specs for less than $60. This includes a lovely 1.6-inch AMOLED touchscreen, nearly two weeks of battery, sleep coaching with snore detection, a blood oxygen saturation sensor (sorry, Apple Watch folks), fall detection, and of course, lots of fitness tracking features.
An update to 2020's Galaxy Fit2, the Samsung Galaxy Fit3 is a massive improvement over its predecessor in every regard, and also potentially my new favorite cheap fitness tracker available.
Samsung Galaxy Fit3: Price and availability
The Samsung Galaxy Fit3 was first announced in February 2024 with availability confirmed for select markets only. Now, nearly a year later, the Samsung Galaxy Fit3 is officially available in the U.S. for a reasonable $59. Choose from Dark Grey, Silver, or Pink Gold.
By comparison, Fitbit's cheapest tracker is the Inspire 3, which launched in 2022 and costs $99 (though you can often find it for $10 to $20 less than that depending on sales).
Samsung Galaxy Fit3: Design and build quality
The Galaxy Fit3 is built around a rectangular 1.6-inch AMOLED touchscreen. The side of the case is constructed of aluminum while the back panel appears to be polycarbonate. A single button adorns the side; by default, it wakes the watch up. Users can choose when setting up the Fit3 whether they want the button oriented on the left or right side.
The device ships on a soft, silicone strap that attaches with a pin and buckle system. With a weight of 0.65 ounces, a height of 42mm and a thickness of a little less than 10mm, the Fit3 wears comfortably on my 6.5-inch wrist.
Water resistance of 50 meters should be enough for short surface-level swims or showers. The Fit3 is also IP68-rated against dust, dirt and moisture.
Samsung Galaxy Fit3: Key features
In addition to monitoring your daily step count and heart rate, you can track more than 100 workout types with the Fit3, with lots of post-exercise insights into your performance and recovery.
I'm a huge fan of Samsung's holistic features, especially the sleep-tracking tools you'll find in the latest Galaxy Watch models and Galaxy Ring. In addition to daily sleep reports, I find the daily sleep quality score particularly useful. This is why I'm thrilled to see features offered in the brand's most basic wearable. Plus, you also get access to Samsung's nifty snore detection feature.
Users can also monitor their blood oxygen saturation levels in a matter of seconds, something U.S.-based Apple Watch owners can't do. The Fit3 additionally supports high/low heart rate warnings, along with tools to monitor stress, nutrition and water intake. Rare for a wearable at this price point is the inclusion of fall detection, which can share your location info with an emergency contact if an incident is registered.
There's no GPS, so you'll need your phone for location tracking, but an onboard barometer should lead to precise elevation data, something I appreciate as an avid hiker.
The Fit3 does not support NFC payments or third-party apps. It does support mirrored phone notifications and can even be used to respond to texts (though not calls, as there is no mic or speaker). You can also control media from a connected device, but there's no onboard storage for downloading music.
Samsung Galaxy Fit3: Battery life
Samsung says the Galaxy Fit3 can last up to 13 days per charge, which is pretty solid. By comparison, the Fitbit Inspire 3 lasts 10 days per charge, while the Amazfit Band 7 goes for a whopping 28 days in battery saver mode or 12 days with heavy use.
Samsung's tracker charges using a proprietary cable that magnetically attaches to the bottom of the device. The other end is USB-C.
Samsung Galaxy Fit3: Outlook
With Google winding down the Fitbit brand, we don't know whether or not a replacement for the popular Fitbit Charge 6 or Fitbit Inspire 3 — two of the best fitness trackers we've ever tested — will ever see the light of day. However, as these models age, the demand for wallet-friendly, easy-wearing fitness trackers remains.
Already, brands like Amazfit have moved into Fitbit's territory, with devices like the Amazfit Band 7 offering a similar form factor and set of tracking tools to the Inspire 3, but at a more affordable price. The $99 Active 2 is another seriously impressive new model from Amazfit.
U.S. mechanical watch brand, Armitron similarly jumped into the fitness tracker market last fall with a series of budget-friendly options, like the $75 Armitron Matrix.
However, Samsung has a clear advantage over these much smaller brands as one of the largest and most established players in the wearables tech space.
The Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 and Galaxy Watch Ultra are two of the best smartwatches money can buy, while the Samsung Galaxy Ring is the best smart ring not named Oura. And I'd argue that Samsung's reputation for wellness and fitness monitoring is matched by only Apple and Google.
Moreover, if I were shopping for a new fitness tracker and came across three similarly-priced and designed devices boasting comparable specs: the Amazfit Band7, Armitron Matrix, and Samsung Galaxy Fit3, I'd almost certainly spring for the Fit3 based on Samsung's legacy in wearables.
Of course, Armitron and Amazfit have one major advantage over Samsung: their devices work with Apple and Android handsets. At the same time, the Galaxy Fit3 is Android only, a factor that seriously limits its appeal. Dangit, Samsung!
(The fine print says that the Fit3 'must be paired with a Samsung Galaxy smartphone with Android 10.0,' but it appears that most current Android phones will play nicely with the new tracker.)
That point aside, if the Samsung Galaxy Fit3 proves to be a reliable tracker in our testing and features like fall detection and sleep coaching work as intended, then it's almost guaranteed to show up in our best fitness tracker buying guide.
Ultimately, I'm a big fan of the Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 — which I reviewed — particularly, its holistic features and insights. But with a starting price of $299, it's not exactly affordable. Could the Galaxy Fit3 serve as a Galaxy Watch 7 'Lite' with comparable health tech for a fifth of the price? I've got it on my wrist right now and plan to find out. Stay tuned.
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