Samsung Gear Fit 2 update brings continuous heart rate monitoring

The latest software update for the Gear Fit 2 introduces continuous heart rate monitoring, new watch faces, and apps.

At IFA this past August, Samsung showed off a trio of new fitness wearables, one of which was the Gear Fit 2 Pro. The Gear Fit 2 Pro is a slightly upgraded version of the Gear Fit 2 that was released last summer, but thanks to a new software update, last year's hardware is getting one of the Pro's biggest features — continuous heart rate monitoring.

The Gear Fit 2 was previously able to track your heart rate upon command and intermittently throughout the day, but with continuous heart rate monitoring, you'll be able to see exactly how your heart's working 24/7. This is something that serious trainers often value quite dearly, and along with all of this new data, the Gear Fit 2 now also supports heart rate zones.

Heart rate zones show you how light or hard your heart is working while exercising, and depending on the intensity of your workout, your heart rate will fall in one of the following categories:

• Heart Rate Zone 1: Between 50% and 60% of your max heart rate (Very Light)
• Heart Rate Zone 2: Between 60% and 70% of your max heart rate (Light)
• Heart Rate Zone 3: Between 70% and 80% of your max heart rate (Moderate)
• Heart Rate Zone 4: Between 80% and 90% of your max heart rate (Hard)
• Heart Rate Zone 5: Between 90% and 100% of your max heart rate (Maximum)

In addition to the new heart rate tracking features, the Gear Fit 2 is also gaining a new Schedule and Weather apps, watch faces from the Gear Fit 2 Pro (including a pedometer watch face), as well as other bug fixes and improvements.

This new update weighs in at 18.96MB, and although it's only been spotted in Indonesia so far, it should be rolling out to other markets soon.

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